Freya Chay

Today we’re launching Open Climate Risk, a fully open option for U.S. building-level climate risk data. It’s unique because it allows you to see not only risk scores, starting with wildfire, but also the complete underlying dataset, methods, and codebase. carbonplan.org/research/cli...

The need to consistently account for time in CDR – CarbonPlan We collaborated on a new preprint that establishes clearer language for talking about temporal lags in CDR, and shows how ignoring them can drive near-term warming.

Most carbon removal projects don’t pull CO₂ from the atmosphere instantly — there are temporal lags. We contributed to a new preprint showing why accounting for lags matters for both near-term warming and long-term temperature stabilization. 1/2

carbonplan.org/blog/cdr-tem...

Consistent temporal accounting supports credible CDR use – CDRXIV Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is increasingly used to support national targets and corporate net-zero commitments, yet the timing of atmospheric drawdown remains poorly represented in carbon accounting...

Consistent temporal accounting supports credible CDR use. cdrxiv.org/preprint/302

We have a lot to learn about carbon removal, and we need to learn fast. Open science can help. I’m excited to share CDRXIV, a new platform for early-stage CDR research. Take a look — and if you're working on CDR, consider sharing your work: cdrxiv.org

CDRXIV CDRXIV is a new open access platform for sharing preprints and data related to carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

Climate change is happening quickly. Solutions research needs to move at a speed that meets the challenge. We're launching @cdrxiv.org, a new preprint server for CDR research, because transparency and collaboration help move the field forward. Let’s make better CDR, together: cdrxiv.org

Want to know how fossil fuel companies use carbon offsets to claim they’re fighting climate change?

We've updated OffsetsDB — our offsets database — to allow you to search by carbon credit user. Search "Shell" and see what offsets they're using and when. (1/4) carbonplan.org/research/off...

In what other states are folks organizing for similar public power legislation?

In addition to ongoing organizing and input from communities, what kind of public data, modeling, or technical resources would support those advocating for effective BPRA implementation?

A Framework for Integrating Spatial Uncertainty into Critical Zone Models: Application to Enhanced Weathering – CDRXIV Spatial heterogeneity introduces uncertainty when characterizing the Critical Zone, especially when sampling is sparse or requires repeated measurements at the same locations. Here, we layout a probab...

A Framework for Integrating Spatial Uncertainty into Critical Zone Models: Application to Enhanced Weathering. cdrxiv.org/preprint/334

Limited impact on oysters in first-of-its-kind field trial of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) strategy – CDRXIV Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is a necessary component of limiting global warming to 2°C by 2100. Marine enhanced rock weathering (mERW) with minerals like olivine is a CDR strategy with the potential ...

Limited impact on oysters in first-of-its-kind field trial of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) strategy. cdrxiv.org/preprint/326

Photosynthesis in Rivers as a Loss Pathway for ERW-Derived DIC and Alkalinity – CDRXIV As climate mitigation efforts lag, dependence on anthropogenic CO2 removal increases. Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a rapidly growing CO2 removal approach. In terrestrial ERW, crushed rocks are sp...

Photosynthesis in Rivers as a Loss Pathway for ERW-Derived DIC and Alkalinity. cdrxiv.org/preprint/329

Assessing CO2 fluxes during enhanced weathering from soils through a mesocosm lens – CDRXIV It is becoming increasingly accepted that annual gigatonne-scale CO2 removal, in conjunction with rapid decarbonization, is necessary to meet international climate goals and limit global warming below...

Assessing CO2 fluxes during enhanced weathering from soils through a mesocosm lens. cdrxiv.org/preprint/331

“What is CDR?” is the wrong question – CarbonPlan We summarize the ongoing debate around what “counts” as CDR, highlighting the trade-offs of each proposed definition. We suggest an alternative set of questions that can provide a more meaningful guide to making effective CDR investments.

A year ago @freyachay.bsky.social and I started a big community debate with a piece suggesting that corn ethanol with CCS should not be considered carbon removal.

In a new piece today we try and cut through the debate, arguing that "what is CDR" is the wrong question to ask: carbonplan.org/resea...

“What is CDR?” is the wrong question – CarbonPlan We summarize the ongoing debate around what “counts” as CDR, highlighting the trade-offs of each proposed definition. We suggest an alternative set of questions that can provide a more meaningful guid...

There’s an ongoing debate over what should “count” as CO₂ removal. In a new commentary with @hausfath.bsky.social, we break down key points of contention, proposed definitions, and why no definition offers a perfect path forward. (1/5)

carbonplan.org/research/def...

How to address solar geoengineering’s transparency problem | PNAS How to address solar geoengineering’s transparency problem

What ever happened to transparency in solar geoengineering research?

a 🧵 of reflections on our new opinion article in PNAS

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Just had a sample of the Eaton Fire ash that is in my driveway run on the department XRF. Is there titanium (new house paint)? Yup. Lead (old house paint)? You betcha. Heavy metals? Check. Treat that ash like it's toxic folks (because it is)

A group of current and former members of the expert panel of the carbon crediting industry's self-regulatory body, the ICVCM, have a post objecting to the ICVCM's approval of three tropical forest carbon REDD methodologies.

A very timely and important read:
www.oeko.de/blog/the-icv...

Hey people working on marine CO₂ removal (mCDR), post your preprints to CDRXIV (pronounced C-D Archive). 🌊

Scientists Behind ‘Net Zero’ Concept Say Nations Are Getting It Wrong In a new study, high-profile climate scientists say countries are using flawed carbon accounting by relying too heavily on trees and oceans to absorb new carbon emissions.

An All-Star roster of climate scientists cleared their throats recently and it was something to behold.

Their message to Net-Zero experts in every sector?
You're Doing It Wrong 🧪
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Ok, first train+decarb content of the day returns me to the first climate project I ever worked on: How to appropriately dispose of fossil assets that are decommissioned before end of life. It's a puzzle that's becoming ubiquitous, but mostly flying under the radar.🔌💡(1/20)

A veritable whos-who of the scientists behind our physical climate understanding of net-zero have a new paper in Nature, making the case for "Geological Net Zero" where fossil CO2 can only credibly counterbalanced by permanent removal: www.nature.com/artic...

Analyzing initial offset disclosures under California’s AB1305 – CarbonPlan Early disclosures demonstrate the power of transparency, but also highlight the opportunity for improvements around discoverability and usability.

In January, AB1305 will start requiring California companies to report which offsets they use. A few have already started making these disclosures, revealing big challenges — data is hard to find, often incomplete, and tough to analyze. Read our recommendations: 🧪

carbonplan.org/research/ab1...

What if you could click anywhere in the ocean and figure out where released alkalinity would go, how much it would change surface ocean pCO₂, and how much carbon dioxide removal (CDR) you would get? Now there's a way, from @cworthy.bsky.social and CarbonPlan. 🌊

carbonplan.org/research/oae...

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer at @cworthy.bsky.social to help build a system to support standardization of carbon removal accounting and environmental impact assessments related to deployments of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) technologies.

Please share with your network. 🌊🧪

How Big Tech is quietly trying to reshape how pollution is reported Critics say a proposed rule change backed by Amazon and Meta could allow large energy users to hide their true emissions

“These tech giants are poised to become some of the biggest energy users of the future…Ahead of that, they are working behind the scenes to shape a once-in-a-decade rewrite of the rules governing how pollution from power use is disclosed.”

www.ft.com/content/2d6f...

The Risky Business of Predicting Where Climate Disaster Will Hit Climate tech companies can calculate the chances that a flood or wildfire will ravage your home. But what if their odds are all different?

We also aren’t the only people concerned about the lack of transparency in private climate risk prediction. Bloomberg also published a feature today that also found differences between companies in an analysis independent from ours. (8/8) www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

Does enhanced weathering work? We’re still learning. – CarbonPlan A synthesis of carbon removal estimates from the enhanced weathering literature.

Enhanced rock weathering is a carbon removal technique gaining lots of attention, but we’re still figuring out best ways to do it. In collab with @climatejesper.bsky.social, we synthesized scientific results to explain what we know, and grapple with what we don’t. carbonplan.org/research/enh...

OffsetsDB – CarbonPlan A harmonized database of carbon offset projects and credits.

Carbon credits are everywhere, but the data about where they come is hard to track down and difficult to work with.

OffsetsDB is a new database that collects, standardizes, and provides daily updates of offset project data from five of the largest registries.

carbonplan.org/research/off...

Why Temporary Carbon Storage in Forests Has Little Climate Value: Part 1 - Kleinman Center for Energ... Energy policy research from the University of Pennsylvania

I wrote a pair of short blog posts on the climate value of temporary carbon storage, now available at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at Penn.

Part 1 explains why temporary offsets are *not* equivalent to the permanent harms of CO2 emissions.

Earlier this year I (with Frances Sawyer) published a paper suggesting the 45Q CCS tax credit is structured in a way that could incentivize huge costs + increased GHG emissions from the US power sector.
DOE rebutted it, and we were allowed to reply. Those pieces are up today: