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Environment
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Environment

Farms could be our secret climate weapon, QUT-led study finds

The world’s farms could become one of the most powerful tools in the fight against climate change according to a new international study led by QUT. Published in Plant Physiology, the paper lays out a framework to assess how plant agriculture and synthetic biology innovations can help mitigate climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon storage. Lead author Professor Claudia Vickers, from the QUT School of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, QUT Centre for Environment and Society, and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, ...

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Environment

The seamounts of Cape Verde: a biodiversity hotspot and a priority for marine conservation in the central-eastern Atlantic

An international team led by Covadonga Orejas, a researcher at the Gijón Oceanographic Centre of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC); Veerle Huvenne, a researcher at the UK National Oceanography Centre (NOC); and Jacob González-Solís, professor at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona, has published the first comprehensive study on the seamounts of the Cape Verde archipelago, their biodiversity, ecological functionality and socio-economic relevance in the journal Progress in Oceanography. These volcanic formations — at least 14 large mountains ...

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Environment

Biochar shows powerful potential to build cleaner and more sustainable cities worldwide

As cities continue to expand and face rising environmental pressure, scientists are seeking innovative solutions that can help urban areas become cleaner, greener, and more resilient. A new perspective paper highlights biochar, a carbon rich material made from organic waste, as a transformative tool that could significantly improve the environmental future of cities around the world. The study, published in Biochar X, synthesizes global research and case studies to show how biochar contributes to cleaner air, healthier soils, improved water quality, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The authors examined applications across major cities such as ...

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Environment

Earthquakes shake up Yellowstone’s subterranean ecosystems

Up to 30% of life, by weight, is underground. Seismic activity may renew the energy supply for subterranean ecosystems. Eric Boyd and colleagues chronicled the ecological changes in subsurface microbial communities that took place after a swarm of small earthquakes rattled the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field in 2021. Subsurface microbial communities are powered by chemical energy gleaned from the interactions between rocks and water. Earthquakes can expose new rocks, release trapped fluids, and alter the flow path of water, together kicking off new reactions and changing the chemical “menu” for subsurface ...

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Environment

Scientists warn mountain climate change is accelerating faster than predicted, putting billions of people at risk

Temperature, rainfall, and snowfall patterns are shifting at an accelerated rate in mountain regions Over one billion people worldwide depend on mountain snow and glaciers for water, including the populations of China and India As temperatures rise, more snow is changing to rain, decreasing mountain snowfall Mountains worldwide are experiencing climate change more intensely than lowland areas, with potentially devastating consequences for billions of people who live in and/or depend on these regions, according to a major global review. The international study, published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, examines ...

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Environment

The ocean is undergoing unprecedented, deep-reaching compound change

Earth's ocean, the planet's life-support system, is experiencing rapid and widespread transformations that extend far below its surface. A promising international study published in Nature Climate Change reveals that vast regions of the global ocean are experiencing compound state change, with simultaneously warming, becoming saltier or fresher, losing oxygen, and acidifying—clear indicators of climate change pushing marine environments into uncharted territory. Led by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Mercator Ocean International (MOI, France), and the Laboratoire ...

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Environment

Scientists detect new climate pattern in the tropics

Tropical cyclones can unleash extensive devastation, as recent storms that swept over Jamaica and the Philippines made unmistakably clear. Accurate weather forecasts that buy more time to prepare are crucial for saving lives and are rooted in a deeper understanding of climate systems. Driving this forward, researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and others have successfully identified a previously unknown cyclic climate pattern by historical reanalysis of datasets and satellite observations. The findings are published in PNAS. Jiawei Bao still remembers coming home from middle school to ...

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Environment

Want actionable climate knowledge at scale? Consider these three pathways

There's no one-size-fits-all solution to adapting and building resilience to climate change, but a new study led by the University of Michigan offers three generalized pathways to help climate knowledge achieve its maximum impact. The researchers analyzed available literature and built on their own experiences to distill these separate but complementary pathways for creating new thinking that is not only actionable, but scalable. Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ...

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Environment

Ancient rocks reveal themselves as ‘carbon sponges’

Sixty-million-year-old rock samples from deep under the ocean have revealed how huge amounts of carbon dioxide are stored for millennia in piles of lava rubble that accumulate on the seafloor. Scientists have analysed lavas drilled from deep under the South Atlantic Ocean to understand how much CO2 is captured within the rocks due to reactions between the rocks and ocean. The research, led by the University of Southampton, found that piles of lava rubble, formed due to erosion of seafloor mountains, form geological sponges for CO2. It’s the first time the role of lava rubble as carbon sponges ...

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Environment

Antarctic mountains could boost ocean carbon absorption as ice sheets thin

Research led by polar scientists from Northumbria University has revealed new hope in natural environmental systems found in East Antarctica which could help mitigate the overall rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over long timescales. As Antarctica's ice sheets thin due to climate change, newly exposed mountain peaks could significantly increase the supply of vital nutrients to the Southern Ocean which surrounds the continent, potentially enhancing its ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to the research published in Nature Communications. A team of scientists with expertise in oceanography, ice sheet modelling and geochemistry contributed to the study ...

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Environment

Scientists unveil mechanism behind greener ammonia production

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have revealed how a catalyst in a promising chemical reaction for industry helps make ammonia, a major ingredient in fertilizer. Copper oxide is a key catalyst in the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction, a greener alternative to the existing Haber-Bosch process. They discovered that copper particles are created mid-reaction, helping convert nitrite ions to ammonia. This insight into the underlying mechanisms promises leaps forward in developing new industrial chemistry. As an ingredient in fertilizer, ammonia is an important chemical in industrial agriculture. The most widely adopted way to make ...

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Environment

Sharper, straighter, stiffer, stronger: Male green hermit hummingbirds have bills evolved for fighting

Let’s get one thing out of the way: All hummingbirds fight. Most species fight for food, using their tiny bodies and sharp bills to force competitors away from flowers. But the green hermit hummingbird, which lives primarily in mountain forests of Central and South America, fights to win a mate. “They gather together at a place in the forest that looks just like a singles bar,” said Alejandro Rico-Guevara, an associate professor of biology at the University of Washington. “They all have perches, and if someone else takes their perch — their place in the singles ...

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Environment

A mulching film that protects plants without pesticides or plastics

Whether you’re a home gardener or an industrial farmer, you might be familiar with mulching films — plastic sheets laid over the soil to protect seedlings and promote crop growth. But like many other plastic materials, these films can release damaging microplastics and don’t have any insect-repelling power. So, a team reporting in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology has developed an alternative biodegradable mulching film that also naturally repels pests using citronella oil. “This research shows that it is possible to protect crops using biodegradable ...

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Environment

Study finds unsustainable water use across the Rio Grande

Across the Rio Grande–Bravo basin, which runs from Colorado to Mexico, water stress has been building for years. Reservoirs that once relied on steady snowmelt are now noticeably lower. Aquifers that supported farming communities for generations continue to decline, dropping faster than they can recharge. In some stretches, the river, which runs nearly 3,000 kilometers, disappears into dry sand before reaching its endpoint. Despite this growing strain, a full, basin-wide picture of how the river’s water is used and how much is being lost didn’t exist. People could see the symptoms, but ...

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Environment

Efficient neutral nitrate-to-ammonia electrosynthesis using synergistic Ru-based nanoalloys on nitrogen-doped carbon

As fertilizer demand rises and nitrate pollution spreads, turning waste NO₃⁻ into green NH₃ has become urgent. Now, researchers from Guizhou University, Hunan Agricultural University and Shanghai University, led by Professor Jili Yuan, Professor Wei Li and Dr Liang Wang, report a selective-etching route to RuM (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) nanoalloys that deliver 100 % Faradaic efficiency for neutral ammonia electro-synthesis at only −0.1 V vs RHE—outperforming most catalysts reported to date. Why RuM Nanoalloys Matter • Energy Efficiency: Alloying ...

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Environment

Giant impactor Theia formed in the inner Solar System

By tracking the isotopic fingerprints of iron in lunar and terrestrial rocks, researchers trying to understand the origin of the Moon’s mysterious progenitor add evidence to the idea that it came from the inner Solar System. According to the findings, Theia – the Mars-sized planetary body that collided with Earth to form the Moon – was born possibly closer to the Sun than to Earth. The Moon is believed to have formed when Theia collided with early Earth roughly a hundred million years after the formation of the Solar System. Most models of this process suggest that the Moon is mostly ...

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Environment

Building a sustainable metals infrastructure: NIST report highlights key strategies

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a report identifying strategies for developing a more efficient, sustainable and resilient U.S. metals processing infrastructure, where metals are used and reused more efficiently throughout the economy. The report highlights key challenges that must be addressed to achieve this goal, including a lack of robust standards for recycled content and supply chain vulnerabilities for critical materials. Metals processing covers the entire material life cycle, including mining, alloy design, manufacturing, ...

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Environment

New study reveals how China can cut nitrogen pollution while safeguarding national food security

A new study published in Nitrogen Cycling presents the most comprehensive assessment to date of how China can reduce nationwide nitrogen pollution while continuing to meet the rising food demands of its population. The research analyzes nearly six decades of data and concludes that smarter nitrogen management could reduce fertilizer use by more than one third, significantly improving air and water quality without compromising crop yields. Nitrogen fertilizers have played a central role in feeding China since the 1960s, supporting ...

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Environment

Two new studies from Schneider Electric and the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability reveal 95 barriers and 50 risks slowing decarbonization in the building sector

In the race against time to meet 2050 climate targets, building decarbonization looms large—but high upfront costs and a lack of public awareness are two of the biggest barriers for many countries, slowing the adoption of energy efficiency and electrification technologies. The top risks center on performance and reliability. These findings come from two new studies by Schneider Electric and Boston University’s Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS), published in Nature Communications and Energy and Buildings, that identify 95 sociotechnical barriers ...

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Environment

Is it light or humidity? Scientists identify the culprits of emerald green degradation in masterpieces

Is it light or humidity? Scientists identify the culprits of emerald green degradation in masterpieces An international team of researchers have found what triggers degradation in one of the most popular pigments used by renowned 19th and 20th century painters. Using a multi-method approach, including advanced synchrotron radiation techniques, they’ve unveiled how light and humidity affect the masterpieces over time, and have proposed a strategy for its mitigation and monitoring. The results are out now in Science Advances. During the 19th century, the Second Industrial Revolution sparked major advances in chemistry, giving rise ...

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Environment

Researchers find microplastics in 100 per cent of donkey faecal samples tested

A study by the University of Portsmouth has revealed for the first time the extent of the devastating impact of plastic pollution on livestock, humans and the wider environment on the Kenyan island of Lamu. The study was carried out by members of the Revolution Plastics Institute at The University of Portsmouth, in collaboration with The Donkey Sanctuary, The Flop Flopi Project and the Kenyan Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. Until now the impact of plastic waste on terrestrial working animals has been largely ...

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Environment

Lost signal: How solar activity silenced earth's radiation

Researchers from HSE University and the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences analysed seven years of data from the ERG (Arase) satellite and, for the first time, provided a detailed description of a new type of radio emission from near-Earth space—the hectometric continuum, first discovered in 2017. The researchers found that this radiation appears a few hours after sunset and disappears one to three hours after sunrise. It was most frequently observed during the summer months and less often in spring and autumn. However, by mid-2022, when the Sun entered a phase of increased activity, the radiation had completely ...

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Environment

Working with local communities to manage green spaces could help biodiversity crisis, new study finds

Helping communities manage green spaces by understanding how they use and value the area could be an effective way for local governments to tackle the biodiversity crisis, according to a new study from the University of Exeter. Local councils in the UK are under growing pressure to increase publicly accessible green spaces in towns and cities to boost biodiversity, as well as improve public wellbeing. Research has shown effective stewardship of urban green spaces not only improves biodiversity, but also reduces flooding, promotes public health, and creates business opportunities. The study, published in People and Nature, outlines ...

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Environment

Biochar boosts clean energy output from food waste in novel two-stage digestion system

A new study from researchers at the University of Western Australia and Universitas Brawijaya has found that adding biochar to advanced food waste recycling systems can significantly increase the clean energy yields of hydrogen and methane. This breakthrough offers promising strategies for municipalities and industries aiming to turn food scraps into valuable renewable fuels while reducing environmental impacts. Turning Waste Into Energy Food waste generated by households, restaurants, and processing plants is a growing environmental challenge around the world. Innovative recycling solutions are urgently needed to keep this waste ...

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Environment

Ancient bogs reveal 15,000-year climate secret, say scientists

Scientists have revealed that ancient bogs in the Southern Hemisphere hold clues to a major shift in the Earth's climate thousands of years ago. Researchers looking at peatlands have discovered that sudden shifts in the Southern Westerly Winds 15,000 years ago triggered a massive growth of the swamps. Geo-experts have never fully understood what caused the bogs to form across the Southern Hemisphere after the last Ice Age. But the scientists behind the new paper, published in Nature Geoscience, now ...

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