News article or big oil ad? As native advertisements mislead readers on climate change, Boston University experts identify interventions
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Aug-2025 04:11 ET (29-Aug-2025 08:11 GMT/UTC)
In the battle against climate disinformation, native advertising is a fierce foe. A study published on March 4, 2025 in npj Climate Action led by Boston University (BU) researchers, in collaboration with Cambridge University colleagues, evaluates two promising tools to fight misleading native advertising campaigns put forth by big oil companies.
A recent review has unveiled an innovative method for monitoring fossil fuel CO2 emissions using satellite observations of co-emitted NO2. This approach promises to provide more precise and efficient emission tracking compared to traditional ground-based methods, overcoming significant challenges in distinguishing human-made emissions from natural sources. By capitalizing on the short atmospheric lifespan and high detectability of NO2, this method enhances the ability to monitor emissions at a variety of scales, from individual power plants to entire nations. This new technique plays a vital role in bolstering global climate change mitigation efforts and ensuring countries meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Hydrogen has the potential to power internal combustion engines, including on-road and off-road vehicles and equipment, and large marine engines. Despite its promise to reduce climate change emissions such as carbon dioxide and harmful pollutants, hydrogen has largely remained underutilized in the United States.
Officials at the University of Michigan and University of California, Riverside, along with several industry partners, are working to change that with the launch of the Hydrogen Engine Alliance of North America, or H2EA-NA. The alliance will promote hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel that can complement internal combustion engine, or ICE, vehicles while supporting the transition to electric and other zero emission technologies.The SXSW Conference will take place from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, bringing together a vibrant mix of ideas and innovations. Once again, UC San Diego will take center stage, showcasing cutting-edge research, transformative discussions on critical global challenges and a film premiere.