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Environment
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Environment

River otters unfazed by feces and parasites while eating… and that’s good for ecosystems

North American river otters have terrible hygiene when it comes to their food. They eat, play and defecate in the same place. But their unhealthy habits make them ideal for detecting future health threats in the environment, according to scientists. In a new study published Aug. 14, Smithsonian scientists analyzed the otters’ diets and “latrine” habitats in the Chesapeake Bay for the first time. They discovered river otters often eat food riddled with parasites—and that may not be a bad thing for the larger ecosystem. “River otters are impressive apex predators that play a vital role in ecosystems,” ...

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Environment

Unlocking the power within: Recycling lithium batteries for a sustainable future

Unlocking the power within: Recycling lithium batteries for a sustainable future Increased demand for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and renewable energy storage has resulted in lithium becoming a truly critical mineral. As the world races toward a clean energy future, the recycling of lithium batteries has become crucial. New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has highlighted that tapping into used batteries as a secondary source of lithium not only helps reduce environmental impact ...

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Environment

Stalagmites in Mexican caves reveal duration and severity of drought during the Maya collapse

A drought lasting 13 years and several others that each lasted over three years may have contributed to the collapse of the Classic Maya civilisation, chemical fingerprints from a stalagmite in a Mexican cave have revealed. A detailed analysis of oxygen isotopes in the stalagmite allowed a team of researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, to determine rainfall levels for individual wet and dry seasons between 871 and 1021 CE, which overlaps with the Terminal Classic period of Maya civilisation. This is the first ...

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Environment

Arctic reindeer populations could decline by 80 per cent by 2100

Researchers predict that future climatic change is likely to cause declines in reindeer abundances and their distribution at rates rarely seen over the last 21,000 years. Reindeer, also known as caribou in North America, are an Ice Age species that have survived many episodes of Arctic warming. They are uniquely adapted to Arctic environments, where they regulate ecosystems and sustain the livelihoods of many Indigenous Peoples. Despite being one of the most abundant herbivores in the Arctic, climate change has contributed to a loss of nearly two-thirds of their global abundance over the last three decades. An international team of researchers, led by the University of ...

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Environment

Discovery confirms early species of hominins co-existed in Ethiopia

While we know much of the story of how humans evolved, the puzzle is still missing critical pieces. For example, fossil evidence for human evolution between 2 and 3 million years ago is patchy. It’s frustrating because we know that the branch of the hominin family tree that includes humans, or Homo sapiens, appears in the fossil record for the first time in this period. Today, Homo sapiens (which anthropologists shorten to Homo), is the only hominin species alive. But in the past, Homo wasn’t alone. We coexisted and competed with other branches of the human family tree. Research ...

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Environment

‘Revolutionary’ seafloor fiber sensing reveals how falling ice drives glacial retreat in Greenland

As glaciers melt, huge chunks of ice break free and splash into the sea, generating tsunami-size waves and leaving behind a powerful wake as they drift away. This process, called calving, is important for researchers to understand. But the front of a glacier is a dangerous place for data collection. To solve this problem, a team of researchers from the University of Washington and collaborating institutions used a fiber-optic cable to capture calving dynamics across the fjord of the Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat glacier in South Greenland. Data collected from the cable allowed them to document — without getting ...

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Environment

ASU scientists uncover new fossils – and a new species of ancient human ancestor

A team of international scientists has discovered new fossils at a field site in Africa that indicate Australopithecus, and the oldest specimens of Homo, coexisted at the same place in Africa at the same time — between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago. The paleoanthropologists discovered a new species of Australopithecus that has never been found anywhere. The Ledi-Geraru Research Project is led by scientists at Arizona State University and the site has revealed the oldest member of the genus Homo and the earliest Oldowan stone tools on the planet. The research team concluded ...

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Environment

Discovery of new fossils — and a new species of ancient human ancestor — reveals insights on evolution

The discovery of new fossils and a new species of ancient ancestor may help shift the perception of human evolution from linear evolution to that of a tree with many branches, new UNLV research published today in the journal Nature shows. UNLV anthropologist Brian Villmoare and a team of international scientists discovered new fossils at a field site in Ethiopia that indicate Australopithecus, and the oldest specimens of Homo, coexisted between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago at the same place in Africa. The ...

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Environment

Falling ice drives glacial retreat in Greenland

Iceberg calving occurs when masses of ice break away from the edge of glaciers and crash into the ocean. This process is one of the major drivers of the rapid mass loss currently affecting the Greenland ice sheet. An international research team led by the University of Zurich (UZH) and the University of Washington (UW) has now used fiber-optic technology to measure for the first time how the impact of falling ice and its subsequent drift is driving the mixing of glacial melt with warmer subsurface seawater. “The warmer water increases seawater-induced melt erosion and eats away at the base of the vertical wall of ice at the glacier’s edge. This, in turn, ...

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Environment

Illinois team updates state threatened, endangered plant species rankings

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists from the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have updated the state conservation status ranks, or S-ranks, of threatened and endangered plants in Illinois. The update includes some plants not recorded in the state for decades and finds many that, while still threatened, are doing better than previously thought. Their findings are detailed in the Natural Areas Journal. The 331 plants on the list are as fascinating as they are rare, said Brian Charles, an INHS scientific specialist in botany who led the multiyear effort. They include ...

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Environment

Can grapevines help slow the plastic waste problem?

The need for biodegradable packaging material has never been higher. Currently, most packaging is "single use" and is made with plastic materials, derived from nonrenewable sources like crude oil that take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment. On top of this, only 9% of plastic is recycled. This has resulted in the formation of floating piles of plastic garbage in the ocean, called the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." But maybe even more concerning is the discovery of micro- and nano-plastics in the environment. Research has found that plastic breaks down into tiny ...

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Environment

Black metal could give a heavy boost to solar power generation

In the quest for energy independence, researchers have studied solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) as a promising source of solar electricity generation. Unlike the photovoltaics currently used in most solar panels, STEGs can harness all kinds of thermal energy in addition to sunlight. The simple devices have hot and cold sides with semiconductor materials in between, and the difference in temperature between the sides generates electricity through a physical phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect. But ...

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Environment

New species of ancient whale discovered on Victoria's Surf Coast

With large eyes, razor sharp teeth and a compact body built for hunting, Janjucetus dullardi is nothing like the gentle giants we know today, but this newly discovered ancient whale is one of their earliest cousins. Scientists at Museums Victoria’s Research Institute have described a new species of ancient whale from a 26-million-year-old fossil found near Jan Juc, on Wadawurrung Country, along Victoria’s Surf Coast. The discovery offers remarkable insight into the early evolution of baleen whales – the filter-feeding giants that now cruise our oceans. Janjucetus dullardi was no ocean giant – it was a fast, sharp-toothed ...

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Environment

ETSU researchers discover 5-million-year-old deer fossils

Researchers at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum have discovered something surprisingly familiar among the site’s exotic ancient tapirs and rhinos: the first fossil deer, representing one of the earliest records of the deer family in North America. The newly described fossils of Eocoileus gentryorum, detailed in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica, offers a fascinating glimpse into the deep roots of America’s most recognizable wildlife. These 5-million-year-old fossils reveal the ...

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Environment

The Optica Foundation names Cara Green Executive Director of Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Optica Foundation today announces its new Executive Director of Development, Cara Green. Building on more than a decade of fundraising experience, Green will lead fundraising efforts for the Optica Foundation as it launches students and early-career professionals into successful careers. There has never been a greater need – or a greater opportunity – to assist the next generation entering the field of optics and photonics. The Optica Foundation is dedicated to doing so, and to recognizing and fostering excellence in students and early-career professionals who ...

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Environment

Surprisingly diverse innovations led to dramatically cheaper solar panels

CAMBRIDGE, MA – The cost of solar panels has dropped by more than 99 percent since the 1970s, enabling widespread adoption of photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into electricity. A new MIT study drills down on specific innovations that enabled such dramatic cost reductions, revealing that technical advances across a web of diverse research efforts and industries played a pivotal role. The findings could help renewable energy companies make more effective R&D investment decisions and aid policymakers in identifying areas to prioritize to spur growth in manufacturing and deployment. The ...

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Environment

Oxford study outlines new blueprint to help tackle the biodiversity impacts of farming

A study led by researchers at the University of Oxford, working closely with colleagues from Duurzame Zuivelketen (DZK), among others, has developed a framework to help agricultural sectors better contribute to global biodiversity targets without causing unintended harms. Published today (11 August) in npj Biodiversity, the study is based upon data from the Dutch dairy sector in 2020, covering nearly 8,950 farms (approximately 1.6 million cows). They first established a single combined score to track biodiversity impacts against possible sectoral targets; but found that while using such a score can be helpful to track overall progress, such methods can mask important local impacts (such as ...

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Environment

Coastline of lakes an important part of global carbon cycle

Lakes have long been viewed as sources of carbon dioxide emissions, but new research suggests they may actually act as carbon sinks. A study led by Uppsala University reveals that lake shorelines store more carbon than previously believed, highlighting the need to include these littoral zones in calculations of the continental carbon balance. The ‘coastlines’ of lakes, called littoral zones, are often surrounded by aquatic plants that are among the fastest growing plants in the world. They take up a large amount of carbon from the atmosphere ...

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Environment

Debris slide risk doesn’t always rise after a wildfire, study finds

In the wake of a wildfire, there’s often an assumption that burned landscapes will be more susceptible to landslides. But new research from the University of Oregon suggests it’s not always that simple. An analysis of the Columbia River Gorge, which runs along the border between Oregon and Washington, shows that steep, rocky watersheds in that area have been prone to debris flows and rockfall for thousands of years. Those events didn’t measurably increase after the Eagle Creek Fire, which scorched 47,000 acres of the gorge over the course of three months in 2017. UO ...

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Environment

North Atlantic faces more hurricane clusters as climate warms

Tropical cyclone cluster events over the North Atlantic. This image from NOAA's GOES-16 satellite on September 14, 2020, shows five tropical systems spinning in the Atlantic basin at one time. From left to right: Hurricane Sally in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Paulette east of the Carolinas, the remnants of Tropical Storm Rene in the central Atlantic, and Tropical Storms Teddy and Vicky in the eastern Atlantic. A total of 10 named storms formed in September 2020 — the most for any month on record. (Image credit: NOAA) Tropical cyclones, commonly known as typhoons or hurricanes, can form in clusters and impact coastal regions ...

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Environment

UVic research predicts worldwide glacier erosion

Glaciers carved the deep valleys of Banff, eroded Ontario to deposit the fertile soils of the Prairies and continue to change the Earth’s surface. But how fast do glaciers sculpt the landscape? Published today in Nature Geoscience, University of Victoria (UVic) geographer Sophie Norris and her international team provide the most comprehensive view of how fast glaciers erode, and how they change the landscape. Most importantly, their research also provides an estimate of the rate of future erosion for more than 180,000 glaciers worldwide. Using ...

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Environment

Liming can help enhance carbon capture in agricultural fields

Adding crushed calcium carbonate — limestone — to agricultural fields can remove tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year while improving crop yields, a Yale-led study published in Nature Water found. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hit a record high in 2024 reaching over 420 parts per million. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified carbon removal as one key tool in limiting warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels to help mitigate climate change. To reach that target, 15 billion tons of carbon would have to be removed from the atmosphere each year. “There ...

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Environment

Climate change: Perito Moreno Glacier retreat has recently accelerated substantially

The Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina — often described as one of the most stable glaciers in Patagonia — is retreating far more rapidly than previously thought, according to a paper in Communications Earth & Environment. The results show that, over the last few years, the glacier has retreated by as much as 800 metres in some areas, and that it may collapse and retreat by several kilometres in the near future. The Perito Moreno Glacier is a 30-kilometre-long glacier in the Argentine Patagonia, fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in the Andes and terminating in ...

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Environment

Chagos study highlights value of vast Marine Protected Areas

Large ocean animals can be protected throughout much of their lifecycle by huge Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), new research shows. Scientists tracked sea turtles, manta rays and seabirds – all of which travel far and wide to forage, breed and migrate – in the Chagos Archipelago MPA in the Indian Ocean. In total, 95% of tracking locations were recorded inside the MPA’s 640,000 square kilometre area – suggesting it is large enough to protect these wandering animals. The study – by a team including Exeter and Heriot-Watt universities and ZSL – also assessed the impact of a smaller 100,000 square kilometre MPA and found seabirds would be less well protected ...

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Environment

New study links 2023 Maui wildfire to spike in suicide, overdose

Link to video and sound (details below): https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/YDQA0P5cJ7 New study links 2023 Maui wildfire to spike in suicide, overdose Deaths by suicide and drug overdose significantly increased in the aftermath of the August 2023 Maui wildfire, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study, led by Alex Ortega, dean of the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health, and Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula, chair of the Department of ...

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