pressnews.MEDICINE · SCIENCE · EVIDENCE
RSSSearchMy library
The archive · since 2010
THE ORIGINAL COLLECTION · SINCE 2010

Environment
press releases.

Research announcements from universities, hospitals and scientific institutions. Explore the stories, people and discoveries behind the headlines.

Original publication datesPage 30
FIND A STORY

Find a past release.

Dates and source material belong to the original release.

Read our research explainers

Browse the collection · original publication order

Environment

Ecology: Sunk debris from World Wars provides home for wildlife

More marine life is living on some World War II munitions disposed of on the Baltic Sea’s seabed than on the sediment surrounding it. The findings, reported in a paper in Communications Earth & Environment, show that some marine organisms can tolerate high levels of toxic compounds if there is a hard surface for them to inhabit. The results also demonstrate how detritus from human conflict can provide habitats for wildlife, which is similarly shown in a Scientific Data study mapping a fleet of World War I shipwrecks in Maryland, USA. Prior ...

Read the release
Environment

AGU and AMS invite proposals for the U.S. Climate Collection

The American Geophysical Union (AGU), the world’s largest association of Earth and space scientists, and the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the professional society for atmospheric and related sciences and services, invite contribution proposals for a joint special collection of research articles called the “U.S. Climate Collection: Informing Assessment of Risks and Solutions.” This collaborative effort, first announced earlier this year in the wake of the dismissal of the Sixth National Climate Assessment (NCA) authors, aims to publish ...

Read the release
Environment

Advances in iron-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with high carbon efficiency

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is an important technology for converting carbon-rich resources such as coal, natural gas, and biomass into clean fuels and high-value chemicals through synthesis gas. Iron-based catalysts are widely used in industrial applications due to their low cost and strong adaptability, especially for syngas derived from coal or biomass with low H2/CO ratios. However, the catalytic process is complicated by frequent phase transformations among metallic iron, iron oxides, and iron carbides, which ...

Read the release
Environment

Turning rust into fuel: MANA advances green rust catalyst for next-gen hydrogen vehicles

Researchers from the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), one of the centers under the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan, report an inexpensive iron hydroxide catalyst that could support the use of sodium borohydride as a hydrogen storage material. As the world moves toward hydrogen-powered societies, one major challenge remains: storing and releasing hydrogen efficiently. Sodium borohydride (SBH) is a promising hydrogen storage material that can generate hydrogen ...

Read the release
Environment

Indonesian breeds may carry genetics that can make cattle more sustainable and productive

In Indonesia, cattle are not just cattle. The large island-nation houses a variety of different breeds, locally preferred for their unique set of physical attributes and strongly linked to culture and ceremonies. There is even a distinct species of domesticated bovine here, namely the Bali cattle, a domesticated version of the wild banteng (see Box 1). Little is known about the history of cattle in this archipelago, which is positioned at a crossroad between major historical trading empires and cultures, notably India and China. Local ...

Read the release
Environment

Grazing, soil, and biochar: U.S.-China scientists uncover a carbon-boosting superpower in karst lands

The Grazing Challenge Pastures feed the world. But grazing animals? They can disturb the soil, speed up carbon loss, and weaken long-term fertility—especially in vulnerable karst soils. With climate change intensifying, scientists are racing to find ways to keep carbon in the ground, not in the air. Enter: biochar. Think of it as “soil probiotics”—a charcoal-like substance made from organic waste that supercharges soil life and locks away carbon for decades, even centuries. The Biochar Breakthrough In a series of clever lab experiments using tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and simulated grazing, the team ...

Read the release
Environment

Biochar boost: Smart monitoring shows sustainable growth for basil

Geelong, Australia — A team of researchers has discovered that adding biochar to potting mix can significantly improve basil growth while also advancing sustainable farming practices. Using Internet of Things (IoT) technology to track plant health in real time, the study highlights how small changes in growth media can benefit both agriculture and the environment. The research, published in Biochar, tested six different growth media for basil cultivation over 30 days in “smart growth cabinets.” These controlled chambers allowed ...

Read the release
Environment

Rivers’ hidden helpers: microbes that clean up nitrogen pollution across China

A new study has revealed how tiny microbes in rivers and wetlands across China help clean up excess nitrogen pollution, offering fresh insights into the health of freshwater ecosystems and the global nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen is essential for life, but too much of it—often from fertilizer use, fossil fuel burning, and agriculture—ends up in rivers and lakes. This overload can trigger harmful algal blooms, oxygen loss, fish die-offs, and long-term damage to ecosystems. Scientists have long known that microbes play a critical ...

Read the release
Environment

By 2100, unchecked climate change could slash global GDP per capita by up to 24%

Nearly a quarter of the global GDP per capita could be lost by 2100 compared to a “no further warming” baseline, if climate change continues to escalate unchecked, according to a study published September 24 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Kamiar Mohaddes and Mehdi Raissi from the University of Cambridge climaTRACES Lab. Abiding by the Paris Agreement goals may generate a 0.25% global benefit compared to a scenario in which temperatures keep rising according to their historical trends. Climate change has been broadly linked to decreased economic activity. However, ...

Read the release
Environment

UT launches industrial affiliates program to research sustainable data center growth

The rapid growth of AI is driving great interest in building large, power-hungry data centers across the state. The University of Texas at Austin has launched a new research consortium to help inform industry partners on options for more sustainable growth of this new industry. The consortium – called Collaborative Optimization & Management of Power Allocation, Surface & Subsurface strategies (COMPASS) – was announced last week at a data center workshop for industry leaders and policy makers led by the UT Bureau of Economic Geology, which is part of the Jackson School of Geosciences. “Our goal is to bring all the players to the table,” said ...

Read the release
Environment

Teddy bears could be valuable conservation tools—but they need a new look

For over 100 years, teddy bears have been a hallmark of childhood nurseries, ubiquitously embedded in our early memories and rarely the object of deep scrutiny. However, according a recent article in BioScience by Dr. Nicolas Mouquet (CRNS) and colleagues, the humble teddy bear is much more than a mere plaything. Instead, the authors suggest that the beloved plushes play a pivotal role in our early conception of nature, potentially shaping the ways we interact with the natural world throughout our lives. ...

Read the release
Environment

From mosasaurs to snakes and lizards, “megafilters” shape reptile fossil collections

For the more than 242 million years that lizards and snakes appear in the fossil record, they show up as mostly pieces of lizard jaws and snake vertebrae. Exactly why these parts survive as fossils has been a mystery—until now. In a new study published in Paleobiology, Dr. Hank Woolley from the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County’s Dinosaur Institute looks at the entire history of squamates (the reptile group that includes lizards, snakes, and mosasaurs among others) to understand why only certain parts show up—the bias of the record—and to quantify that bias for the first time. ...

Read the release
Environment

Future generations: NSF-funded project explores how nanoplastics are transmitted to offspring

You can’t see nanoplastics with the naked eye, but they’re everywhere — including your body. Tinier than the better-known microplastics, these plastic particles range from one nanometer to one micrometer in size; a human hair, by comparison, is about 100 micrometers thick. “Nanoplastics are present in drinking water, food and the air, and have been detected in both tap water and bottled water,” explained Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Chemistry Huiyuan Guo. “They are widely detected in the environment.” Guo and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences ...

Read the release
Environment

Air pollution and childhood myopia

Myopia, or short-sightedness, is on the rise worldwide and has become a major public health issue—especially in East Asia, where large numbers of school-aged children are affected. Traditionally, factors such as family history, intensive reading, heavy screen use, and limited time spent outdoors have been seen as the main causes. Hua Yan and colleagues suggests another possible cause: poor air quality. The authors studied nearly 30,000 children in Tianjin, China, using explainable automated machine learning tools ...

Read the release
Environment

Singapore and Denmark pioneer sustainable cooling for megacities, supported by US$9.4 million from Grundfos Foundation

As climate change accelerates, the world is experiencing more frequent extreme weather events and rising temperatures. This is driving up the demand for cooling to make cities liveable, especially in fast-growing megacities with populations exceeding 10 million. While cooling is essential, it also creates a challenge, as conventional cooling systems consume vast amounts of energy and contribute to carbon emissions, creating a vicious cycle that worsens global warming. To break this cycle, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Aalborg University and Aarhus University in Denmark have embarked on a new five-year research initiative, supported by US$9.4 ...

Read the release
Environment

Air pollution is harming children’s eyesight - study

Air pollution may be harming children’s eyesight with cleaner air helping to protect and even improve their vision - especially in younger children, a new study reveals. Researchers have discovered that exposure to lower levels of air pollutants - specifically nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) - is associated with how well children can see without glasses. Their findings suggest that reducing exposure to these pollutants could help slow the progression of myopia or short-sightedness - when distant objects appear blurry. The condition is becoming more common in children, especially in East Asia. Publishing their findings ...

Read the release
Environment

Study of glaciers in the Andes sheds light on future climate impact

Andean glaciers advanced during an acute period of climate change at the end of the last Ice Age, new research has found. An international team of glaciologists, led by Aberystwyth University, made the discovery as part of a new project into tropical glaciers in Peru. The finding challenges long-held assumptions about glacier behaviour during this period. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, shed new light on how glaciers respond to shifting climate patterns and may help improve predictions of future climate impacts. The study focused on the Younger Dryas period, a time of sudden and dramatic climate change that occurred approximately 12,900 ...

Read the release
Environment

Climate change could erase 80% of whitebark pine’s current habitat across the Rockies and Northwest

A new study, led by federal agencies in collaboration with the University of Colorado Denver, shows that the whitebark pine tree—an iconic, high-elevation tree that stretches from California’s Sierra Nevada through the Cascades and Rockies and into Canada—could lose as much as 80 percent of its habitat to climate change in the next 25 years. The loss could have a cascade of effects, impacting wildlife and people. The threatened whitebark pine tree is a crucial food source for squirrels and grizzly bears. It also acts as a natural snow ...

Read the release
Environment

Scientists call for urgent action to reduce children’s plastic exposure

Childhood exposure to chemicals used to make plastic household items presents growing health risks that can extend long into adulthood, experts from NYU Langone Health report. This is the main conclusion after a review of hundreds of the latest studies on the topic, publishing online Sept. 21 in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. The article is being released to coincide with a gathering of experts the same week in New York City to discuss the global impact of plastics on human health. In their report, the authors outline decades of evidence that substances often added to industrial and household goods ...

Read the release
Environment

Cardboard and earth reshape sustainable construction

Engineers in Australia have developed a new building material with about one quarter of concrete’s carbon footprint, while reducing waste going to landfill. This innovative material, called cardboard-confined rammed earth, is composed entirely of cardboard, water and soil – making it reusable and recyclable. In Australia alone, more than 2.2 million tons of cardboard and paper are sent to landfill each year. Meanwhile, cement and concrete production account for about 8% of annual global emissions. Cardboard has previously been used in temporary structures and disaster shelters, such as Shigeru Ban’s iconic Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand. Inspired ...

Read the release
Environment

Bigscale pomfret are an ocean enigma

Woods Hole, Mass. – Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) researchers have shown large sharks can spend hours deep in the oceans' mesopelagic zone, which lies 200 to 1,000 meters (650 to 3,300 feet) below the surface. This region is home to more biomass than any other layer of the ocean, but most of its inhabitants are too tiny to serve as meals for large predators, so why are they spending so much time there? A new study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series highlights the important roles of mid-sized predators, such as bigscale pomfret, linking the upper and lower layers of the ocean foodweb. ...

Read the release
Environment

New study shows biochar’s electrical properties can influence rice field methane emissions

A team of scientists has discovered that the ability of biochar to conduct electricity can significantly affect methane emissions from rice paddies, one of the largest sources of agricultural greenhouse gases worldwide. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, with more than 27 times the warming effect of carbon dioxide. Rice paddies, covering about 9% of global farmland, contribute nearly one-third of agricultural methane emissions. Scientists have long debated whether adding biochar—charcoal-like material made from plant matter—can help reduce or increase these emissions. The new findings, published ...

Read the release
Environment

Mixing tree species does not always make forests more drought-resilient

Increasing tree species diversity is widely suggested as a way to help forests withstand climate change – especially prolonged droughts. But a new international study led by the University of Freiburg, published in Global Change Biology, shows that simply mixing more tree species does not always boost forests’ resilience to drought. In fact, the effects of diversity on tree growth can shift from beneficial to negative as droughts drag on. Longer droughts change how tree diversity affects tree growth Drawing on ...

Read the release
Environment

Genomic evolution of major malaria-transmitting mosquito species uncovered

New research into the genetics of Anopheles funestus (An. funestus), one of the most neglected but prolific malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa, has revealed how this species is evolving in response to malaria control efforts. Reported today (18 September) in Science, researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute together with leading scientists across Africa sequenced hundreds of An. funestus mosquitoes collected throughout the continent to explore the genetic variation in the species, ...

Read the release
From the original Press-News collection. Issuers of news releases are responsible for the accuracy of their content.