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Categories: Energy: Batteries, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Watching lithium in real time could improve performance of EV battery materials
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found that the irregular movement of lithium ions in next-generation battery materials could be reducing their capacity and hindering their performance.
Published Land in a cyclone's wake becomes more vulnerable to forest fires
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The strong winds and torrential rains that accompany a cyclone do tremendous damage to ecosystems, and this damage can make them more prone to future wildfires. As intense cyclones are projected to become more frequent worldwide, a team of researchers examines the links between cyclones and forest fires, how they fuel one another, and why we may see fires burning in unlikely places in the future.
Published Chemists boost eco-friendly battery performance using catalysts with unconventional phase nanostructures
(via sciencedaily.com) The metal-carbon dioxide battery is a promising and environmentally friendly technology, but its energy efficiency is limited. Recently, a research team has discovered an innovative way to overcome this problem by introducing an unconventional phase nanomaterial as a catalyst, boosting battery energy efficiency up to 83.8%. The study reveals a novel design of catalysts for the new generation of meta-gas batteries that can contribute to carbon neutral goals.
Published Endangered fruit-eating animals play an outsized role in a tropical forest; losing them could have dire consequences
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows that losing a particular group of endangered animals -- those that eat fruit and help disperse the seeds of trees and other plants -- could severely disrupt seed-dispersal networks in the Atlantic Forest, a shrinking stretch of tropical forest and critical biodiversity hotspot on the coast of Brazil.
Published Battery tech breakthrough paves way for mass adoption of affordable electric car
(via sciencedaily.com) A breakthrough in electric vehicle battery design has enabled a 10-minute charge time for a typical EV battery. This is a record-breaking combination of a shorter charge time and more energy acquired for longer travel range.
Published Global hotspots for soil nature conservation are poorly protected
(via sciencedaily.com) Current protected areas only poorly cover the places most relevant for conserving soil ecological values. To assess global hotspots for preserving soil ecological values, an international team of scientists measured different facets of soil biodiversity (local species richness and uniqueness) and ecosystem services (like water regulation or carbon storage). They found that these facets peaked in contrasting regions of the world. For instance, temperate ecosystems showed higher local soil biodiversity (species richness), while colder ecosystems were identified as hotspots of soil ecosystem services. In addition, the results suggest that tropical and arid ecosystems hold the most unique communities of soil organisms. Soil ecological values are often overlooked in nature conservation management and policy decisions; the new study demonstrates where efforts to protect them are needed most.
Published Learning about the first animals on Earth from life at the poles
(via sciencedaily.com) The amazing survival strategies of polar marine creatures might help to explain how the first animals on Earth could have evolved earlier than the oldest fossils suggest according to new research. These first, simple and now extinct, animals might have lived through some of the most extreme, cold and icy periods the world has ever seen.
Published Health of coral reefs written in the sand -- and visible via satellite
(via sciencedaily.com) How healthy are coral reefs? And how are they responding to climate change? After more than 10 years of monitoring the Great Barrier Reef, geoscientists have developed a technique that allows them to answer these questions using satellites. And it all relies on sand aprons.
Published Half of the world's coral reefs may face unsuitable conditions by 2035
(via sciencedaily.com) There's more bad news for planet earth if climate change continues unabated. New research reveals that, under a worst-case scenario, half of coral reef ecosystems worldwide will permanently face unsuitable conditions in just a dozen years.
Published Lagoons from the Arctic's 'forgotten coast' teem with fish and birds, vulnerable to climate change and human development
(via sciencedaily.com) A new scientific review article captures the unique and dynamic characteristics of coastal lagoon ecosystems in the Arctic Beringia Region, and discusses how climate change effects and human development could alter these habitats.
Published Climate risks for Gulf of Mexico coral reefs spelled out in study
(via sciencedaily.com) Ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea are on pace to surpass critical thresholds for coral health by mid-century, but rapid action to significantly reduce emissions could slow warming, giving corals and coral conservation programs as much as 20 more years to adapt, according to new research.
Published The battery that runs 630 km on a single charge
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team succeeds in developing anode-free Li batteries with maximized energy density, improving energy density by 40%.
Published Scientists develop inexpensive device that can harvest energy from a light breeze and store it as electricity
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have developed a low-cost device that can harness energy from wind as gentle as a light breeze and store it as electricity.
Published Glass microspheres won't save Arctic sea ice
(via sciencedaily.com) A proposal to cover Arctic sea ice with layers of tiny hollow glass spheres about the thickness of one human hair would actually accelerate sea-ice loss and warm the climate rather than creating thick ice and lowering the temperature as proponents claim. Sea ice, by reflecting the majority of the sun's energy back to space, helps regulate ocean and air temperatures and influences ocean circulation. Its area and thickness is of critical importance to Earth's climate.
Published Seaweed-based battery powers confidence in sustainable energy storage
(via sciencedaily.com) A team uses nanomaterials made from seaweed to create a strong battery separator, paving the way for greener and more efficient energy storage.
Published Coral select algae partnerships to ease environmental stress
(via sciencedaily.com) Corals live symbiotically with a variety of microscopic algae that provide most of the energy corals require, and some algae can make coral more resilient to heat stress. In assessing one of the main reef builders in Hawai'i, Montipora capitata or rice coral, researchers found that the symbiont community in those corals varied significantly in different parts of Kaneohe Bay.
Published Biologists identify broad coral disease resistance traits
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study provides a novel framework for identifying broad coral disease resistance traits and examines the fundamental processes behind species survival.
Published Not enough: Protecting algae-eating fish insufficient to save imperiled coral reefs
(via sciencedaily.com) How can we boost the resilience of the world's coral reefs, which are imperiled by multiple stresses including mass bleaching events linked to climate warming?
Published Rainy days on track to double in the Arctic by 2100
(via sciencedaily.com) Today, more snow than rain falls in the Arctic, but this is expected to reverse by the end of the century. A new study shows the frequency of rainy days in the Arctic could roughly double by 2100.
Published Don't crack: Deteriorating safety on frozen lakes in a warming world
(via sciencedaily.com) An international team of climate and lake scientists has demonstrated that crossing frozen lakes with heavy trucks may soon be a thing of the past.