Environment
press releases.

Environment10 Feb 2025

Nanoscale tin catalyst discovery paves the way for sustainable CO2 conversion

Researchers have developed a sustainable catalyst that increases its activity during use while converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable products. This discovery offers a blueprint for designing next-generation electrocatalysts. A collaborative team from the University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry and the University of Birmingham have developed a catalyst made of tin microparticles supported by a nanotextured carbon structure. The interactions between the tin particles and graphitised ...

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Environment8 Feb 2025

Solar and electric-powered homes feel the effects of blackouts differently, according to new research from Stevens

Hoboken, N.J., February 7, 2025 — As winter storms and summer heat waves increasingly stress the nation’s power grids, Stevens researchers have developed a new way to identify the homes most vulnerable to blackouts — without even visiting them. The timing couldn't be more critical. With more than a quarter of U.S. homes already fully electric, and solar installations set to triple during the next five years, understanding vulnerabilities has become critical for emergency planning and public safety. "We're ...

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Environment7 Feb 2025

Twenty years on, biodiversity struggles to take root in restored wetlands

While the restoration of natural areas is high on political agendas, a comprehensive new study from the University of Copenhagen shows that – after more than two decades – biodiversity growth has stalled in restored Danish wetlands. The results also suggest that time alone will not heal things because the areas are too small and dry, and nitrogen inputs from agriculture continue. According to the researchers, we need to learn from the past. The benefits are clear: natural areas with high biodiversity absorb ...

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Environment7 Feb 2025

Air pollution impacts an aging society

Air pollution is a growing health issue worldwide, and its impacts are often underestimated in aging societies like Japan. A new study led by researchers from the University of Tokyo highlights how fine particulate pollution, or PM2.5, not only worsens health outcomes, but also creates significant socioeconomic challenges in regions with aging populations and limited medical resources. The researchers hope these findings motivate policymakers to tackle the interrelated issues behind this problem. PM2.5 refers to microscopic particles of pollution small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, leading to severe respiratory and cardiovascular ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

Some species of baleen whales avoid attracting killer whales by singing too low to be heard

Killer whales are the only natural predator of baleen whales — those that have “baleen” in their mouths to sieve their plankton diet from the water. More solitary than toothed whales, baleen whales face predatory attacks from killer whales, especially mother and calf pairs. When attacked, some species fight back, while others choose flight. But whale species also produce loud underwater songs. What stops killer whales from homing in on their calls and attacking them? New research from the University of Washington finds some baleen whale species call at such deep frequencies that they’re completely undetectable ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

Vanilla farmers search for a crop and conservation sweet spot

Vanilla is vital to the livelihoods of farmers in Madagascar, where the globally popular dessert ingredient is the country’s No. 1 export. A fun, thought-provoking game designed by a team of scientists and played by Malagasy vanilla farmers reveals the challenges of payment programs that incentivize forest conservation in the region, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis. The study, published in the February issue of the journal Biological Conservation, found that even amid volatile markets and climate uncertainties, farmers highly value their vanilla crops, which are tied ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

Restoring predators, restoring ecosystems: Yellowstone wolves and other carnivores drive strong trophic cascade

Restoring Predators, Restoring Ecosystems: Yellowstone Wolves and other Carnivores Drive Strong Trophic Cascade Corvallis, OR — February 6, 2025 — A new study reveals the profound ecological effects of wolves and other large carnivores in Yellowstone National Park, showcasing the cascading effects predators can have on ecosystems. In Yellowstone, this involves wolves and other large carnivores, elk, and willows. The research, which utilized previously published data from 25 riparian (streamside) ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

Whale poop contains iron that may have helped fertilize past oceans

The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet. It consumes enormous quantities of tiny, shrimp-like animals known as krill to support a body of up to 100 feet (30 meters) long. Blue whales and other baleen whales, which filter seawater through their mouths to feed on small marine life, once teemed in Earth’s oceans. Then over the past century they were hunted almost to extinction for their energy-dense blubber. As whales were decimated, some thought the krill would proliferate in predator-free waters. But that’s not what happened. Krill populations dropped, too, and neither population has ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

Recycling the unrecyclable

Epoxy resins are coatings and adhesives used in a broad range of familiar applications, such as construction, engineering and manufacturing. However, they often present a challenge to recycle or dispose of responsibly. For the first time, a team of researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, developed a method to efficiently reclaim materials from a range of epoxy products for reuse by using a novel solid catalyst. There’s a high chance you are surrounded by epoxy compounds as you read this. They are used in electronic devices due to their insulating ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

Alien ocean could hide signs of life from spacecraft

Searching for life in alien oceans may be more difficult than scientists previously thought, even when we can sample these extraterrestrial waters directly. A new study focusing on Enceladus, a moon of Saturn that sprays its ocean water into space through cracks in its icy surface, shows that the physics of alien oceans could prevent evidence of deep-sea life from reaching places where we can detect it. Published today (Thursday, 6 February 2025) in Communications Earth and Environment, the study shows how Enceladus's ocean forms distinct layers that dramatically slow the movement of material ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

Air pollution clouds the mind and makes everyday tasks challenging

People’s ability to interpret emotions or focus on performing a task is reduced by short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution, potentially making everyday activities, such as the weekly supermarket shop, more challenging, a new study reveals. Scientists discovered that even brief exposure to high concentrations of PM may impair a person’s ability to focus on tasks, avoid distractions, and behave in a socially acceptable manner. Researchers exposed study participants to either high levels of air pollution - using candle smoke - or clean air, testing cognitive abilities ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

‘Marine Prosperity Areas’ represent a new hope inconservation

Could 2025 be the year marine protection efforts get a “glow up”? According to a team of conservation-minded researchers, including Octavio Aburto of UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the moment has arrived. In a new study published Feb. 6 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, Aburto and a multinational team of marine scientists and economists unveil a comprehensive framework for Marine Prosperity Areas, or MPpAs. With a focus on prosperity—the condition ...

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Environment6 Feb 2025

Half of the fish you eat comes from the Great Barrier Reef’s marine reserves

A new study of the Great Barrier Reef has revealed that the network of no-take marine reserves supplies nearly half of the region’s coral trout fishery catch. The research, led by Professor Michael Bode from the QUT School of Mathematical Sciences and published in Science Advances, revealed that despite covering only 30 per cent of the reef’s habitat, these protected areas account for 47 per cent of the coral trout catch in fishing areas and contribute 55 per cent of the species’ reproduction. The Great Barrier Reef is protected by a network of marine reserves designed to conserve ...

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Environment5 Feb 2025

Scientists simulate asteroid collision effects on climate and plants

A new climate modeling study published in the journal Science Advances by researchers from the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Pusan National University in South Korea presents a new scenario of how climate and life on our planet would change in response to a potential future strike of a medium-sized (~500 m) asteroid. The solar system is full of objects with near-Earth orbits. Most of them do not pose any threat to Earth, but some of them have been identified as objects of interest with non-negligible collision probabilities. Among them is the asteroid Bennu with a diameter of about 500 m, which, according to recent studies ...

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Environment5 Feb 2025

Stormwater pollution sucked up by specialized sponge

Reusable sponge platform has successfully removed oil, phosphate and metal from contaminated water New development allows capture of valuable minerals and reuse of the sponge Water pollution concentrations move from 0.8 parts per million to undetectable levels EVANSTON, Ill. --- As more waterways contend with algae blooms and pollution caused by minerals from agricultural runoff and industrial manufacturing processes, new methods to remove pollutants like phosphate, copper and zinc are emerging across fields. While solutions exist, they tend to be costly ...

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Environment5 Feb 2025

Cutting emissions in buildings and transport: Key strategies for 2050

Key findings: a roadmap to transform energy use by 2050 Electrification (e.g., switching to electric vehicles, heat pumps) alone could cut direct emissions by 45-77% in buildings and 22-86% in transport by 2050. Combining electrification, efficiency improvements, and behavioral changes could reduce emissions even further: 51-85% for buildings and 37-91% for transport by 2050. A multi-strategy approach would lower overall electricity demand by 8-33% per year, making the transition more cost-effective ...

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Environment4 Feb 2025

Forest landowner motivation to control invasive species depends on land use, study shows

URBANA, Ill. – Many U.S. forests are privately owned, particularly in the Eastern and North Central part of the country. This makes control of invasive plants and pests challenging because efforts must be coordinated across landowners. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how differences in ownership motivation affects willingness to control, and how economic incentives can be implemented most efficiently. “Some own the land for recreational purposes, some own it because they want to produce timber, and some are a combination of both. If one landowner controls invasive species ...

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Environment4 Feb 2025

Coal emissions cost India millions in crop damages

In many parts of India, a single noxious pollutant from coal-fired power stations drags down annual wheat and rice yields by 10% or more, according to a new study by Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability researchers. The two grains are critical for food security in India, the second most populous country in the world and home to a quarter of all undernourished people globally. “We wanted to understand the impact of India’s coal electricity emissions on its agriculture because there might be ...

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Environment4 Feb 2025

Bridging a gap in carbon removal strategies

Biochar: bridging a gap in carbon removal strategies As the world works to meet net-zero carbon goals, a new study offers a critical reminder: precision matters. The researchers suggest refining how we assess a natural carbon storage strategy to ensure the technology lives up to its potential as a climate change solution. Biochar, a charcoal-like material derived from plant biomass, has long been hailed as a promising tool for carbon dioxide removal. However, a new study by Stanford researchers highlights a critical issue: current methods for assessing biochar's carbon storage potential may significantly undervalue its true ...

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Environment4 Feb 2025

New study assesses impact of agricultural research investments on biodiversity, land use

New study assesses impact of agricultural research investments on biodiversity and land use Data analysis spans 1960s Green Revolution to 2015 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — New, groundbreaking research shows how, at a local scale, agricultural research and development led to improved crop varieties that resulted in global benefits to the environment and food system sustainability. The Purdue University study appears in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “At the global level, we see a reduction in cropland use from these technology ...

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Environment4 Feb 2025

The challenge of pursuit – how saccades enable mammals to simultaneously chase prey and navigate through complex environments

How do predators use their vision to both navigate through the terrain whilst tracking prey running for its life? Pursuing prey through a complex environment is a major challenge for the visual system as not only do the prey constantly change direction, sometimes in the opposite direction to the pursuer, but running after something evokes self-induced motion-blur which degrades vision. In a study, published in Current Biology, researchers reconstructed the visual fields of freely moving ferrets as they chased a fleeing target. They discovered that the eye saccades, like those that normally track objects when sitting still, aligned the motion of the environment, ...

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Environment4 Feb 2025

Discovery of water droplet freezing steps bridges atmospheric science, climate solutions

A groundbreaking University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa study on the freezing of water droplets suspended in air sheds light on a key process in Earth’s water cycle: the transformation of supercooled water into ice. Conducted using a novel cryogenically cooled ultrasonic levitation chamber, the research captures real-time molecular-level changes during the freezing process, mimicking conditions in the Earth’s atmosphere. This innovative setup enables researchers to observe how water droplets transition to ice at subzero temperatures, providing ...

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Environment3 Feb 2025

Study examines how African farmers are adapting to mountain climate change

A new international study highlights the severity of climate change impacts across African mountains, how farmers are adapting, and the barriers they face – findings relevant to people living in mountain regions around the world. "Mountains are the sentinels of climate change,” said Julia Klein, a Colorado State University professor of ecosystem science and sustainability and co-author of the study. “Like the Arctic, some of the first extreme changes we're seeing are happening in mountains, from glaciers melting to extreme events. There's greater warming at higher elevations, so what's happening in mountains is foreshadowing what's going ...

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Environment3 Feb 2025

How flooding soybeans in early reproductive stages impacts yield, seed composition

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With an increasing frequency and intensity of flooding events and an eye to capitalize on a common rice production technique, soybean breeders are on a quest to develop varieties with flood tolerance at any stage in the plant’s development. Farmers who use zero-grade fields for rice as their main production system are also interested in flood-tolerant soybean varieties for crop rotation, said Caio Vieira, assistant professor of soybean breeding and a researcher for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the University of Arkansas ...

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Environment3 Feb 2025

Protection for small-scale producers and the environment?

Sustainability certificates such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Cocoa Life promise to improve the livelihoods of small-scale cocoa producers while preserving the biodiversity on their plantations. Together with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, researchers from the University of Göttingen have investigated whether sustainability certificates actually achieve both these goals. To find out, they carried out an analysis within the Ghanaian cocoa production sector. Their results show that although certification improves both cocoa yield and cocoa income for small-scale producers, they were unable to ...

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