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Environment
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Environment

Changing food consumers' choices may help cut greenhouse gases

Planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions associated with the global food supply chains induced by diets could fall by 17% if people change their food choices towards more plant-based diets, a new study reveals. Researchers believe that a currently over-consuming 56.9% of the global population would save 32.4% of global dietary emissions by changing their diet to the planetary health diet proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission. Publishing their findings today (13 Aug) in Nature Climate Change, an international group of researchers note that a diet switch to the planetary health diet would balance the ...

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Rapid removal of emerging endocrine disruptors in wastewater using high-performance single-atom catalysts
Environment

Rapid removal of emerging endocrine disruptors in wastewater using high-performance single-atom catalysts

Bisphenols are widely used as the main raw material for plastics such as receipts, water bottles, water containers, and vinyl due to their heat-resistant and mechanochemical properties. Among bisphenols, bisphenol A (BPA) that we often refer to as an "endocrine-disrupting chemicals" has been linked to adverse effects on reproduction, development, intelligence, and various metabolic diseases. Bisphenol F (BPF), a recently developed alternative to BPA Bisphenol A has also been reported in the literature to cause neurological disruption and various health risks. Dr. Jong Min Kim of the Materials Architecturing ...

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Rice-built reactor yields green ammonia and purified water
Environment

Rice-built reactor yields green ammonia and purified water

HOUSTON – (Aug. 12, 2024) – Ammonia plays a critical role in sustaining food production for the world’s growing population, but making it accounts for about 2% of global energy consumption and 1.4% of carbon dioxide emissions. Rice University engineers have developed a revolutionary reactor design that could decarbonize ammonia production while also mitigating water pollution. In a study published in Nature Catalysis, a team of Rice engineers led by Haotian Wang described the development of a new reactor system that converts nitrates — common pollutants found in industrial wastewater and ...

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Environment

New study unveils 16,000 years of climate history in the tropical Andes

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A new study that explores ancient temperatures and rainfall patterns in the tropical Andes of South America has revealed how 16,000 years of climate history in this part of the world was driven by carbon dioxide levels and ocean currents from global climate events. Led by Brown University researchers, the study marks the first high-resolution temperature record covering the past 16,000 years in the tropical Andes and could help scientists predict and mitigate future climate impacts in tropical regions of the planet. The work is described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. “Usually ...

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Scientists find oceans of water on Mars. It's just too deep to tap.
Environment

Scientists find oceans of water on Mars. It's just too deep to tap.

Using seismic activity to probe the interior of Mars, geophysicists have found evidence for a large underground reservoir of liquid water — enough to fill oceans on the planet's surface. The data from NASA's Insight lander allowed the scientists to estimate that the amount of groundwater could cover the entire planet to a depth of between 1 and 2 kilometers, or about a mile. While that’s good news for those tracking the fate of water on the planet after its oceans disappeared more than 3 billion years ago, the reservoir won't be of much use to anyone trying to tap into it to supply a future Mars colony. It's ...

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Environment

Forest restoration can boost people, nature and climate simultaneously

Forest restoration can benefit humans, boost biodiversity and help tackle climate change simultaneously, new research suggests. Restoring forests is often seen in terms of “trade-offs” – meaning it often focuses on a specific goal such as capturing carbon, nurturing nature or supporting human livelihoods. The new study, by the universities of Exeter and Oxford, found that restoration plans aimed at a single goal tend not to deliver the others. However, “integrated” plans would deliver over 80% of the benefits in all three areas at once. It also found that ...

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Framing sustainability strategies for the enactment of corporate actions with positive macro-level impact: Evidence from a developing country
Environment

Framing sustainability strategies for the enactment of corporate actions with positive macro-level impact: Evidence from a developing country

Transforming Sustainability Strategies: Ecuadorian Corporations Leading the Way The Bigger Picture: Shifting from Micro to Macro Impacts The research redefines sustainability by examining how strategic framing can elevate corporate actions to achieve significant macro-level impacts. Moving beyond individual and community-focused efforts, the study highlights broad-scale changes that enhance societal and environmental well-being, including nationwide poverty reduction, environmental improvements, and public health advancements. Corporations ...

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Environment

New genetically engineered wood can store carbon and reduce emissions

Researchers at the University of Maryland genetically modified poplar trees to produce high-performance, structural wood without the use of chemicals or energy intensive processing. Made from traditional wood, Engineered wood is often seen as a renewable replacement for traditional building materials like steel, cement, glass and plastic. It also has the potential to store carbon for a longer time than traditional wood because it can resist deterioration, making it useful in efforts to reduce carbon emissions. But the hurdle to true sustainability in engineered wood is that it requires processing with volatile chemicals and a significant amount of energy, and ...

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Surf spots are global ally in climate fight, study finds
Environment

Surf spots are global ally in climate fight, study finds

Surf Spots are Global Ally in Climate Fight, Study Finds Nearly 90 million metric tonnes of planet-warming carbon found surrounding surf breaks across the world; U.S., Australia, Indonesia, Brazil identified as conservation priorities ARLINGTON, Va. (Aug. 12, 2024) – A first-of-its-kind study, published today in Conservation Science and Practice, has found that the forests, mangroves and marshes surrounding surf breaks store almost 90 Mt (million metric tonnes) of climate-stabilizing “irrecoverable carbon,” making these coastal locations ...

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Just say “climate change” – not “climate emergency”
Environment

Just say “climate change” – not “climate emergency”

The terms “climate change” and “global warming” are not only more familiar to people than some of their most common synonyms, but they also generate more concern about the warming of the Earth, according to a USC study published today in the journal Climatic Change. The study began by looking at how familiar people are with the terms “global warming,” “climate change,” “climate crisis,” “climate emergency,” and “climate justice.” ...

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Environment

Mature forests vital in frontline fight against climate change

Mature forests have a key role to play in the fight against climate change – extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and locking it into new wood, a new study reveals. Researchers discovered that older trees responded to increased atmospheric levels of CO2 by increasing production of woody biomass – countering existing theories that mature woodland has no capacity to respond to elevated CO2 levels. The experts found exposure to elevated levels of the greenhouse gas (ambient ...

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Environment

Russian invasion of Ukraine could have lasting impacts on global economy, environment

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine stretches into its third year, international trade has felt the effects as sanctions on Russian exports have expanded. Now researchers have found that the invasion may not only have significant short-term impacts on the global timber markets but may leave lasting effects on the global economy and the environment. These findings are detailed in a new study which projects the impact of sanctions on Russia and military disruption in Ukraine on the global wood product markets. Researchers compared two projected scenario outcomes based on the Global Forest Products Market model, one ...

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New ancient marine crocodile from time of dinosaurs provides insight into the groups lifestyle and diversity
Environment

New ancient marine crocodile from time of dinosaurs provides insight into the groups lifestyle and diversity

New ancient marine crocodile from time of dinosaurs provides insight into the groups lifestyle and diversity A newly discovered species of marine crocodile from 135 million years ago described from Germany An international team of scientists, including researchers from Germany and the UK, have described a new species of ancient marine crocodile, Enalioetes schroederi. Enalioetes lived in the shallow seas that covered much of Germany during the Cretaceous Period, approximately 135 million years ago. This ...

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Continuing climate warming trend and pronounced interannual variability in precipitation in the Three Gorges Region in 2022–2023
Environment

Continuing climate warming trend and pronounced interannual variability in precipitation in the Three Gorges Region in 2022–2023

The Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River (TGR) in China has a unique geographical location, complex geomorphological features, and a fragile and sensitive climate. The Three Gorges Project, as a large-scale comprehensive water conservancy hub project in the region, has not only greatly changed the nature, society and economy of the area, but also brought great benefits and created problems, such as environmental and climatic impacts. Therefore, it is of great importance to conduct climate and environmental monitoring in the region. Recently, a team led by Chen Xianyan, a Professor at ...

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Environment

Long-term coral reef monitoring continues to deliver crucial insights

As the effects of a changing climate and other ecological insults compound, many coral reefs face severe perturbations and a generally poor prognosis for recovery. In an article published in BioScience's new "Perspective and Insight" category, Dr. Peter J. Edmunds of California State University, Northridge, argues for the continued monitoring of coral reefs, even when the seascapes they inhabit are in a significantly degraded state. Drawing from his ongoing 37-year study in the US Virgin Islands, Edmunds argues that "only consistent, rigorous, and detail-oriented ...

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Environment

Greenland megatsunami led to week-long oscillating fjord wave

In September 2023, a megatsunami in remote eastern Greenland sent seismic waves around the world, piquing the interest of the global research community. The event created a week-long oscillating wave in Dickson Fjord, according to a new report in The Seismic Record. Angela Carrillo-Ponce of GFZ German Research Centre for Geoscience and her colleagues identified two distinct signals in the seismic data from the event: one high-energy signal caused by the massive rockslide that generated the tsunami, and one very long-period (VLP) signal that lasted over a week. Their analysis of the VLP signal—which was detected as far as 5000 kilometers away—suggests ...

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Environment

Marine algae use massive enzymes of unprecedented size to biosynthesize fish-killing toxins

Marine algae Prymnesium parvum use massive enzymes dubbed PKZILLAs – some of the largest proteins ever to be identified in nature – to make large and complex prymnesin neurotoxins responsible for mass fish kills during harmful algal blooms worldwide, researchers report. “The discovery and initial characterization of the prymnesin PKZILLA gigasynthases now elucidates the long-standing question about how microalgae biosynthesize their giant polyketide polyether molecules,” write the authors. It also expands ...

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Environment

New study is helping to understand and achieve species elements in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Experts provide clarity on key terms for urgent species recovery actions to support the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) is a landmark agreement ratified in 2022 by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity that outlines ambitious goals to combat biodiversity decline. The Framework states outcomes for species to be achieved by 2050 in Goal A and establishes a range of targets to reduce pressures on biodiversity and halt biodiversity loss ...

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Detecting climate change using aerosols
Environment

Detecting climate change using aerosols

Climate change is one of the most significant environmental challenges of present times, leading to extreme weather events, including droughts, forest fires, and floods. The primary driver for climate change is the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere due to human activities, which trap heat and raise Earth’s temperature. Aerosols (such as particulate matter, PM2.5) not only affect public health but also influence the Earth's climate by absorbing and scattering sunlight and altering cloud properties. Although future climate change predictions are being reported, it is possible that the impacts of climate change could be more severe than predicted. ...

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Environment

Microbes conquer the next extreme environment: Your microwave

Since the industrial revolution, microbes have successfully colonized one novel type of habitat after another: for example marine oil spills, plastic floating in the oceans, industrial brownfields, and even the interior of the International Space Station. However, it turns out that one extreme environment harboring a specialized community of highly adapted microbes is much closer to home: inside microwaves. This finding has now been reported for the first time in a study in Frontiers in Microbiology by researchers from Spain. It’s not only important from the perspective of ...

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Forever chemical pollution can now be tracked
Environment

Forever chemical pollution can now be tracked

Organofluorine compounds — sometimes called ‘forever chemicals’ — are increasingly turning up in our drinking water, oceans and even human blood, posing a potential threat to the environment and human health. Now, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a way to fingerprint them, which could help authorities trace them to their source when they end up in aquifers, waterways or soil. The technique involves passing samples through a strong magnetic field then reading the burst of radio waves their atoms emit. This reveals ...

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Impact of drought on drinking water contamination: disparities affecting Latino/a communities
Environment

Impact of drought on drinking water contamination: disparities affecting Latino/a communities

Long-term exposure to contaminants such as arsenic and nitrate in water is linked to an increased risk of various diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, developmental disorders and birth defects in infants. In the United States, there is a striking disparity in exposure to contaminants in tap water provided by community water systems (CWSs), with historically marginalized communities at greater risks compared to other populations. Often, CWSs that distribute water with higher contamination levels exist in areas that lack adequate public infrastructure or sociopolitical and financial resources. In ...

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Repetition boosts belief in climate-skeptical claims, even among climate science endorsers
Environment

Repetition boosts belief in climate-skeptical claims, even among climate science endorsers

Climate science supporters rated climate-skeptical statements as “truer” after just a single repetition, according to a study published August 7, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE led by Mary Jiang from The Australian National University, Australia, and coauthored by Norbert Schwarz from the University of Southern California, USA, and colleagues. The results held true even for the strongest climate science supporters surveyed. Amidst the influx of content that a person consumes each day, the principle of motivated ...

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Environment

Florey research finds association between prenatal exposure to plastics and autism in boys

Florey researchers have found evidence of higher levels of the plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in pregnant mothers who gave birth to sons with autism. Research published in Nature Communications, led by Florey scientists Dr Wah Chin Boon and Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby, supports the hypothesis of a possible link between autism and exposure to plastic chemicals in the womb. Professor Ponsonby said the researchers analysed two large birth cohorts – the Barwon Infant Study (BIS) in Australia and the Columbia Centre for Children’s Health and Environment in the USA. “Exposure to plastic chemicals ...

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Environment

How well will different US forests remove atmospheric carbon in the future?

Forests absorb carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making forest carbon stocks an important resource against climate change. In research published in Ecology and Evolution, investigators examined existing tree regeneration patterns to develop an indicator of potential changes to future carbon stocks across forests in the northeastern and midwestern United States. The scientists’ comparison of carbon stock predictions from tree and seedling composition suggested that 29% of plots were poised ...

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