CTVR Updates for March 4, 2026
Energy insecurity is back in the headlines, but the climate transition is accelerating no matter what is happening in the geopolitical sphere.
As the Iran conflict pushes oil prices higher, energy security is once again dominating the conversation. Higher prices can dampen demand at the margins, which may slow emissions temporarily. But market shocks are not the same as structural decarbonization.
Writing this from Kenya, where fuel costs quickly filter into transport and food prices, the impact of energy price volatility is visceral. Yet climate pressures continue to tighten regardless of oil markets. This week’s updates reflect that tension: technological advances in geothermal and batteries, deeper scientific insight into carbon storage and wildfire risk, and mounting evidence of health and disaster impacts. Markets react. The climate system moves inexorably in the direction of the forces acting on it.
Climate Technology
Lasers and drones assess health of world forests and help track climate change
“By providing ground-based measurements, this work is also helping improve satellite-based forest monitoring, which is used to track how forests are responding to climate change. Satellite missions can use the study’s benchmark data to refine their algorithms and improve global biomass mapping.” (Phys.org)
See also our article about a company using satellites to measure forest health: Space Intelligence Brings Rigor To Forest-Based Carbon Credits
Earth’s heat to produce electricity for homes in UK clean energy first
‘This project is a genuine game-changer. For the first time, we’re tapping into ‘always-on’ green power in the UK, providing a steady stream of clean, home-grown energy,’ said an Octopus spokesperson.” (BBC News)
See also our article about this US company that uses AI to revolutionize the discovery of geothermal energy: Digging Deep for Clean Energy
Technological improvements in EV batteries offset climate-induced durability challenges
“Electric vehicles (EVs) are key to transportation decarbonization, yet their battery performance and longevity are vulnerable to temperature extremes, which will be affected by climate change. Battery technology advancements moderate this vulnerability, a dynamic rarely captured in technology assessments under future climates. “ (Nature Climate Change)
See also our article about an Ohio-based company that has a novel solution to both recycling lithium-ion batteries and building better ones: Xerion: Out Of Stealth Mode With A Major Battery Breakthrough
Climate Science
With the Ocean Included, the Social Cost of Carbon Doubles
“Climate change is having a clear effect on ocean elements, regardless of whether those elements are included in calculating the social cost of carbon. As greenhouse gas emissions rise, marine chemistry is changing, and oceans are heating up, leading to interrelated phenomena, including ocean acidification, a loss of coral reefs, extreme weather events, and ecological imbalances. “ (Eos)
See also our article explaining the social cost of carbon: The Cost To Civilization Of Mispricing Carbon Is Enormous
Ants capture carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into armour
“Fungus-farming ants forage for vegetation to feed cultivated fungi that are grown inside their colonies. In turn, the fungi serve as the primary food source for the ants. The high density of ants and fungi can result in high concentrations of CO2 inside the nests.” (New Scientist)
Heat relief means higher emissions: How air conditioning complicates 1.5°C goals
“As global temperatures rise, we risk being locked into an ‘arms race’ where defending ourselves against extreme heat is causing the issue to get worse. The world must transition quickly to cleaner, more efficient cooling technologies—while ensuring fair access to cooling, especially for vulnerable populations.” (Phys.org)
Modern twist on wildfire management methods has a bonus feature that protects water supplies
“One way to limit the risk and severity of wildfires is forest thinning, where foresters shred and mulch small trees, shrubs, and dense understory brush, create gaps between tree crowns, and remove those species least resistant to fire. This can simultaneously promote biodiversity by admitting light into the understory and increase habitat complexity.” (Phys.org)
Permafrost is key to carbon storage. That makes northern wildfires even more dangerous
“‘It’s a call that we really have to take this seriously—the more fires there are, the more rapidly permafrost is going to thaw,’ Mack said. ‘Maybe we need to think about slowing down these natural fires. It would buy us time while we figure out other solutions to decarbonize the atmosphere.’” (Phys.org)
Climate Policy
Virginia just took a big step toward confronting climate change
“Under this multi-state market-based program, power plants must buy an allowance for every ton of carbon they emit. The supply of allowances decreases over time. The revenues generated by Virginia’s sale of these allowances flow back to the state to fund energy efficiency programs for low-income households and projects to make communities more resilient to floods.” (Southern Environmental Law Center)
Helping Trees—and a City—Outrace Climate Change
“In Louisville, assisted migration involves planting tree species native to the area, such as the mighty bur oak, which can grow to over 100 feet tall, but sourcing them from further south and west in their North American range. Some species are different there, more suited to a hotter and harsher environment.” (Inside Climate News
Climate Impact
Climate change fueled deadly rainstorms in Morocco, Iberia
“‘This is exactly what climate change looks like: weather patterns that used to be more manageable are now turning into more dangerous disasters,’ said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who also worked on the study.’” (The New Arab)
Human-caused climate change increases ‘fire weather days’, scientists say
“In 1979 and for the next 15 years, the world averaged 22 synchronous fire weather days a year for flames that stayed within large global regions, the study found. In 2023 and 2024, it was up to more than 60 days a year… The researchers didn’t look at actual fires, but the weather conditions: warm, with strong winds and dry air and ground.” (The Star)
Climate Change Doesn’t Just Disrupt Ecosystems: It Harms Human Health Too
“[E]nvironmental harm has serious, documented health effects. From the lungs to the heart, these poor outcomes fall on historically marginalized groups… It should come as no surprise then, that climate change causes adverse health outcomes for racialized communities; in India, the United States, Canada, and beyond.” (The Concordian)