Environment
press releases.

Environment22 Nov 2023

New tool to enable exploration of human-environment interactions

Spurred by the current climate crisis, there has been a heightened attention within the scientific community in recent years to how past climate variation contributed to historic human migration and other behaviors. Now, an international group of scientists — including archaeologists, historians, climate scientists, paleo-scientists, a volcanologist and others — are calling for a strengthened commitment to transdisciplinary collaboration to study past and present human-environmental interactions, which they say will advance our understanding of these complex, entangled histories. Their recommendations were published ...

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Environment22 Nov 2023

Mind the gap: Caution needed when assessing land emissions in the COP28 Global Stocktake

Effective management of land, whether for agriculture, forests, or settlements, plays a crucial role in addressing climate change and achieving future climate targets. Land use strategies to mitigate climate change include stopping deforestation, along with enhancing forest management efforts. Countries have recognized the importance of the land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector, with 118 of 143 countries including land-based emissions reductions and removals in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and the achievement of its long-term goals. A new study, published in Nature, demonstrates that estimates of current land-based ...

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Environment22 Nov 2023

How do temperature extremes influence the distribution of species?

As the planet gets hotter, animal and plant species around the world will be faced with new, potentially unpredictable living conditions, which could alter ecosystems in unprecedented ways. A new study from McGill University researchers, in collaboration with researchers in Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Denmark, Australia, South Africa and other universities in Canada, investigates the importance of temperature in determining where animal species are currently found to better understand how a warming climate ...

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Environment22 Nov 2023

Experts urge a united global vision, definitions and targets for ‘responsible sourcing’ of minerals needed for green transition

Experts have delivered a sweeping prescription to governments, civil society and industry for a globally coordinated approach to the responsible sourcing of raw materials needed to achieve a circular green economy. In a report, the four-year EU-funded RE-SOURCING project proposes adopting the global vision of a circular economy and reduced resource consumption by 2050 and outlines a series of interim milestones and targets for three key industrial sectors: renewable energy, mobility, and electric and electronic equipment. The report (at https://bit.ly/3uqXlqT from ...

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Environment21 Nov 2023

Forest modeling shows which harvest rotations lead to maximum carbon sequestration

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Forest modeling by Oregon State University scientists shows that a site’s productivity – an indicator of how fast trees grow and how much biomass they accumulate – is the main factor that determines which time period between timber harvests allows for maximum above-ground carbon sequestration. The findings, published in the journal Forests, are important for Pacific Northwest forest managers seeking to strike an optimal balance between harvesting and carbon sequestration, an important tool in the fight against climate change. The study by Catherine Carlisle, Temesgen Hailemariam ...

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Environment21 Nov 2023

New fossil assemblage highlights complexity of classifying silesaurid phylogeny

A set of fossils recovered in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, has brought an extra layer of complexity to the study of the evolutionary history of silesaurids, a family of dinosauriforms (dinosaurs and their close relatives) that lived in the Triassic period between 247 million and 208 million years ago. In an article published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil and the United States show that even with the new fossil assemblage ...

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Environment21 Nov 2023

Effect of aerosol particles on clouds and the climate captured better

Leipzig/Mainz. The extent to which aerosol particles affect the climate depends on how much water the particles can hold in the atmosphere. The capacity to hold water is referred to as hygroscopicity (K) and, in turn, depends on further factors – particularly the size and chemical composition of the particles, which can be extremely variable and complex. Through extensive investigations, an international research team under the leadership of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC) and the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research ...

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Environment21 Nov 2023

Toward sustainable energy applications with breakthrough in proton conductors

Donor doping into a mother material with disordered intrinsic oxygen vacancies, instead of the widely used strategy of acceptor doping into a material without oxygen vacancies, can greatly enhance the conductivity and stability of perovskite-type proton conductors at intermediate and low temperatures of 250–400 °C, as demonstrated by Tokyo Tech scientists (e.g. 10 mS/cm at 320 °C). This innovative approach provides a new design direction for proton conductors for fuel cells and electrolysis cells. Many countries in the world are pushing for the development ...

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Environment20 Nov 2023

The sound of injustice: Inequitable urban noise impacts people, wildlife

Noise is an unseen pollutant with very real health impacts. Like many other forms of pollution, because of systemic injustice, it affects some people more than others. It also affects wildlife. In a study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, Colorado State University acoustic ecologists found that redlined, or marginalized, communities have more and louder urban noise, which has been linked to negative consequences for people and wildlife. Ecological degradation exacerbates injustices against those living in formerly redlined ...

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Environment20 Nov 2023

AI-powered crab gender identification: revolutionizing fishery management and conservation

When winter comes to Japan, fishermen in the northern regions set out to capture one of the most anticipated seasonal delicacies: the horsehair crab. Known locally as “kegani” and bearing the scientific name Erimacrus isenbeckii, this species of crustacean is highly sought after throughout the country. To protect the horsehair crab population from overfishing, the Japanese and prefectural governments have implemented various restrictions on their capture. For example, in Hokkaido, where kegani is abundant, capturing females for consumption is strictly prohibited. To ...

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Environment20 Nov 2023

Innovative aquaculture system turns waste wood into nutritious seafood

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE EMBARGOED UNTIL 10:00 LONDON TIME (GMT) ON 20 NOVEMBER, 2023 [Photographs and a copy of the paper are available here] These long, white saltwater clams are the world’s fastest-growing bivalve and can reach 30cm long in just six months. They do this by burrowing into waste wood and converting it into highly-nutritious protein. The researchers found that the levels of Vitamin B12 in the Naked Clams were higher than in most other bivalves – and almost twice the amount found in blue mussels. And with the addition of an algae-based feed to the system, the Naked Clams can be fortified with omega-3 polyunsaturated ...

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Environment17 Nov 2023

Nanoplastics promote conditions for Parkinson’s across various lab models

DURHAM, N.C. – Nanoplastics interact with a particular protein that is naturally found in the brain, creating changes linked to Parkinson’s disease and some types of dementia. In a Duke-led study appearing Nov. 17 in Science Advances, the researchers report that the findings create a foundation for a new area of investigation, fueled by the timely impact of environmental factors on human biology. “Parkinson’s disease has been called the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world,” said principal investigator, Andrew West, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at ...

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Environment17 Nov 2023

Deep dive on sea level rise: new modelling gives better predictions on Antarctic ice sheet melt

Using historical records from around Australia, an international team of researchers have put forward the most accurate prediction to date of past Antarctic ice sheet melt, providing a more realistic forecast of future sea level rise. The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest block of ice on earth, containing over 30 million cubic kilometers of water. Hence, its melting could have a devasting impact on future sea levels. To find out just how big that impact might be, the research team, including Dr Mark Hoggard from The Australian National University, turned to the past. “If ...

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Environment17 Nov 2023

Putting an end to plastic separation anxiety

Bio-based plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) were invented to help solve the plastic waste crisis, but they often end up making waste management more challenging. Because these materials look and feel so similar to conventional, petroleum-based plastics, many products end up not in composters, where they break down as designed, but instead get added to the recycling stream by well-intentioned consumers. There, the products get shredded and melted down with the recyclable plastics, bringing down the quality of the mixture and making it harder to manufacture functional products out of recycled plastic resin. The only solution, currently, is to try to separate the different ...

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Environment17 Nov 2023

A world's first in validating a UNFCCC report by a cost-efficient and transparent method to measure CO2 emission estimates using GOSAT

Researchers in Japan and Mongolia have carried out the world's first instance of incorporating satellite-based CO2 emission estimates into a GHG emission report as the verification on the Second Biennial Update Report (BUR2) of Mongolia submitted to the UNFCCC on 15 November 2023, resulting in high accuracy match with actual reported values, reports a new study published online in Scientific Reports in 2023. Countries have reported their CO2 emissions to the UNFCCC, primarily from human activities and a significant contributor to climate change. ...

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Environment17 Nov 2023

Unveiling the future of tropical cyclones: A call to enhance identification and simulation in climate models

Tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific (WNP) stand as formidable natural forces, wreaking havoc on Earth and posing significant challenges to disaster preparedness. As we grapple with the uncertainties of future projections for WNP tropical cyclone activities, a recent study published in Environmental Research Letters sheds light on the crucial need to enhance identification and simulation techniques in climate models. Led by Dr. Xin Huang from the Shanghai Typhoon Institute of China Meteorological Administration and Professor Tianjun Zhou from the Institute ...

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Environment17 Nov 2023

Social media helping to protect biodiversity

Nature photographers posting to social media are helping improve biodiversity conservation mapping in South Asia, and the method could go global. Dr Shawan Chowdhury from UQ’s School of the Environment led an international team which scoured images on Facebook nature photography groups in Bangladesh, to add to the existing Global Biodiversity Information Facility database. “We found 44,000 photos of almost 1,000 animal species, including many birds and insects, 288 of which are considered threatened in Bangladesh,” Dr Chowdhury said. “This has vastly improved ...

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Environment16 Nov 2023

University of Miami receives $1.8 million NOAA grant to study South Florida’s coastal ecosystems

The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science has been awarded a nearly $1.8 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of an anticipated four-year, $4.2 million project to support research on the impacts to South Florida’s coastal ecosystems from a multitude of climate change stressors. The newly funded project, co-led by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School and NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) will focus on climate impacts to South Florida’s coastal and marine ecosystems, including the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary ...

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Environment16 Nov 2023

Sunny Jardine appointed new Editor-in-Chief of Marine Resource Economics

Marine Resource Economics (MRE) is proud to announce the appointment of Sunny Jardine as the journal’s new Editor in Chief, effective January 8, 2024. Jardine is an associate professor and the Rae S. and Bell M. Shimada Endowed Faculty Fellow in Memory of Warren S. Wooster in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington. Professor Jardine has supported MRE as a long-time associate editor. In that capacity, she handled papers across a range of marine and resource economics applications. She brings expertise in commercial fisheries management, conservation planning, the ...

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Environment16 Nov 2023

Inequality hotspot map shows where women in agriculture are hit the hardest by the climate crisis

Threats posed by the climate crisis disproportionally affect certain communities and social groups that are more exposed. People living in low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries are at heightened risk. Within these countries, women typically face higher climate risk than men. To show where women working in agri-food systems – systems that encompass production, but also post-harvest handling and distribution – are most threated by climate change, an international team of researchers has developed a hotspot map that identifies and ranks localities by threat level. “We show that significant ...

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Environment16 Nov 2023

Reclaiming carbon fibers from discarded composite materials

Minimizing energy consumption is a fundamental element in our journey towards sustainable societies, and advanced materials play a key role in this regard. Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) and carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) are two prominent examples of composite materials that can significantly improve energy efficiency in various fields of application. These composites are made of carbon fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, such as epoxy resin. Thanks to their low weight and remarkable mechanical strength, CFRPs and CFRTPs can greatly ...

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Environment15 Nov 2023

Climate change effects hit marine ecosystems in multiple waves, according to marine ecologists

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new approach to examining the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems may provide a more accurate understanding of climate change responses — and predictions for future consequences — according to a new paper co-authored by a Brown University biologist. The paper, published in the Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, highlights the interplay between the trend of climate warming and the fluctuations in local temperature. These two properties cause atypically warm events such as marine heatwaves to occur with ...

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Environment15 Nov 2023

All aquatic species in river mouths are contaminated by microplastics

All aquatic species in the river mouths flowing into the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean are contaminated with microplastics, with molluscs being the most affected due to their ability to filter water. Rivers are one of the main sources of pollution by microplastics (5 to 0.0001 mm in size) and nanoplastics (smaller than 0.0001mm) in the oceans. Estuaries, as transition zones between rivers and the sea, are major hotspots for the accumulation of these particles, which are retained in sediments. They pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems given their ability to capture harmful chemicals from the surrounding environment, ...

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Environment15 Nov 2023

New plant hardiness map, used by gardeners nationwide and based on OSU climate data, unveiled

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today released its new Plant Hardiness Zone Map, the national standard by which gardeners can determine which plants are most likely to survive the coldest winter temperatures at a certain location. The USDA describes the latest map, jointly developed by Oregon State University’s PRISM Climate Group and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, as the most accurate and detailed it has ever released. PRISM, part of the OSU College of Engineering, stands for Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model. The previous version of the plant hardiness map, also based ...

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Environment15 Nov 2023

Radiocarbon dating meets Egyptology and Biblical accounts in the city of Gezer

New dates provide detailed insights into the timing of events in the ancient city of Gezer, according to a study published November 15, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Lyndelle Webster of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and colleagues. Gezer is an ancient southern Levantine city, well known from Egyptian, Assyrian, and Biblical texts and associated with stories of power struggles and significant historical figures. It is also a rich archaeological site with abundant Bronze Age and Iron Age remains and with great potential for research into the daily lives of its denizens. Recent excavations at the site have uncovered a continuous stratigraphic ...

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