Environment
press releases.

Environment13 Nov 2023

Diverse forests hold huge carbon-storage potential, as long as we cut emissions, study shows

Media kit New research suggests that a realistic estimate of additional global forest carbon-storage potential is approximately 226 gigatonnes of carbon—enough to make a meaningful contribution to slowing climate change. The study, published today in the journal Nature, highlights the critical importance of forest conservation, restoration and sustainable management in moving toward international climate and biodiversity targets. It involved hundreds of scientists around the world, who stress that this potential can be achieved by incentivizing community-driven efforts to promote biodiversity. Forest ...

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Environment13 Nov 2023

Capture or reuse CO2 as a chemical source for the production of sustainable plastics

A scientific team has developed a new polyurethane production technique using CO2 to create new types of easily recyclable plastics. The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemistry Society (J.A.C.S.), could provide a solution for the development of truly sustainable plastics. Commodity plastics have transformed global industry. Whether in construction, clothing, vehicles or food packaging, these plastics are everywhere in our daily lives, so much so that their global use has been estimated at around 460 million tons in 2019. This number is staggering, but not surprising, because plastics, also known as synthetic polymers, have met a large ...

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Environment13 Nov 2023

Template for success: Shaping hard carbon electrodes for next-generation batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are, by far, the most widely used type of rechargeable batteries, spanning numerous applications. These include consumer electronics, electric vehicles (e.g., Tesla cars), renewable energy systems, and spacecrafts. Although LIBs deliver the best performance in many aspects when compared to other rechargeable batteries, they have their fair share of disadvantages. Lithium is a rather scarce resource, and its price will rise quickly with its availability going down in the future. Moreover, lithium extraction and improperly discarded LIBs pose huge environmental challenges as the liquid electrolytes commonly used in them are toxic and ...

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Environment13 Nov 2023

New beetle species has bottle-opener shaped genitalia: Now that calls for a Carlsberg!

Penises are more prevalent in some lines of work than others. And for researchers who study biodiversity of insects, penises play a significant role in their daily workload – for good reason. "Genitalia are the organs in insects that evolve to be different in every species. As such, they are often the best way to identify a species. That's why entomologists like us are always quick to examine insect genitalia when describing a species. The unique shape of each species’ genitals ensures that it can only reproduce with the same species," explains biologist Aslak Kappel Hansen of the ...

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Environment13 Nov 2023

Endangered turtle population under threat as pollution may lead to excess of females being born

Green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They are at risk of extinction due to poaching, collisions with boats, habitat destruction, and accidental capture in fishing gear. But another threat, linked to climate change, is more insidious: sea turtles have temperature-dependent sex determination, which means that more and more embryos develop into females as temperatures keep rising. Already, in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, hundreds of females are born for ...

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Environment10 Nov 2023

Low-intensity fires reduce wildfire risk by 60%, according to study by Columbia and Stanford researchers

There is no longer any question of how to prevent high-intensity, often catastrophic, wildfires that have become increasingly frequent across the Western U.S., according to a new study by researchers at Stanford and Columbia universities. The analysis, published Nov. 10 in Science Advances, reveals that low-intensity burning, such as controlled or prescribed fires, managed wildfires, and tribal cultural burning, can dramatically reduce the risk of devastating fires for years at a time. The findings – some of the first to rigorously quantify the value of low-intensity fire – come while Congress is reassessing the U.S. Forest Service’s ...

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Environment10 Nov 2023

How mega-floods can be predicted

What can we expect in the worst-case scenario? In regions with a high risk of flooding, this is an important question: what extreme events should the protective measures be designed for? Often this is answered simply by looking at history: The worst flood events of the past decades or centuries are regarded as a realistic upper limit for what can be expected in the future. However, this can be misleading, as so-called "mega-floods" have shown in recent years. Time and again, extreme flood events occur, extraordinary outliers that were not considered possible on the basis of local data. However, a major research project carried out under the leadership ...

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Environment10 Nov 2023

Impact of climate change on drylands to be examined with Royal Society award

A leading researcher has been awarded a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship worth over £1.4 million to study how dryland landscapes respond to a changing climate. Dr Monika Markowska will join Northumbria University in January 2024 as part of her Royal Society University Research Fellowship. The Royal Society is the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, bringing together many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. Specialising in the variability of the Earth’s past climate, Dr Monika Markowska is an Isotope Geochemist, who is currently based at Max Planck ...

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Environment10 Nov 2023

Scientists found hundreds of toxic chemicals in recycled plastics

When scientists examined pellets from recycled plastic collected in 13 countries they found hundreds of toxic chemicals, including pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The results are published in a study led by scientists at the University of Gothenburg. Because of this, the scientists judge recycled plastics unfit for most purposes and a hinder in the attempts to create a circular economy. Delegates, scientists and health and environmental advocates from around the world are traveling to Nairobi, Kenya for next week’s meeting of the third session of the Plastics Treaty Intergovernmental Negotiating ...

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Environment9 Nov 2023

Endangered thick-billed parrots at risk of losing newly identified, unprotected Sierra Madre forest habitats to logging, deforestation, study shows

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS AND VIDEO: https://sandiegozoo.box.com/s/x50kzaoukdtyjxsv9mzqgn0fu1m6kddk A binational team of scientists, using creativity and innovation, adorned dozens of endangered thick-billed parrots with tiny solar-powered satellite transmitters to track and reveal their winter migratory nesting sites in the remote treetops of the Sierra Madre Occidental ranges. Their research reveals new critical habitat, 80% of which has no formal protection. In a study published this month in the journal Global ...

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Environment9 Nov 2023

Wildfire risk to US homes is rising, especially in western grasslands and shrublands

Drawing on 30 years of data, researchers show that the number of homes within wildfire perimeters in the U.S. has doubled since the 1990s. This increasing risk is driven by both an increase in wildfires and the expansion of new homes into wildfire-prone areas, especially in the wildland-urban interface. Wildfire risks to homes are increasing, particularly in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where houses and wildland vegetation are in close proximity. Over the last 12 years, more than 55,000 homes in the U.S. have been lost to wildfires due to rapid increases ...

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Environment9 Nov 2023

Introducing: Ceramic- and glass-based passive radiative cooling materials resistance to harsh environments

Two studies highlight new glass- and ceramic-based passive radiative cooling materials. Unlike passive radiative cooling approaches that rely on polymers, these hard materials are more durable and versatile, making them more attractive for a wide range of outdoor passive cooling applications, including those that could help reduce the need for air conditioning. The energy demand for cooling continues to rise, particularly in regions rapidly warming due to climate change. To make matters worse, the growing carbon footprint of cooling systems further contributes to global warming, exacerbating the need for cooling solutions. Passive radiative cooling (PRC) materials, which ...

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Environment9 Nov 2023

Scientists flag conflicts of interest ahead of UN plastic and chemical talks

An international group of 35 scientists is calling out conflicts of interest plaguing global plastic treaty negotiations and that have interfered with timely action on other health and environmental issues. They urge the implementation of strict guidelines to prevent the same problems from affecting the UN’s upcoming Science Policy Panel on chemicals. Their concerns and recommendations are outlined in a featured paper in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. “From Big Tobacco to Big Oil, powerful industries use the same playbook to manufacture doubt and sow misinformation,” said co-author Bethanie ...

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Environment9 Nov 2023

New research: Fivefold increase in the melting of Greenland's glaciers over the last 20 years

New research: Fivefold increase in the melting of Greenland's glaciers over the last 20 years In the largest survey of its kind ever conducted, using both satellite imagery and old aerial photos from the Danish National Archives, researchers from the University of Copenhagen firmly establish that Greenland’s glaciers are melting at an unprecedented pace. Melting has increased fivefold in the past 20 years. The study eliminates any lingering doubts about the impact of climate change on Greenland's more than 20,000 glaciers. Based on the most comprehensive monitoring ...

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Environment9 Nov 2023

Scientists caution against a reliance on mechanical devices to clear water bodies of plastic

An international group of scientists has cautioned against reliance on mechanical cleanup devices as a means of addressing the plastic pollution crisis. The researchers – comprising a number of the world’s foremost experts in plastic pollution – say they appreciate the clear and pressing need to tackle the millions of tonnes of waste that have already accumulated in the ocean and waterways. However, they caution that plastic removal technologies used so far have shown varied efficiency in the amount of waste material they are able to collect, many have not been tested at all. In fact, some have been shown to harm quantities of marine organisms – including ...

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Environment9 Nov 2023

UTSA’s Jessica Eise wins funding to advance climate science advocacy research

(San Antonio, November 9, 2023) — The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Jessica Eise, an assistant professor of social and environmental challenges in the University of Texas at San Antonio Department of Communication, $425,000 for her project to explore how to create enduring change in environmental public behavior to support actions that will effectively address climate change and its impacts on society. Despite four decades of climate change communication, the world has yet to see adequate public action and policymaker support to substantively address the challenge. Eise’s findings will empower ...

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Environment9 Nov 2023

Forests with multiple tree species are 70% more effective as carbon sinks than monoculture forests

To slow the effects of climate change, conserve biodiversity, and meet the sustainable development goals, replanting trees is vital. Restored forests store carbon within the forest’s soil, shrubs, and trees. Mixed forests are especially effective at carbon storage, as different species with complementary traits can increase overall carbon storage. Compared to single-species forests, mixed forests are also more resilient to pests, diseases, and climatic disturbances, which increases their long-term carbon storage potential. The delivery of other ecosystem services is also greater in mixed species forests, and they support higher levels of biodiversity. Although the benefits ...

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Environment8 Nov 2023

A fifth of European Red List flora and fauna species may be at risk of extinction

A new analysis of 14,669 threatened species of plants and animals found in Europe reveals that about one fifth face the risk of extinction, and that agricultural land-use change poses a significant threat to these species. Axel Hochkirch of the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle, Luxembourg, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on November 8, 2023. The variety of species of living things—biodiversity—is declining around the world, as more and more species face the risk of extinction. Many efforts, including some by governments and nonprofit organizations, aim to reduce the loss ...

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Environment8 Nov 2023

Plant lifecycle insights: Big data can predict climate change impact

The study is based on a new database created by the researchers which combines, for the first time, datasets on distribution and datasets on lifecycles, making it possible to establish the prevalence of different lifecycles around the globe. It uses empirical tools and big data to examine theoretical paradigms about the way in which human disturbance is affecting annual plants and their global distribution. Among other things, it was found that annuals are expected to benefit more with the rise in human population density and due to climate change, which ...

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Environment8 Nov 2023

Scaling up nano for sustainable manufacturing

A new self-assembling nanosheet could radically accelerate the development of functional and sustainable nanomaterials for electronics, energy storage, health and safety, and more. Developed by a team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), the new self-assembling nanosheet could significantly extend the shelf life of consumer products. And because the new material is recyclable, it could also enable a sustainable manufacturing approach that keeps single-use packaging and electronics out of landfills. The ...

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Environment8 Nov 2023

Framework provides guidance for ethical wildlife management

Wildlife management decisions and practices face increasing ethical scrutiny. In research published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, investigators have developed a framework for incorporating ethical considerations into decisions in a systematic way. The framework includes 3 domains: moral theory, which focuses on consequences and outcomes; principle- and rule-based approaches that deal with what is considered right or wrong; and virtue ethical therapy, which considers factors such as character, virtue, and aesthetics. Wildlife ...

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Environment8 Nov 2023

Southern Alaska’s national forests key to meeting climate, conservation goals, OSU study shows

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Analyses of U.S. national forests led by Oregon State University scientists shows that increased protections for two Alaskan forests is a key to meeting climate and biodiversity goals. In a paper published in AGU Advances, OSU College of Forestry researchers make the case that greater conservation efforts in the Tongass and Chugach national forests in southern Alaska are crucial because of their landscape integrity, high carbon stocks and wildlife habitat extent. “More thoroughly safeguarding those forests ...

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Environment8 Nov 2023

Experts predict ‘catastrophic ecosystem collapse’ of UK forests within the next 50 years if action not taken

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND FORESTRY ENGLAND EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 GMT/LONDON TIME ON WEDNESDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2023 A copy of the paper is available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oj1uPIh_R0D_SA9wHtaaoz_NG26SicI4?usp=drive_link A team of experts from across Europe has produced a list of 15 over-looked and emerging issues that are likely to have a significant impact on UK forests over the next 50 years. This is the first ‘horizon scanning’ exercise – a technique to identify relatively unknown threats, opportunities, and new trends – ...

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Environment7 Nov 2023

Deep decarbonization scenarios reveal importance of accelerating zero-emission vehicle adoption

The rapid adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles will move the nation close to an 80% or more drop in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from the 2019 level according to researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The researchers came to that conclusion after running thousands of computer simulations on the steps needed to decarbonize passenger and freight travel, which make up the largest contributor to greenhouse gases. While they advised that “no single technology, policy, or behavioral change” is enough by itself to reach the target, eliminating tailpipe emissions would be a major factor. “There ...

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Environment7 Nov 2023

Science needs to be the foundation of the new Plastics Treaty

The innovation by chemists, resulting in the creation of a long polyethylene chain out of the small chemical monomer ethylene, has been a ground-breaking discovery, awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963. This remarkable discovery paved the way for highly useful industrial processes and set the stage for widespread use of plastics, which transformed our world in once unimaginable manners. Today, exactly six decades later, the extensive use of plastics and their products is posing a threat to human health and the environment ...

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