Highest CO2 spike in 50,000 years, volcano storage solution and the world’s smartest city is ……
In this issue:
Highest rate of CO2 increase in 50,000 years
The current rate of increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide is 10 times more than at any time in the last 50,000 years. That’s according to the latest research from Oregan State University, revealing the data from an analysis of ancient arctic ice.
And still on the up
The bad news is reaffirmed by the latest readings from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii which tell us CO2 levels are rising faster than ever. CO2 levels were 4.7 parts per million higher in March than they were the same time last year, the largest annual jump since the data have been tracked. January to April this year is also the highest increase in the first four months of any calendar year.
Clean energy boosting economies
Clean energy accounted for 10% of global GDP growth in 2023 according to the latest analysis from the IEA by adding around US$320 billion (NZ$520bn) to the world economy. Regionally, clean energy accounted for around 20% of China’s GDP growth and a third of Europe’s.
Volcanoes may provide storage solution
Volcanic ash is damaging to infrastructure and health and is disruptive to air traffic. On the up-side, it may also prove to be an excellent medium for energy storage. A research team from the University of Barcelona has established that volcanic ash demonstrates excellent thermal conductivity and heat capacity and is resistant to oxidisation over numerous cycles, making it superior to current molten salt solutions.
95 tonnes
We’ve previously reported on the world’s first transatlantic flight using sustainable aviation fuel, which took place in November last year. The numbers are now in and it’s reported using SAF saved a whopping 95 tonnes of CO2.
And the smartest city in the world is ………
Paris. The French capital has taken out ProptechOS’s analysis of cities’ preparedness for a smart future. Using 16 key criteria set out by the OECD across the three categories of connectivity and infrastructure, sustainability and the tech job market, Paris emerged the global winner from the 68 cities analysed. Seattle and Miami took the other spots on the podium.