Researchers studied green clay tennis courts in the United States that are made from metabasalt, a type of basalt rock. They used a database of court locations and surface types and analysed 17,178 green clay courts.
The team calculated gross and net carbon removal, and they included emissions from mining, processing, transport, court construction and maintenance. They estimate the courts together remove about 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. Most courts become net zero in under ten years, and almost all do so within twenty years. Courts in warmer areas and those closer to a basalt processing site in Virginia remove the most carbon.
Difficult words
- metabasalt — a dark volcanic rock used for construction
- basalt — a common dark volcanic rock
- carbon removal — process to take greenhouse gas out of the air
- emission — gases released into the air from activityemissions
- process — changing raw material into a usable productprocessing
- net zero — when total emissions and removals balance each other
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think these courts help the environment? Why or why not?
- Would you prefer to play tennis on a green clay court or another surface? Why?
- How long do most courts take to become net zero?
Related articles
Lake Tana: Turning Water Hyacinth into Home Energy
Fishermen around Lake Tana faced problems from invasive water hyacinth. Researchers led by Yezbie Kassa tested small biogas systems that use the weed and animal dung to make cooking gas and fertiliser, helping some families but facing scaling challenges.
Data centers and mining could raise US power costs by 2030
A new study warns that growing electricity use by data centers and cryptocurrency mining could raise power prices and CO2 emissions in the United States by 2030. Researchers modelled hourly power needs across 26 regions to find likely impacts.
Targeted climate finance brings results in Benin, Ethiopia and Namibia
A February report by Global Health Strategies and the African Union Commission finds that targeted climate adaptation finance delivered measurable benefits in Benin, Ethiopia and Namibia, improving flood protection, roads, market access and local decision-making.
