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Standardizing “green” extractivism: Chinese & Western environmental, social, and governance instruments in the critical mineral sector 8/24/24

Standardizing “green” extractivism: Chinese & Western environmental, social, and governance instruments in the critical mineral sector

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Raphael Deberdt writes as societies attempt to transition to low-carbon energy and reduce fossil fuel dependencies, mineral extractivism is reaching new heights globally. This trend is accompanied by a surge of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) standards used to justify a perceived just transition. August 24, 2024.

Understanding the Significance of China’s Antimony Export Controls 8/22/2024

Understanding the Significance of China’s Antimony Export Controls

Payne Institute Communications Associate Gregory Wisher and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how the Chinese government will probably continue to allow some antimony exports to the United States, sending a retaliatory signal but also keeping the U.S. reliant on Chinese mineral supplies.  August 22, 2024.

The Colorado Geothermal Frontier

The Colorado Geothermal Frontier

Payne Institute Program Manager Anna Littlefield and CSM PhD Candidate Edikan Udofia write about how in Chaffee County Colorado, residents and visitors alike have long taken advantage of the natural hot springs generated by thermal anomalies deep underground.  Soon, this same heat may be tapped to provide energy for the local community. August 20, 2024.

Locked up for the long-term: Financial risk mitigation for CCS 8/20/24

Locked up for the long-term: Financial risk mitigation for CCS

Payne Institute Program Director of the Sustainable Finance Lab Brad Handler, and Lindene Patton, Payne researchers Siddhant Kulkarni, and Felix Ayaburi write about how Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is widely considered an important tool in mitigating the global warming effects of excess CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere.  August 20, 2024.

As La Niña strengthens, forecasters warn of a potential return to drought 8/16/2024

As La Niña strengthens, forecasters warn of a potential return to drought

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Nathan Lessen contributed to this article about how as La Niña gathers strength in the tropical Pacific, forecasters are warning that the climate pattern could plunge California back into drought conditions in the months ahead.  La Niña is the drier component of the El Niño Southern Oscillation system, or ENSO, which is a main driver of climate and weather patterns across the globe.  August 16, 2024. 

Navigating Environmental Challenges in Iraqi Kurdistan Amid Ongoing Conflicts

Navigating Environmental Challenges in Iraqi Kurdistan Amid Ongoing Conflicts

Payne Institute Fellow Peri-Kwan Aqrawi-Whitcomb writes about how in the Kurdistan region of Iraq the scars of conflict are not just etched into the land but are also woven into the very air the people breathe, the water they drink, and the soil they till.  This semi-autonomous region, once a cradle of ancient civilizations, is now at the epicenter of a different kind of battle—one against the relentless march of environmental degradation fueled by climate change and man-made disasters. August 16, 2024.

New forms of steel for stronger, lighter cars 8/5/2024

New forms of steel for stronger, lighter cars

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow John Speer contributed to this article about how automakers are tweaking production processes to create a slew of new steels with just the right properties, allowing them to build cars that are both safer and more fuel-efficient.  The new approaches by automakers are yielding ways to tune steel to protect soft human bodies when vehicles crash into each other, as they inevitably do — while curbing car weights to reduce their deleterious impact on the planet.  August 5, 2024.

Locked Up for the Long Term: Risk Mitigation and Liability Assumption in the Geological Storage of CO2 8/5/2024

Locked Up for the Long Term: Risk Mitigation and Liability Assumption in the Geological Storage of CO2

The Payne Institute Sustainable Finance Lab looks at Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).  CCS is an integral activity in the effort to limit global warming and its harmful effects.  That contribution requires a significant scaling of CCS operations, and initiatives for new CCS projects are indeed proliferating.  August 5, 2024.

Satellite Data Shows Park Fire Devastation 8/2/2024

Satellite Data Shows Park Fire Devastation

Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Research Associate Mikhail Zhizhin, Communications Associate Kristin Ziv, Senior Research Associate Christopher Elvidge, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about the largest active wildfire in the U.S, the Park Fire in northern California, ignited last Wednesday (the 24th of July) and quickly engulfed more than 360,000 acres – approximately 560 square miles – by Sunday.  As of Monday (29 July), the fire was about 12% contained. Arson has been cited as the cause.  August 2, 2024.  

Satellite Data Reveals Scale and Intensity of Colorado’s Front Range Fires 8/1/2024

Satellite Data Reveals Scale and Intensity of Colorado’s Front Range Fires

Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Research Associate Mikhail Zhizhin, Communications Associate Kristin Ziv, Senior Research Associate Christopher Elvidge, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about the four separate wildfires that have erupted since Monday, July 29, along Colorado’s front range foothills, consuming more than 8,300 acres, and being fought by hundreds of firefighters.  One person has died, and thousands have been forced to evacuate. On Wednesday, July 31, Gov. Jared Polis ordered the deployment of the National Guard to aid in the firefight.  August 1, 2024.

Geological Storage Risk Mitigation: The Way Forward 7/29/2024

Geological Storage Risk Mitigation: The Way Forward

Payne Institute Program Manager Brad Handler, Lindene E. Patton, and student researcher Siddhant Kulkarni write the fifth and last paper in a series that identified the operational, financial and business model risks through the lifecycle of a geological storage project. These papers then discussed steps that are being taken to mitigate each risk, as well as to ensure that adequate funds are available to pay for closure and for environmental damages should any occur. In addressing these risks, this series averred that the regulatory landscape appears adequate to address them. July 29, 2024.

Long Term Stewardship: Releasing Residual Liability 7/29/2024

Long Term Stewardship: Releasing Residual Liability

Payne Institute Program Director Brad Handler, student researcher Siddhant Kulkarni, and Lindene Patton write the fourth paper in a series of papers on the use of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a climate mitigation tool envisions the permanent underground storage of CO2. In a carbon geological storage project, the final phase is referred to as Long Term Stewardship (LTS). It follows the Post Injection and Site Care (PISC) phase, i.e., after the injection well has been plugged, the developer has monitored the subsurface for any CO2 leaks for the prescribed period, and the site has been “closed.” July 29, 2024.

Monitoring China’s Mineral Stockpiling and Understanding Its Military Implications 7/26/2024

Monitoring China’s Mineral Stockpiling and Understanding Its Military Implications

Payne Institute Communication Associate Gregory Wischer and Director Morgan Bazilian co-author an article about discerning when China is stockpiling – and why – is increasingly challenging given China’s increasing secrecy about mineral-related information. Concerns continue apace about the meaning of China stockpiling minerals. In addition to China’s government statements and military activities, stockpiling minerals is one potential indicator that China may be preparing for a military invasion of Taiwan. July 26, 2024.

Electrifying Off-Road Vehicles: Is 1000 [Wh/kg] Enough? 7/24/2024

Electrifying Off-Road Vehicles: Is 1000 [Wh/kg] Enough?

Mines Aaron Brucker, Adam Duran, Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Neal P. Sullivan and Mines Aashutosh Mistry write about how in the past two decades, we have made strides in decarbonizing light duty vehicles through advances in lithium-ion battery technology. With the battery fundamentals reasonably known for these passenger electric vehicles (EVs), further scientific progress is motivated by the need to electrify other transportation modes.  July 24, 2024. 

Harris expected to campaign on Biden administration’s energy, climate record 7/22/2024

Harris expected to campaign on Biden administration’s energy, climate record

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributes to this article about how Vice President Kamala Harris will inherit the Biden administration’s record on energy and climate policy as she looks to secure the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination and deny former US President Donald Trump a second term in November.  July 22, 2024.

Insight: Western miners push for higher metals prices to ward off Chinese rivals 7/22/24

Insight: Western miners push for higher metals prices to ward off Chinese rivals

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributes to this article about the only U.S. cobalt mine in the northern Idaho woods and how it is too expensive for its owner to operate because Chinese rivals have flooded global markets with cheap supplies of the bluish metal used in electric vehicle batteries and electronics.  July 22, 2024.

Financial Risk Management for Geological Storage 7/22/24

Financial Risk Management for Geological Storage

Payne Institute Program Manager Brad Handler, Lindene E. Patton, student researchers Siddhant Kulkarni and Felix Ayaburi, and Darshil Shah write the third paper in a series of papers on the use of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a climate mitigation tool envisions the permanent underground storage of CO2.  The U.S. government has implemented several policies designed to position Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects for growth. These include a regulatory framework and financial incentives such as Internal Revenue Service Section 45Q tax credits and grants.  July 22,2024.

A Systems Engineering Approach to Decarbonizing Mining: Analyzing Electrification and CO2 Emission Reduction Scenarios for Copper Mining Haulage Systems 7/21/2024

A Systems Engineering Approach to Decarbonizing Mining: Analyzing Electrification and CO2 Emission Reduction Scenarios for Copper Mining Haulage Systems

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Dr. H. Sebnem Düzgün, student researcher Kemalcan Aydogdu, Evren Deniz Yaylaci, and Fatih Aranoglu write that due to climate change risks, the public, regulators, and investors require solid actions to minimize the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of mineral extraction and metals production. The mining sector considers alternatives to reduce its carbon footprint by transforming the business and adopting new technologies into operations.  July 21, 2024.