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Environment
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Environment

Single-step battery cathode recycling

A new battery recycling method developed by Illinois Grainger engineers removes scarce, expensive metals from old battery cathodes and coats them onto new cathodes in a single step. The result is significantly more affordable, less environmentally impactful and less risky to health than any recycling method currently in use. Battery cathodes – the positive part of the battery that helps to store electrical energy – often require rare, expensive metals such as cobalt. It is therefore crucial to develop effective means for recycling cathodes that reclaim the metals essential to their operation. Researchers in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois ...

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Environment

Farm conservation is an economical path to save Colorado River water

The most cost-effective way to conserve the dwindling waters of the Colorado River may not come from building new reservoirs, canals, or wells, but from changing how water is used on farms that consume most of it. That’s the conclusion of a comprehensive study by UC Riverside’s School of Public Policy, conducted with the Utah Rivers Council. Led by UCR graduate student Paloma Avila, the study examined 462 federally funded Colorado River conservation and supply projects, totaling about $1 billion (in 2023 constant dollars) between 2004 and 2024, using available spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It ...

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Environment

Antarctic icefish rewired their skulls to win an evolutionary arms race

Antarctica’s Southern Ocean is one of the most demanding places on Earth when it comes to survival. Its waters plunge below freezing, long periods of darkness restrict growth and feeding, and food webs shift with relentless climate swings. Yet one group of fish — the notothenioids, or Antarctic icefish — not only survived here but flourished. From a single ancestor tens of millions of years ago, they evolved into dozens of species. Some cruise near the surface, others prowl the seafloor, and still others dart through the open water. A new ...

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Environment

Scientists uncover room-temperature route to improved light-harvesting and emission devices

HOUSTON – (Sept. 30, 2025) – Atoms in crystalline solids sometimes vibrate in unison, giving rise to emergent phenomena known as phonons. Because these collective vibrations set the pace for how heat and energy move through materials, they play a central role in devices that capture or emit light, like solar cells and LEDs. A team of researchers from Rice University and collaborators have found a way to make two different phonons in thin films of lead halide perovskite interact with light so strongly that they merge into entirely ...

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Environment

Reaction-induced restructuring of CoOx species to control selectivity in propane dehydrogenation

Propene is one of the most important basic petrochemicals widely used for the production of polypropylene, solvents, acrylic acid, etc. The conventional routes for the manufacture of this building block include steam or fluid catalytic cracking of different oil fractions, methanol to olefin and non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation (PDH). The PDH approach has been attracting increasing attention because of the shale gas revolution. This reaction is carried out on a large scale using highly expensive or environmentally unfriendly Pt- or Cr-containing catalysts. Co-based catalysts are of particular interest due to their excellent ability to selectively activate C-H bonds in various alkanes. It ...

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Environment

Newly released dataset BIRDBASE tracks ecological traits for 11,000 birds

Çağan Şekercioğlu was an ambitious, but perhaps naive graduate student when, 26 years ago, he embarked on a simple data-compilation project that would soon evolve into a massive career-defining achievement. With the help of countless students and volunteers, the University of Utah conservation biologist has finally released BIRDBASE, an encyclopedic dataset of traits covering all the bird species recognized by the world’s four major avian taxonomies. Described this week in a study published in the journal Scientific Data, the dataset covers 78 ecological traits, including ...

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Environment

Biogas slurry boosts biochar’s climate benefits by reshaping soil microbes

Adding biochar to farmland soils is widely promoted as a climate-friendly practice, but its impact on greenhouse gas emissions can vary. A new study finds that pairing biochar with biogas slurry, a nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer from biogas production, can reshape soil microbial communities and significantly alter emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and methane (CH₄). Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences conducted controlled soil column experiments to test how different levels of biochar addition perform ...

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Environment

New review warns of growing heavy metal threats in reservoirs, calls for smarter monitoring and greener cleanup solutions

Reservoirs are lifelines for drinking water, food production, and economic growth. But a new study warns that these crucial ecosystems are increasingly under threat from toxic heavy metals—and that urgent, innovative action is needed to safeguard both human health and the environment. Researchers from Northeast Agricultural University, together with international collaborators, have published the most comprehensive review to date of heavy metal pollution in reservoirs, outlining its sources, risks, and promising solutions. The findings, published in Agricultural Ecology and Environment, ...

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Environment

Positive charges stabilize instantly in key solar fuel catalyst: New simulations track ultrafast polaron formation in NaTaO3.

summary To boost solar water splitting efficiency, researchers used quantum molecular dynamics to track how charge carriers (polarons) stabilize in the NaTaO3 photocatalyst, a process previously hidden from experiments. They discovered that positive hole polarons stabilize strongly and rapidly (~70 meV in 50 fs) driven by the elongation of oxygen-tantalum (O-Ta) bonds, while electron stabilization is insignificant. This time-resolved, atomistic understanding provides crucial guidelines for rationally engineering O-Ta bond dynamics to create high-performance solar fuel catalysts. Researchers used quantum-chemical molecular dynamics simulations to visualize the ultrafast ...

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Environment

Tiny but mighty: Groundbreaking study reveals mosses are secret carbon heroes in subtropical forests

In a lush revelation from the forest floor, a new study published in Carbon Research (as an Open Access Rapid Communication) shows that mosses, those quiet, green carpet-weavers beneath our feet, are climate champions in their own right. Led by Dr. Zhe Wang from the China-Croatia “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shanghai Normal University, alongside Dr. Weikai Bao, also ...

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Environment

Rapid flash Joule heating technique unlocks efficient rare‑earth element recovery from electronic waste

A team of researchers including Rice University’s James Tour and Shichen Xu has developed an ultrafast, one-step method to recover rare earth elements (REEs) from discarded magnets using an innovative approach that offers significant environmental and economic benefits over traditional recycling methods. Their study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sept. 29, 2025. Conventional rare earth recycling is energy-heavy and creates toxic waste. The research team’s method uses flash Joule heating (FJH), which rapidly raises material temperatures to thousands of degrees within milliseconds, and chlorine gas to extract REEs from ...

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Environment

Scientists successfully recreate wildfire-induced thunderstorms in Earth system models for the first time

On September 5, 2020, California’s Creek Fire grew so severe that it began producing it’s own weather system. The fire’s extreme heat produced an explosive thunderhead that spewed lightning strikes and further fanned the roaring flames, making containment elusive and endangering the lives of firefighters on the ground. These wildfire-born storms have become a growing part of fire seasons across the West, with lasting impacts on air quality, weather, and climate. Until now, scientists have struggled to replicate them in Earth system models, hindering our ability to predict their occurrence ...

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Environment

By studying yellow warbler, researchers hope to better understand response to rapid climate change in wild species

EMBARGO: THIS CONTENT IS UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 3 P.M. U.S. EASTERN STANDARD TIME ON SEPT. 29, 2025. INTERESTED MEDIA MAY RECIVE A PREVIEW COPY OF THE JOURNAL ARTICLE IN ADVANCE OF THAT DATE OR CONDUCT INTERVIEWS, BUT THE INFORMATION MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, OR POSTED ONLINE UNTIL AFTER THE RELEASE WINDOW. Climate change is drying landscapes and raising temperatures faster than many species can adapt. A new research paper from Colorado State University offers a rare empirical look at how these pressures are already reshaping wildlife through the lens of the yellow warbler –– a ...

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Environment

Pulp mill waste becomes green solution to remove toxic dyes

Dyes like Congo red and methyl orange create brightly hued shirts, sweaters and dresses. But these commonly used azo dyes can be toxic, carcinogenic and are hard to remove from wastewater. David Chem, a University of Arkansas chemical engineering Ph.D. candidate, developed an environmentally friendly solution to remove these dyes using a common byproduct of the pulp and paper industry. Azo dyes are used in 60-70% of commercial textile production. The dyes dissolve easily in water and resist biodegradation, which makes them an environmental hazard. ...

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Environment

Building trust in soil carbon as a climate solution requires stronger evidence

In a comment published in Nature Climate Change, Mark Bradford, the E.H. Harriman Professor of Soils and Ecosystem Ecology, and Yale School of the Environment research scientists Sara Kuebbing and Alexander Polussa ’25 PhD, together with colleagues Emily Oldfield ’05, ’11 MESc, ’19 PhD, of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Jonathan Sanderman of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, argue that the scientific evidence supporting soil carbon’s role in mitigating climate change ...

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Environment

Vietnam’s food environment is changing fast. Policy needs to catch up

More than half of the world’s population could be living with overweightedness or obesity by 2035, with a rapidly growing share in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is also estimated that the global economic impact could top US$4 trillion by that time. These trends are closely tied to the rise of obesogenic food environments; settings where unhealthy food options are cheap, ubiquitous, and heavily promoted. Walk into any Hanoi convenience store and you will see “Mua 1 tặng 1” (buy-one-get-one) banners on sugary drinks. These promotions are not background noise; they shape habits. In Ho ...

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Environment

Study reveals roadmap for carbon-free California by 2045

A 2022 California law mandates net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and negative emissions every year thereafter. The state can achieve this but will have to act quickly and thoroughly, and success will require new technologies for sectors difficult to decarbonize, a new Stanford University study finds. The state will need to decarbonize not only cars and electricity but also trucks, trains, planes, agriculture, and factories, while slashing pollution from its oil refineries. The research team created a new model that projects emissions, society-wide economic costs, and consumption of energy resources under many scenarios for California to reach net-zero ...

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Environment

Wealthier countries waste more food per person, but urbanization is narrowing this gap

Globally, the average person wastes around 132 kg of food per year, and this number is rising. Wealthy countries waste more food per person, but in an opinion paper publishing September 26 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports Sustainability, agricultural economists highlight how urbanization and economic expansion are driving increases in food waste in lower- and middle-income countries. Curbing food waste will require policy and structural initiatives, they argue, such as incentivizing supermarkets and restaurants to donate food and educating consumers to promote smarter purchasing and better food storage practices. “If left unaddressed, rising waste in middle- and ...

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Environment

Scientists target key parameters of MJO simulation bias to improve climate models

The Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO), as a key driver of global weather and climate anomalies, is an important source of subseasonal predictability. However, most climate models still struggle to reproduce its fundamental characteristics, posing a critical challenge that urgently needs to be addressed in climate prediction. Previous studies have pointed out that the convective adjustment timescale (tau) is one of the key parameters affecting MJO simulation in climate models, but its sensitivity ...

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Environment

Superlattice blotting constructs ordered mesoporous carbon with high nickel single atom support for efficient electrocatalysis

Yuanyuan Wang and Wenlei Zhu's group at Nanjing University, China, and Yuehe Lin at Washington State University, USA, recently reported the development of a three-dimensional ordered mesoporous carbon skeleton with Ni single atom support using the superlattice blotting strategy for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen production. Firstly, they derived an ordered mesoporous framework based on finite element simulation, which is of great significance for promoting uniform gas distribution, stabilizing the gas-liquid-solid interface of nanoscale hydrophilic surfaces, and enhancing mass transfer kinetics. Then, the proposed superlattice blotting ...

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Environment

Beyond adsorption: Dalian scientists uncover biochar’s hidden superpower—direct pollutant destruction

The Biochar Myth-Buster We’ve all heard the story: biochar cleans water by adsorbing pollutants—trapping them like a sponge. Or, in fancier setups, it acts as a catalyst to help oxidants like hydrogen peroxide break down toxins. But Dr. Gao’s team asked a bold question: What if biochar can degrade pollutants all by itself? Turns out—it can. And it’s been doing it quietly all along. The Electron Ninja: Biochar’s Secret Power The secret lies in electron transfer—a natural ability of biochar that’s been overlooked for years. Think of it like this: instead of just catching a bad guy (adsorption), biochar can now take them ...

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Environment

Turning a problem into a resource: Scientists transform biomass tar into high-value carbon materials

A sticky, toxic by-product that has long plagued renewable energy production may soon become a valuable resource, according to a new review published in Biochar. When biomass such as crop residues, wood, or other organic matter is heated to produce clean energy and biochar, it also generates a thick liquid known as bio-tar. This tar easily clogs pipelines, damages equipment, and poses environmental risks if released into the atmosphere. For decades, researchers have sought ways to eliminate or neutralize it. Now, a team led by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences argues that instead of being treated as waste, bio-tar can be converted into “bio-carbon”—a ...

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Environment

New study reveals hidden “electron highways” that power underground chemistry and pollution cleanup

Beneath our feet, an invisible world of electron exchanges quietly drives the chemistry that sustains ecosystems, controls water quality, and even determines the fate of pollutants. A new review published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes sheds light on how electrons travel through soils and sediments across surprisingly long distances—sometimes spanning centimeters to meters—reshaping our understanding of underground environments and offering new strategies for pollution cleanup. Redox reactions—the give-and-take of electrons between chemical species—are fundamental to life and environmental stability. They govern how nutrients cycle, ...

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Environment

Restored mangrove forests could act as important carbon stores, per study examining Vietnamese mangrove carbon since 1900, but they might not have “normal” ecological function

Restored mangrove forests could act as important carbon stores, per study examining Vietnamese mangrove carbon since 1900, but they might not have “normal” ecological function In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Sustainability and Transformation: https://plos.io/3HPdSfr Article title: Land use change drives decadal-scale persistence of sediment organic carbon storage of restored mangrove Author countries: Sweden, China, Vietnam, United Kingdom Funding: This work ...

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Environment

Carbon cycle flaw can plunge Earth into an ice age

UC Riverside researchers have discovered a piece that was missing in previous descriptions of the way Earth recycles its carbon. As a result, they believe that global warming can overcorrect into an ice age. The traditional view among researchers is that Earth’s climate is kept in check by a slow-moving but reliable natural system of rock weathering. In this system, rain captures carbon dioxide from the air, hits exposed rocks on land – especially silicate rocks like granite – and slowly dissolves ...

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