🚨NEW STUDY🚨
“Given the high expectations placed on #DAC for future #decarbonisation, recent study presents an extensive review of DAC tech, exploring a number of techno-economic aspects, including an updated collection of the current & planned DAC projects around the world.”
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“A dedicated analysis focused on the production of synthetic methane, methanol, and diesel from #DAC and electrolytic hydrogen in the European Union (EU) is also performed, where the #carbonfootprint is analysed for different scenarios and energy sources.”
2/10
The results show that “the maximum grid carbon intensity to obtain #NegativeEmissions with #DAC is estimated at 468 gCO 2 e/kWh, which is compliant with most of the EU countries’ current grid mix.”
3/10
“Using only photovoltaics (PV) and wind, #NegativeEmissions of at least −0.81 tCO 2 e/tCO 2 captured can be achieved.”
4/10
“The maximum grid intensities allowing a reduction of the synthetic fuels carbon footprint compared with their fossil-fuels counterparts range btw 96 & 151 gCO 2 e/kWh.”
5/10
However, “to comply with the Renewable Energy Directive II (REDII) sustainability criteria to produce renewable fuels of non-biological origin, the maximum stays between 30.2 to 38.8 gCO 2 e/kWh.”
6/10
“Only when using PV and wind is the EU average able to comply with the REDII threshold for all scenarios and fuels, with fuel emissions ranging from 19.3 to 25.8 gCO 2 e/MJ.”
7/10
These results highlight the “importance of using renewable energies for the production of synthetic fuels compliant with the EU regulations that can help reduce emissions from difficult-to-decarbonise sectors.”
8/10
Read the paper entitled: "The Role of Direct Air Capture in EU’s Decarbonisation and Associated Carbon Intensity for Synthetic Fuels Production" here ⬇️ econpapers.repec.org/article/gamjen…
🚨A new @EarthsFutureEiC study tests an Arctic intervention: flooding winter sea ice with seawater to see if it can become thicker, brighter, and more resistant to summer melt.
The answer comes from a real field experiment in the Canadian Arctic.🧵1/11
2/ The experiment was conducted in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut (Canadian Arctic) using a ~1 km² sea-ice field site.
Researchers divided the ice into control plots (no flooding) and treated plots (artificial flooding) to directly compare outcomes under identical conditions.
3/Process:
•Seawater was pumped from ocean
•Spread manually/with equipment over ice surface during winter
•H2O rapidly froze due to sub-zero air temp
•Process repeated in some plots multiple times over winter
Each flooding cycle added new frozen layer on top of existing ice
🚨Monthly Solar Geoengineering Updates (April'2026)🚨
From EU calls for an #SRM deployment moratorium & WHO-linked health-centered governance report, to Stardust publishing its own SRM rules, key SRM headlines you need to know from past month:
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The private SRM company publishes voluntary rules and safety guidelines, but experts raise concerns over transparency, unknown aerosols, and private control of planetary-scale interventions.
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2️⃣ WHO-linked report calls for health-centered SRM governance:
A pre-print urges SRM governance centred on human health, equity, and Global South inclusion, stressing SRM must never replace emissions cuts (“non-substitution” principle).
🚨Is direct air capture (#DAC) really worth the investment?
A new Nature Climate Change study shows that investing in wind & solar delivers 2-3× greater combined climate + health benefits than direct air capture across most U.S. regions, under the same budget.
Details🧵1/11
2/ DAC is often promoted as essential for net-zero, removing CO₂ directly from the atm. But most studies assess it in isolation, asking: “Does it work?”
This study asks a policy-relevant question:
“What are we giving up by funding DAC instead of alternatives?”
3/ Researchers modelled cost-equivalent investments across 22 U.S. regions (2020–2050), comparing:
Direct Air Capture vs Utility-scale wind & solar
Critically, they evaluated CO₂ reductions + air pollution + health impacts.
🚨What happens to tropical rainforests as CO₂ rises?
New research shows higher CO₂ boosts tree growth & C uptake by pushing roots to aggressively mine scarce phosphorus.
This strengthens the C sink now, but depletes nutrients, ultimately limiting long-term C storage.🧵1/11
2/ Scientists tested this in the Amazon by exposing forest patches to higher CO₂ (future-like conditions) and tracking how trees, roots, and soils responded over time.
3/ Step 1: More CO₂ → faster photosynthesis
Trees produce more sugars, grow faster, and pull more CO₂ out of the air.