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Environment
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Environment

Environment: Offsetting fossil fuel reserves by planting trees faces ‘unsurmountable challenges’

New forests larger than the land area of North America would need to be planted to offset the potential carbon dioxide emissions from the fossil fuel reserves currently held by the world’s 200 largest fossil fuels companies. The finding comes from an analysis published in Communications Earth & Environment, which also suggests that most of the companies would have a negative market valuation if the cost to offset their entire reserves was deducted from their current valuation. Future emissions scenarios usually include both a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and some offsetting of these emissions. Offsetting is necessary as most scenarios assume that during ...

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Environment

Not one, but four – revealing the hidden species diversity of bluebottles

Long believed to be a single, globally distributed species drifting freely across the open ocean, the bluebottle – also known as the Portuguese man o’ war – has now been revealed to be a group of at least four distinct species, each with its own unique morphology, genetics, and distribution. An international research team led by scientists at Yale University, and Australian researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Griffith University, uncovered this surprising biodiversity by sequencing the genomes of 151 Physalia specimens from around the world. The study, published in Current Biology, found strong evidence ...

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Environment

Arctic peatlands expanding as climate warms

Peatlands across the Arctic are expanding as the climate warms, new research shows. Scientists used satellite data, drones and on-the-ground observations to assess the edges of existing peatlands (waterlogged ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon). The study – led by the University of Exeter – found peatlands in the European and Canadian Arctic have expanded outwards in the last 40 years. While this could slow climate change by storing carbon, the researchers warn that extreme future warming could cause widespread loss of peatlands – releasing that carbon and further accelerating the climate crisis. “The ...

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Environment

Scientists find three years left of remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C

Embargoed until 19 June 2025, 00:01 (CEST) 19 June 2025, Bonn – The central estimate of the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C is 130 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) (from the beginning of 2025). This would be exhausted in a little more than three years at current levels of CO2 emissions, according to the latest Indicators of Global Climate Change study published today in the journal Earth System Science Data, and the budget for 1.6°C or 1.7°C could be exceeded within nine years. Prof. Piers Forster, Director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures at the University of Leeds and lead ...

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Environment

How lottery-style bottle returns could transform recycling

Would you rather have 10 cents in your pocket or a 1-in-10,000 shot at $1,000? Many people would choose the latter, and that could be the key to getting people to recycle more, a new University of British Columbia psychology study has found. The researchers tested the idea of offering people who return used bottles a tiny chance to win a big cash prize, instead of the typical 10-cent deposit return. The result was that people recycled 47 per cent more bottles. “This small change in how we reward recycling made a big difference. People were more excited, more engaged, and they brought in more bottles,” ...

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Environment

Catching excitons in motion—ultrafast dynamics in carbon nanotubes revealed by nano-infrared spectroscopy

Summary Excitons--bound pairs of electrons and holes created by light--are key to the optoelectronic behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). However, because excitons are confined to extremely small regions and exist for only fleeting moments, it has been extremely challenging to directly observe their behavior using conventional measurement techniques. In this study, we overcame that challenge by using an ultrafast infrared near-field optical microscope that focuses femtosecond infrared laser pulses down to the nanoscale. This advanced approach allowed us to visualize where excitons ...

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Environment

Climate change cuts global crop yields, even when farmers adapt

In brief: New research offers the most comprehensive look yet at how global crop yields are likely to change as the planet warms. After adjusting for how real farmers adapt, researchers estimate global yields of calories from staple crops in a high-emissions future will be 24% lower in 2100 than they would be without climate change. U.S. agriculture and other breadbaskets are among the hardest-hit in the study’s projections, while regions in Canada, China, and Russia may benefit. The global food system faces growing risks from climate change, even as farmers ...

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Environment

Many species are declining in the Wadden Sea, only a few are thriving

In a unique collaboration between the University of Groningen and the Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, researchers studied population trends across 3,058 populations of various species throughout the entire Wadden Sea. Twenty-four per cent of the populations showed a significant decline in size, and this trend is occurring simultaneously across various groups. Only fourteen per cent of the populations showed an increase in size. These findings were published in the journal Global Change Biology on June ...

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Environment

Can enzymes from fungi be used to extract plant components for biofuels and bioplastics?

Plant cell wall components such as cellulose are abundant sources of carbohydrates that are widely used in biofuels and bioproducts; however, extraction of these components from plant biomass is relatively difficult due to their complexity. In research in FEBS Open Bio, investigators have found that a combination of fungal enzymes can efficiently degrade plant biomass to allow for extraction. The enzymes are called cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO). LPMO and CDH operate together to enhance the degradation ...

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Environment

To what extent are tree species in Mexico and Central America threatened by extinction?

More than 4,000 tree species are found only in Mexico and Central America, or Mesoamerica. Research published in Plants, People, Planet reveals that nearly half of these tree species are threatened by extinction. As part of the Global Tree Assessment, an initiative to assess the conservation status of the world's tree species, a group of investigators compiled International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List assessments for each species, collating information about species' range, habitat, threats, and conservation actions. They found that 46% of trees ...

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Environment

How likely are extreme hot weather episodes in today’s UK climate?

In a study published in Weather, researchers estimated the current chances and characteristics of extreme hot episodes in the UK, and how they have changed over the last 6 decades. The team found that temperatures several degrees above those recorded during the UK’s heatwave in July 2022 are plausible in today’s climate, with a simulated maximum of over 45°C (113°F). The likelihood of 40°C (104°F) is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s. Moreover, the chance of 40°C will likely ...

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Environment

Ancient groundwater records reveal regional vulnerabilities to climate change

Woods Hole, Mass. (June 17, 2025) — During the last ice age, storms soaked the now-arid Southwestern U.S., while today’s rainy Pacific Northwest remained relatively dry. As global temperatures rose and ice sheets retreated, those storms shifted north—reshaping the climate patterns that define both regions today. New research published in Science Advances reveals that groundwater levels responded differently in the two regions during this dramatic shift. While the Pacific Northwest saw little change in water table depth despite increased rainfall, the Southwest experienced significant groundwater loss. The ...

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Environment

New monstersaur species a ‘goblin prince’ among dinosaurs

A newly discovered, raccoon-sized armored monstersaurian from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah, United States, reveals a surprising diversity of large lizards at the pinnacle of the age of dinosaurs. Named for the goblin prince from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” the new species Bolg amondol also illuminates the sometimes-murky path that life traveled between ancient continents. “I opened this jar of bones labeled ‘lizard’ at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and was like, oh wow, there's a fragmentary skeleton here,” said lead author Hank Woolley ...

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Environment

New species of armored, monstersaur lizard that lived alongside dinosaurs identified by NHM paleontologists

A newly discovered raccoon-sized armored monstersaurian lizard from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah reveals a surprising diversity of these very big lizards at the pinnacle of the Age of Dinosaurs. Named for the goblin prince from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the new species Bolg amondol also illuminates the sometimes murky path that life traveled between ancient continents. Published in the open-access journal Royal Society Open Science, the collaborative research led by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s Dinosaur Institute reveals hidden treasures awaiting future paleontologists in the bowels of museum ...

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Environment

Wildfires could be harming our oceans and disrupting their carbon storage

Wildfires pollute waterways and could affect their ability to sequester carbon, recent University of British Columbia research shows. Dr. Brian Hunt, professor in the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF), and Emily Brown, IOF research scientist, discuss how wildfires affect our waters and what this means in a changing climate. What did you find about how fire affects water? BH: We focused on the mighty Fraser River basin. When forests burn, they release ash, soil particles and chemicals into the environment. In a recent study which analyzed water quality and wildfire data, we were able to link increases in the concentrations of compounds like arsenic and lead, as well as nutrients ...

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Environment

Hydrogen sourcing could make or break Romania’s green steel ambitions, study finds

A new study from the Stockholm School of Economics finds that the competitiveness of green steel production in Romania partly hinges on hydrogen sourcing—requiring a 15 percent price premium if hydrogen is purchased externally as supposed to produced on-site. Without this premium, decarbonizing the country’s only primary steel producer could result in billions of losses. The research, published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, evaluates the financial viability of Liberty Steel Galați’s transition to low-carbon steelmaking using green hydrogen and electric arc furnace-based technologies. The plant, one of the EU’s top 10 most polluting steel facilities, aims ...

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Environment

From food to textile – agricultural waste can become the clothes of the future

Cellulose-based textile material can make the clothing sector more sustainable. Currently, cellulose-based textiles are mainly made from wood, but a study headed by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology points to the possibility of using agricultural waste from wheat and oat. The method is easier and requires fewer chemicals than manufacturing forest-based cellulose, and can enhance the value of waste products from agriculture. Making clothing from water-intensive cotton has a major impact on the climate. That’s why cellulose from other raw materials has come into focus in recent years as a more resource-smart method of textile production. Up to now, the ...

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Environment

Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby

Would you like living next door to a solar farm? Traditionally, it’s been thought that although people like the idea of renewable energy plants, they don’t want them close by. Now research investigating how people who live near large-scale solar projects feel about them has found that 82% of people living within an hour’s walk of current projects would support, or are neutral towards, new projects in their area. “Most neighbors of existing large-scale solar projects either support or feel neutral about additional ...

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Environment

AMS Science Preview: Gun violence & weather; NOAA flights improve hurricane forecasts; atmospheric rivers and radio waves

The American Meteorological Society continuously publishes research on climate, weather, and water in its 12 journals. Many of these articles are available for early online access–they are peer-reviewed, but not yet in their final published form. Below are some recent examples. JOURNAL ARTICLES Exploring The Role of Air Mass Type and Weather on Shooting Incidents in New York City Weather, Climate, and Society Hot, dry air masses=increased gun violence in NYC. Previous studies have suggested that shootings increase ...

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Environment

Krill fishing in the Antarctic: overlaps with consequences

Antarctic krill is a key species in the Antarctic marine ecosystem: it is an important food source for many species, such as whales, seals and penguins. However, the small crustaceans are increasingly becoming the focus of fishing, which can incur significant consequences for the entire Southern Ocean ecosystem. Therefore, concepts that minimize the negative effects of fishing on the krill themselves and on the animals that feed on krill are required urgently. A research team from the Alfred Wegener Institute and the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research in Bergen has now been able to use acoustic recordings, that ...

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Environment

Mapping the genetic landscape of yellow catfish for sustainable aquaculture

Researchers used ten microsatellite markers to evaluate the genetic structure of six populations from the Yangtze, Huaihe, and Ussuri River basins. The northern Ussuri population stood out for its lower diversity and significant genetic separation from southern populations. Yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) is a widely farmed freshwater fish species in China, prized for its high nutritional value and boneless flesh. Annual production exceeds 600,000 tons, making it a key species in China's aquaculture sector. However, challenges such as slow ...

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Environment

Fossil corals point to possibly steeper sea level rise under a warming world

SEYCHELLES — Coastal planners take heed: Newly uncovered evidence from fossil corals found on an island chain in the Indian Ocean suggests that sea levels could rise even more steeply in our warming world than previously thought. "This is not good news for us as we head into the future," says Andrea Dutton, a professor of geoscience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dutton and her PhD student Karen Vyverberg at the University of Florida led an international collaboration that included researchers from University of Sydney, University of Minnesota ...

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Environment

Science and innovation for a sustainable future

The University of São Paulo (USP) and FAPESP are participating in the 9th edition of Viva Technology (VivaTech), Europe’s largest startup and technology event. They have a 100-square-meter stand to showcase innovations in agriculture, climate, energy, artificial intelligence, and health (read more at: agencia.fapesp.br/54959). The program at the stand also includes USP professors who, besides being available to investors, entrepreneurs, and visitors to the fair, are participating in roundtable discussions ...

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Environment

Strange radio pulses detected coming from ice in Antarctica

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A cosmic particle detector in Antarctica has emitted a series of bizarre signals that defy the current understanding of particle physics, according to an international research group that includes scientists from Penn State. The unusual radio pulses were detected by the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment, a range of instruments flown on balloons high above Antarctica that are designed to detect radio waves from cosmic rays hitting the atmosphere. The goal of the experiment is to gain insight ...

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Environment

New tool could help Florida homeowners weather flood risks, lower insurance costs

With flood risks increasing from extreme weather events like hurricanes and even routine plumbing issues, a team from the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning is helping Florida homeowners make smarter choices about building materials and interior finishes that better protect their homes and potentially save on their insurance premiums. Lisa Platt, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of interior design and a researcher within the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience, or FIBER, and Arezoo Zeinali, a graduate research assistant in Platt’s Design Dynamics ...

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