Greenhouse gases are atmospheric constituents that absorb and emit infrared radiation, thereby contributing to the greenhouse effect and Earth’s radiative energy balance. Major greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), ozone (O₃), and various halogenated compounds, along with water vapour (H₂O) as a feedback agent. Their radiative forcing depends on concentration, spectral absorption properties, atmospheric lifetime, and overlap with other absorbers. In climate research, greenhouse gases are quantified via metrics such as global warming potential and effective radiative forcing to assess their contribution to anthropogenic climate change and to inform emissions mitigation strategies.
Green clay tennis courts are able to absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide via enhanced rock weathering, according to a new study in Applied Geochemistry. Enhanced rock weathering—the process of using silicate rocks like ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 23, 2026
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The amount of heat trapped by Earth reached record levels in 2025, with the consequences of such warming feared to last for thousands of years, the UN warned Monday.
Environment
Mar 23, 2026
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A burst of unusual March heat is hitting the United States this week and into next, busting previous monthly heat records by wide margins. While heat is most acutely felt by people exposed to it, graphics and charts convey ...
Environment
Mar 21, 2026
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25
Scientists have debated for decades whether economies can continue to grow without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. A new study by a Penn State researcher has found that this may be possible, but only under strict conditions ...
Environment
Mar 17, 2026
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Winter in Antarctica is long and dark. Temperatures remain well below freezing. In many places, the sun sets in April and does not rise above the horizon again until August. Without sunlight, photosynthetic life such as plants, ...
Ecology
Mar 16, 2026
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Is industry doing enough for the climate—or are many efforts still largely plans on paper? A new study from Chalmers University of Technology examines how Sweden's 20 largest industrial emitters are working toward the goal ...
Environment
Mar 12, 2026
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A new study estimates that the Israel–Gaza war has generated around 33 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), highlighting the often-overlooked environmental impact of armed conflict.
Environment
Mar 11, 2026
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Countries worldwide have dramatically ramped up their climate policies over the past two decades. The number of climate measures has quadrupled since 2000, with some datasets showing a fifteen-fold increase.
Environment
Mar 9, 2026
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Temporary overshoot of global temperature targets—particularly the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement—is no longer just a modeling concept. New research, published in Nature Climate Change and led by the Euro-Mediterranean ...
Environment
Mar 6, 2026
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The past three years have been the world's hottest on record by far, with 2025 almost tied with 2023 for second place. With that energy came extreme weather, from flash flooding to powerful hurricanes and severe droughts. ...
Environment
Mar 5, 2026
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