Building materials, especially concrete, play a major role in the world’s carbon emissions – but, they may be able to help play a role in sequestering carbon, too.

The federal government recently announced a suite of measures to tackle the nation’s pollution from transportation, particularly from heavy duty vehicles like trucks and buses. 

Two major Bay Area refineries, owned and operated by Phillips 66 and Marathon Petroleum, announced in 2020 that they were planning to convert from producing petroleum to biofuels – specifically, the renewable diesel (RD) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Google recently announced that their Google Flights platform will show the amount of carbon emissions each flight produces, allowing users to compare the environmental impact of their flight options. Many consumers choosing lower-carbon flights could push airlines to invest in more efficient aircraft and sustainable aviation fuels.

New research shows a promising method for tackling worldwide plastic pollution through fuel production. Researchers have found a new approach to convert a common plastic, polyethylene, into jet fuel in about an hour. Plastic pollution is a major environmental and public health concern, and technological innovation will be critical to solving this seemingly intractable problem.

The Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition (CHFC) is a recently formed advocacy group made up of various oil, gas, and utility companies. The CHFC’s stated goal is to lower the costs of hydrogen production while utilizing existing fossil fuels. Many environmental advocacy groups disagree with the CHFC, stating that its proposed hydrogen techniques would not alleviate — and would in some cases exacerbate — environmental and social harms.