Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Modern-day agriculture faces two major dilemmas: how to produce enough food to feed the growing human population and how to minimize environmental damage associated with intensive agriculture. Keeping more nitrogen in soil as ammonium may be one key way to address both challenges, according to a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Today’s use of nitrogen fertilizers contributes heavily to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and water pollution, but they are also essential for growing crops. Reducing this pollution is critical, but nitrogen use is likely to grow with increased food production. At the same time, the world’s human population is increasing, and agriculture needs to efficiently produce enough food to feed everyone without resorting to clearing more forests for agriculture.
Reuters
Two weeks after President Xi Jinping took part in the U.S.-sponsored climate summit of world leaders, it is hard to tell whether China has made a commitment to tougher carbon reduction deadlines or not.
In a carefully worded statement on April 22, Xi left it unclear whether China will go beyond pledges that he made last September to reach a peak in carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
Particular attention was paid to China s largest source of carbon emissions the country s consumption of high- polluting coal.
While China is rapidly increasing its renewable energy capacity, it also continues to burn over half of the coal consumed in the world.
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[Reuters]
Coal is falling out of favor across the developed world because of concerns over pollution and climate change, but it remains a growing energy choice in many parts of Southeast Asia driven by Chinese investment.
While many markets, including the United States, Europe, and East Asia, shift away from coal, Chinese banks, energy and construction companies remain committed to financing and building dozens of plants in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
That’s despite growing concerns about environmental degradation, electricity oversupply, and air pollution. Coal is widely considered the dirtiest fossil fuel for electricity generation, with the highest greenhouse gas emissions, and widespread air, water, and soil quality issues due to mining, burning, and coal waste.