Carbon

• A comprehensive analysis from the National Center for Atmospheric Research shows US carbon dioxide emissions fell 8.2% year-over-year in Q1 2026, driven primarily by renewable energy sources now supplying 34% of national electricity generation. • Solar and wind capacity additions reached record levels with 42 gigawatts of new renewable infrastructure installed in 2025, according to data released by the Department of Energy and independent research institutions. • Climate scientists attribute the acceleration partly to state-level climate policies and federal incentives from the 2024 Clean Energy Investment Act, though transportation and industrial sectors still require significant emission reductions.

Chancellor aims to curb rising household bills as she consults on reforms to weaken link between gas and electricity pricesRachel Reeves is poised to raise the government’s windfall tax on low-carbon electricity generators to help to limit UK household energy bills, the Guardian understands.The chancellor is ready to hike the levy introduced in 2022 to target the excess profits made by the owners of older renewable energy and nuclear plants as electricity market prices soared after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

• University of South Florida engineering Professor David Simmons led a research team that solved a century-old materials science puzzle: how tiny carbon black particles transform soft rubber into material strong enough to support loaded aircraft. • The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that refining existing models to reflect carbon black's real structure and dispersion patterns provided the answer. • The discovery matters for the $260 billion global tire industry and could lead to designing safer, longer-lasting materials used in car tires, aircraft components, industrial seals, and medical devices.

Homes built from March 2028 will produce 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than those built to 2013 standardBuyers of new homes are likely to be shackled to high gas prices for years to come, as the government has delayed bringing into force new regulations on low-carbon housing.Most newly built homes will come equipped with solar panels and heat pumps from March 2028, according to updated regulations for England called the “future homes standard” (FHS), but the government has relented on plans for more stringent rules under pressure from housebuilders. Continue reading...

Fungus-farming ants have evolved a remarkable solution to the danger of excess carbon dioxide inside their nests – which could inspire ways for humans to capture CO2