Environment
News and analysis of environmental issues and green technology.
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Recent mega-hurricanes prompt calls for a new Category 6
February 05, 2024Climate change will trigger stronger storms more often, and the threat may not be properly communicated. Now, scientists at Berkeley Lab suggest there’s room for a Category 6 on the scale – with five storms in the past decade reaching that strength. -
How to decarbonize 85% of all industry using today's technology
February 01, 2024The industrial sector is responsible for about 25% of global CO2 emissions – or about 9.3 billion metric tonnes per year and growing. But a team at the University of Leeds says we don't need to wait for magical new tech to clean most of it up. -
Mushroom-derived membranes may make for greener oil-spill cleanups
January 31, 2024When it comes to cleaning up marine oil spills, it's best if you can use a material that separates the oil from the seawater. Scientists have created a new organic membrane which does exactly that, and it's derived from oyster mushrooms. -
Sound makes soil fungi bloom & could restore damaged ecosystems
January 30, 2024A study has found that playing a soundscape to a common, plant-promoting fungus found in soil caused it to grow more rapidly than fungi that weren’t exposed to sound. The novel ‘eco-acoustic’ approach has the potential to restore damaged ecosystems. -
Permeable pavement roads may save salmon from tire particle toxins
January 25, 2024While stormwater runoff pollutants in general aren't great for aquatic animals, chemicals from tire particles are particularly harmful to salmon. A study now shows that permeable pavements could keep most of those toxins from ever reaching the fish. -
2023 confirmed as hottest year on record by 5 separate organizations
January 15, 2024Independent analyses by NASA, NOAA, WMO, Copernicus and the UK Met Office have all confirmed that 2023 was officially the hottest year on record. A slew of other records were also broken amidst a string of severe weather events across the globe. -
Renewable energy rides solar cycle paths through Dutch provinces
December 20, 2023The Dutch love to cycle. So much so that there are more than 35,000 km of cycle paths snaking through the Netherlands. Two of those bike routes have now been topped with photovoltaic cells to produce renewable energy while they face skyward. -
Experimental system uses microwaves to cook crop pests in soil
December 18, 2023Just like any other organisms, crop-destroying soil microbes die if they get too hot. With that fact in mind, scientists have developed a new system in which soil-heating microwaves are used to kill such pests. It could one day replace pesticides. -
Cardboard boxes could be upcycled into EPS foam alternative
December 18, 2023Thanks to online shopping, an increasing number of goods are being shipped to buyers in cardboard boxes filled with eco-unfriendly EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam. Soon, however, such boxes could be upcycled into a greener alternative to EPS. -
Korean researchers aim to trap marine trash at its source
December 07, 2023Though efforts to clean up plastic waste from our oceans are well underway, it's also vital to stem the tide at a major source of pollution: rivers. Researchers in South Korea are looking to doing just that at a "living lab" facility in Gongju. -
‘Not right now’: Key marine species turned off sex by plastic chemicals
December 04, 2023A study has found that plastic additives might be stopping the reproductive habits of a shrimp-like species that is key to the marine food chain. The findings provide a different perspective on the potential damage caused by specific pollutants. -
Eco-friendly insulation would put rice husks and newspapers in our walls
November 30, 2023Although various uses for post-harvest rice husk waste are being explored, the stuff is still usually incinerated, dumped in landfills, or composted. Soon, however, rice husks may be combined with discarded newspapers to form eco-friendly insulation. -
Long-lost species of golden mole found and photographed for first time
November 28, 2023A team of conservationists have rediscovered a species of golden mole that hasn’t been seen in almost 90 years. The scientists tracked it to its home in the sand dunes of South Africa using environmental DNA (eDNA) and sniffer dogs. -
AI helps scientists track icebergs by analyzing radar data
November 28, 2023Researchers are using machine learning to analyze satellite radar data to detect icebergs in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica as a way to better understand their life cycle and environmental impact. -
Recycling cigarette butts may reduce biodiesel production costs
November 27, 2023To drive down the cost of biodiesel, researchers have developed an eco-friendly way of extracting triacetin, a combustion-enhancing additive, from an abundant waste source, cigarette butts, both reducing waste and providing a sustainable use for it.
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