{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"geography":["US Gulf Coast"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'US Gulf Coast' for facet 'geography' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":5,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?geography=US+Gulf+Coast","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"rmi-000632","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000632","title":"Chemistry in Transition: Charting solutions for a low-emissions chemical industry","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2025-01-17","source_url":"https://rmi.org/resources/chemistry-in-transition-charting-solutions-for-a-low-emissions-chemical-industry/","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The US chemical industry, specifically the production of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, ethylene, propylene, and benzene, accounts for a significant portion of industrial emissions. RMI identifies 20 emissions reduction levers, 10 of which are commercially viable today and could reduce sector emissions by 34%. With additional policy and infrastructure support, this near-term reduction could reach 48%. The report emphasizes that while supply-side interventions like carbon capture and methane leak mitigation are critical, they must be paired with demand-side measures and long-term innovation in electrification and alternative feedstocks to achieve a net-zero sector by 2050.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The production of six primary chemicals—hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, ethylene, propylene, and benzene—accounts for approximately 65% of the US chemical industry's emissions.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Ten emissions reduction levers are currently commercially viable and could reduce current sector emissions by 34%, though deployment is hindered by infrastructure, costs, and permitting.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Implementing four specific policy and infrastructure improvements—increasing the 45Q tax credit to $95/metric ton, enhancing methane leak mitigation, increasing mechanical recycling rates, and bringing blue hydrogen to cost parity with grey hydrogen—could unlock an additional 14% in near-term emissions reductions, totaling 48%.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Cleaner operations, specifically methane leak mitigation and high-purity carbon capture, offer the highest near-term potential, with the ability to reduce sector emissions by 16% in the short term.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Decarbonizing process heat is a major challenge due to high temperature requirements; while low-temperature projects could reduce emissions by 2% near-term, high-temperature processes require technologies like e-crackers that are not yet cost-competitive.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Alternative production methods, such as electrolysis for hydrogen, have the highest maximum potential for emissions reduction (up to 95%) but require significant capital investment and a massive increase in zero-emissions power.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Upstream methane leakage is significantly underestimated in official inventories; RMI's model assumes a US average leakage rate of 2.2%, resulting in baseline emissions of 178 MMT CO2e for the six primary chemicals.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Supply-side reductions alone are insufficient for net-zero; demand-side measures such as reducing single-use plastics and implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies are essential.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000632#insight-8","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["greenhouse gas emissions","carbon capture and storage","blue hydrogen","green hydrogen","electrolysis","circular economy","Industrial decarbonization"],"geography_discussed":["US Gulf Coast","California","Midwestern United States","People's Republic of China","European Union","Southeast Asia"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["emissions modeling","technological readiness assessment","policy analysis"]},{"id":"rmi-000439","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000439","title":"Assessing a Louisiana-Japan Green Shipping Corridor","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2024-10-14","source_url":"https://rmi.org/resources/assessing-a-louisiana-japan-green-shipping-corridor/","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights"],"summary":{"text":"The study investigates the feasibility of a green shipping corridor for dry bulk trade between the US Gulf Coast and Japan, specifically evaluating the adoption of green methanol in dual-fuel bulk carriers by 2030. It examines cost drivers, opportunities to reduce cost premiums, and the impact of regulatory frameworks on deploying zero-emission technology.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000439#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The study evaluates the feasibility of utilizing green methanol as a fuel for dual-fuel bulk carriers by the year 2030, with a focus on identifying cost drivers and ways to lower cost premiums.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000439#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":[],"geography_discussed":[],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":[]},{"id":"rmi-000323","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000323","title":"Clean Energy 101: Reducing Climate Pollution from the Plastics Industry","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"guide","language":"en","date_published":"2023-02-21","source_url":"https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-reducing-climate-pollution-from-the-plastics-industry/","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The plastics industry contributes 3.4 percent of global carbon pollution, driven by a reliance on fossil fuels for production. Decarbonization requires improved carbon accounting, increased renewable energy use, and a transition toward a circular economy to reduce emissions from both production and end-of-life disposal.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000323#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Plastic production is a significant driver of climate change, utilizing approximately 12 percent of the annual global oil supply and generating 3.4 percent of global carbon pollution.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000323#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Global primary production of plastics exceeds 350 million tons per year, with the Asia-Pacific region producing over 50 percent, followed by Europe (15 percent), the United States (15 percent), and the Middle East (12 percent).","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000323#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Decarbonization of the sector can be achieved through improved emissions data, the use of renewable energy, and the adoption of heat electrification technologies like electric crackers by companies such as Dow, Shell, BASF, SABIC, and Linde.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000323#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Plastic end-of-life emissions may add 16 million metric tons of CO2e annually. Incineration, which handles about 25 percent of plastic waste, produces the highest carbon emissions, while mechanical recycling (16 percent of waste) has low emissions but suffers from insufficient infrastructure and economic incentives.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000323#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"A circular plastics economy aims to eliminate virgin plastic production from oil by using only recycled materials, though current supplies of high-quality mechanically recycled resins are insufficient to meet corporate demand.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000323#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["plastic production","carbon accounting","greenhouse gas emissions","methane","renewable energy","circular economy","incineration","landfill","petrochemical product"],"geography_discussed":["Asia-Pacific","Europe","United States","Middle East","US Gulf Coast"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["assessment","guide"]},{"id":"wwatt-000070","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/wwatt-000070","title":"Hurricane Harvey August 2017","publisher":{"name":"World Weather Attribution","organization":"world-weather-attribution"},"document_type":"research paper","language":"en","date_published":"2017-08-31","source_url":"https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/hurricane-harvey-august-2017/","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The analysis concludes that while Hurricane Harvey was an extremely rare event, global warming increased the intensity of its precipitation by approximately 15% and made such an event about three times more likely. Observational data and climate models indicate a trend of increasing extreme precipitation along the US Gulf Coast, often exceeding the standard Clausius-Clapeyron scaling. The study emphasizes that while the storm's rarity makes it difficult to attribute its existence to climate change, the increased rainfall intensity contributed significantly to the flooding in Houston, which was further exacerbated by urban development and subsidence.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wwatt-000070#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Hurricane Harvey produced an extremely rare precipitation event; the highest observed three-day amount of 1043.4 mm at Baytown has a return period exceeding 9000 years in the current climate.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wwatt-000070#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Anthropogenic global warming is estimated to have increased the intensity of the precipitation during Hurricane Harvey by approximately 15% (with a range of 8% to 19%), or equivalently, made the event 1.5 to 5 times more likely.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wwatt-000070#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"There is no clear scientific evidence to suggest that the existence of Hurricane Harvey itself was made more likely by global warming, as there is low confidence in region-specific projections for the frequency of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wwatt-000070#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Beyond rainfall, other anthropogenic factors increased flood risk in Houston, including urban development (leading to floodplain encroachment and increased impervious cover), resource withdrawal causing subsidence of up to 3 meters, and the operation of emergency flood control structures like the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wwatt-000070#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Future projections suggest that if the world continues to rely primarily on fossil fuels and warms another four degrees, the intensity of extreme rainfall events on the Gulf Coast could increase by about 50%, making such events roughly 10 times more probable.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"wwatt-000070#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["tropical cyclone","anthropogenic climate change","flood risk","urban development","sea level rise","climate modeling","greenhouse gas emissions"],"geography_discussed":["Houston","Texas","Louisiana","Baytown","Corpus Christi"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["event attribution","trend analysis","climate modeling"]},{"id":"ciel-000986","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/ciel-000986","title":"Fossils, Plastics, & Petrochemical Feedstocks","publisher":{"name":"Center for International Environmental Law","organization":"center-for-international-environmental-law"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fueling-Plastics-Fossils-Plastics-Petrochemical-Feedstocks.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The report details how over 99% of plastics are derived from fossil fuels, specifically through the production of ethylene and propylene. It highlights the geographic concentration of production near fossil fuel sources, such as the US Gulf Coast, and the high degree of vertical integration between major oil and gas companies and plastics producers. The document also analyzes the shift in feedstocks, noting the US preference for natural gas liquids (NGL) and the dominance of naphtha in China, Europe, and Japan, while projecting that oil consumption by the plastics sector could reach 20% of total consumption by 2050.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ciel-000986#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Over 99% of plastics are produced from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels, with five specific types of plastic—polyethylene (34.4%), polypropylene (24.2%), polyvinyl chloride (16.5%), polyethylene terephthalate (7.7%), and polystyrene (7.3%)—constituting more than 90% of all plastic produced by weight.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ciel-000986#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The vast majority of plastics are derived from just two industrial chemicals: ethylene and propylene. Ethylene is used for polyethylene, PVC, PET, and polystyrene (roughly 65% of global production), while propylene is the platform for polypropylene.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ciel-000986#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Plastic production is geographically concentrated near fossil fuel sources due to the difficulty of transporting natural gas liquids (NGL). In the United States, the shale gas boom has led to a massive expansion of plastics infrastructure in the Gulf region, with nearly 90% of US ethylene production sourced from ethane-rich NGL.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ciel-000986#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Naphtha, a crude oil refining product, is the primary feedstock for ethylene in China, Europe, South-east Asia, and Japan. The naphtha market is highly concentrated, with five companies—BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and China National Petroleum Corporation—accounting for over 50% of industry revenue share as of 2014.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ciel-000986#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"There is significant vertical integration between the fossil fuel and plastics industries. Major integrated companies include DowDuPont, ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, and BP. For ExxonMobil, the Chemicals segment accounted for roughly 10% of revenues but more than 25% of overall profits in 2015.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ciel-000986#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Global oil consumption by the plastics sector is projected to increase significantly, potentially accounting for 20% of total oil consumption by 2050 if current trends continue.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ciel-000986#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"China is the world's leading propylene producer, and its production is expected to grow faster than in any other region, potentially exceeding half of the global market by 2025, with most production controlled by state-owned enterprises.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"ciel-000986#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["plastic production","fossil fuel","plastic pollution","shale gas"],"geography_discussed":["United States","US Gulf Coast","People's Republic of China","Europe","Southeast Asia","Japan","Middle East","Argentina"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["supply chain analysis","market analysis"]}]}