Environmental Chemistry Blog 2025

By Mira I Buerk News Article: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250410-how-climate-driven-thunderstorms-supercharge-pollen-allergies   Peer-Reviewed Article https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278224000531   Background:      Though allergies and allergic reactions have “been around” for forever, they weren’t studied because they simply weren't relevant. However, around 150 years ago as a result of changes in lifestyle like better water quality and hygiene, this began to change, causing the population to become sensitive to otherwise irrelevant foreign proteins [3]. Allergies are the result of the immune system reacting to foreign substances entering or contacting the body. The immune system creates IgE (immunoglobulin E) antibodies to attack these invaders, causing a cascade of reactions. One of these reactions is the release of mast cell chemicals, like histamines, into the body which cause allergic reactions [2]. Some of the most common a...

By Talia Geilen News Article:  https://www.nwf.org/Latest-News/Press-Releases/2023/12-8-23-Bioenergy-Pollution-Study Research Article:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148123014519?ssrnid=4312823&dgcid=SSRN_redirect_SD Background:            Bioenergy uses organic matter that is converted to fuel, heat, or electricity as an energy source [1]. It has been considered a greener source of energy than fossil fuels. Biomass makes up 1.3% of total energy generation in the US [2]. While considered a fossil fuel alt ernative, the emitted pollutants in biomass combustion pose significant environmental and health concerns. The combustion of different biomass feedstocks (the sources of biomass like post-consumer paper products, mill wastes, forestry residues, food wastes, and municipal solid wastes) the pretreatment of the biomass (processes of leaching, drying, densification, and pelletization), and the combustion of biom...

          by Arup Sarkar Research article:  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2822997 News article:  https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/health/inhalers-climate-change-wellness Background HFAs, which are commonly used as refrigerants and aerosol propellants, were introduced as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Although they do not damage the ozone layer, they are strong greenhouse gases with high global warming potentials (GWPs); for instance, HFA-134a traps a lot more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide 1 , with a GWP of about 1,430. Even though they are released in lesser amounts, HFAs may be measured for their contribution to radiative forcing and global warming and remain in the atmosphere for  years 4 . The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (2016) mandates a global phase-down of HFA production and use in recognition of their impact on the climate; if fully implemented, this cou...

By Madison Hall News Article: https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/18/climate/food-crops-heat-rain Research Article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09085-w Background:      As global temperatures rise, the world's ecosystems will change. The effects of climate change on resources such as water and soil will cause changes in crop production, which will vary by region [1]. Major crops that may be affected by climate change include, but are not limited to, wheat, maize, soybeans, rice, sorghum, and cassava. It is meaningful to examine how these crops will be affected by climate change because they are widely considered to be staple crops and are grown in large quantities across the globe, making up significant proportions of the calories required for a standard diet [2]. To make projections, this paper uses both a high-emissions and moderate-emissions scenario, which correspond to RCP 8.5 and 4.5, respectively. RCPs, or representative concentration pathways,...

Ava Balfour News Article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/10/link-oil-giants-heatwaves-research-legal-liability Journal Article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09450-9 Background:      Since the preindustrial carbon dioxide and methane emitted from anthropogenic sources have been significant contributors to climate change. The burning of fossil fuels can be attributed to a significant percentage of these emissions and an increase in the Global Mean Standard Temperature (GMST) [1].      The Carbon Majors is a database that quantifies the emissions and emissions from the combustion of the products of 180 of the world’s largest oil, gas, coal, and cement producers since 1854.[2] Emissions from the carbon majors account for  57% of the total cumulative anthropogenic CO2  emissions with the top 14% largest emitters make up 30% of the total emissions. The carbon majors fall into three categories, investor-owned companie...