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Shipping is Silently Adding Toxic Metals to the Oceans

According to a new study, ships are considered as the polluting “elephants in the room” and there has been no debate on this in spite of a worldwide drive to make oceans cleaner.

25 Feb 2021

Rainforest Degradation, Wildfire Reducing Species

A widespread field search for a rare Australian native bee not recorded for almost a century has found it’s been there all along – but is probably under increasing pressure to survive.

25 Feb 2021

Biopolymer-Coated Nanocatalyst Could Drive a Hydrogen Fuel-Based Future

A newly devised nanorod catalyst could help water splitting by sunlight become a viable and eco-friendly route to hydrogen fuel.

By Robert Lea 24 Feb 2021

Managing the Security and Privacy Risks Involved in Smart Agriculture

According to recent estimates, there will be roughly 10 billion people to feed in 2050. Agricultural production will need to increase by almost 56% to guarantee food security globally, without converting more land for agriculture (in line with environmental and climate targets).

24 Feb 2021

Warming Temperatures may Increase the Number of Thunderstorms in Alaska

Warming temperatures will potentially alter the climate in Alaska so profoundly later this century that the number of thunderstorms will triple, increasing the risks of widespread flash flooding, landslides, and lightning-induced wildfires, new research finds.

24 Feb 2021

Climate Researchers Solve 'Missing Ice Problem'

During glacial periods, the sea level falls, because vast quantities of water are stored in the massive inland glaciers. To date, however, computer models have been unable to reconcile sea-level height with the thickness of the glaciers.

24 Feb 2021

Project Examines How to Make Farming More Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly

A University of Texas at Arlington assistant professor in the Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering (IMSE) Department received a $248,404 sub-grant to study how to make farming more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

24 Feb 2021

Continental Divide in Forest Seed Production is Driven by Climate Change

Younger, smaller trees that comprise much of North America's eastern forests have increased their seed production under climate change, but older, larger trees that dominate forests in much of the West have been less responsive, a new Duke University-led study finds.

24 Feb 2021

Geochemists Provide an Overview of Microplastics Mass Distribution in the North Sea

Shipping traffic can be a major source of tiny plastic particles floating in the sea, especially out in the open ocean. In a paper published in the scientific journal Environmental Science & Technology, a team of German environmental geochemists based at the University of Oldenburg's Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment and led by Dr Barbara Scholz-Boettcher for the first time provides an overview of microplastics mass distribution in the North Sea.

24 Feb 2021

"Eco-Friendly" Foam Plastic Building Insulation may be Harmful to Human Health

( Green Science Policy Institute ) The use of the polymeric flame retardant PolyFR in 'eco-friendly' foam plastic building insulation may be harmful to human health and the environment, according to a new commentary in Environmental Science & Technology. The authors' analysis identifies several points during the lifecycle of foam insulation that may expose workers, communities, and ecosystems to PolyFR and its potentially toxic breakdown products.

24 Feb 2021

Key Frameworks to Help Urban Systems Meet Sustainability Goals

Urban areas are on the rise and changing rapidly in form and function, with spillover effects on virtually all areas of the Earth. The UN estimates that by 2050, 68% of the world's population will reside in urban areas. In the inaugural issue of npj Urban Sustainability, a new Nature Partner Journal out today, a team of leading urban ecologists outlines a practical checklist to guide interventions, strategies, and research that better position urban systems to meet urgent sustainability goals.

24 Feb 2021