Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Frequent marine heatwaves in the Arctic Ocean will be the norm      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Marine heatwaves will become a regular occurrence in the Arctic in the near future and are a product of higher anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions -- as shown in a new study.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Greenland's ice sheet is melting -- and being replaced by vegetation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An estimated 11,000 sq miles or 28,707 sq kilometers of Greenland's ice sheet and glaciers have melted over the last three decades, according to a major analysis of historic satellite records.

Biology: Cell Biology Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Eco-friendly way to generate power from waste wood      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study by researchers has revealed a sustainable method of efficiently converting waste heat into electricity using Irish wood products, while minimizing costs and environmental impact.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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Low-cost microbe can speed biological discovery      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have created a new version of a microbe to compete economically with E. coli -- a bacteria commonly used as a research tool due to its ability to synthesize proteins -- to conduct low-cost and scalable synthetic biological experiments.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

If we can't untangle this mess, Norway's blue industry will never be green      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For the first time, researchers have investigated how ropes and fishing lines are handled by the Norwegian commercial fishing industry. The fishing fleet loses almost 400 tons of rope in Norwegian waters every year.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Polar bears unlikely to adapt to longer summers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

More time stranded on land means greater risk of starvation for polar bears, a new study indicates. During three summer weeks, 20 polar bears closely observed by scientists tried different strategies to maintain energy reserves, including resting, scavenging and foraging. Yet nearly all of them lost weight rapidly: on average around 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, per day. Some have speculated that polar bears might adapt to the longer ice-free seasons due to climate warming by acting like their grizzly bear relatives and either rest or eat terrestrial food. The polar bears in this study tried versions of both strategies -- with little success.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Multiple city hubs, dispersed parks keep metro areas cooler      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Metropolitan areas with multiple city centers and dispersed green spaces mitigate extreme heat more effectively than those with one dominant city, an analysis by city planning scholars finds.

Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Global deforestation leads to more mercury pollution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers find deforestation accounts for about 10 percent of global human-made mercury emissions. While it cannot be the only solution, they suggest reforestation could increase global mercury uptake by about 5 percent.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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Key advance for capturing carbon from the air      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A chemical element so visually striking that it was named for a goddess shows a 'Goldilocks' level of reactivity -- neither too much nor too little -- that makes it a strong candidate as a carbon scrubbing tool.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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When the global climate has the hiccups      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Climate changes usually happens over long periods of time, but during the last glacial period, extreme fluctuations in temperature occurred within just a few years. Researchers have now been able to prove the phenomenon also occurred during the penultimate glacial period.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Immune genes are altered in Alzheimer's patients' blood      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has found the immune system in the blood of Alzheimer's patients is epigenetically altered. That means the patients' behavior or environment has caused changes that affect the way their genes work. Many of these altered immune genes are the same ones that increase an individual's risk for Alzheimer's. Scientists now theorize the cause could be a previous viral infection, environmental pollutants or other lifestyle factors and behaviors.

Chemistry: General Engineering: Graphene Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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Sensors made from 'frozen smoke' can detect toxic formaldehyde in homes and offices      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a sensor made from 'frozen smoke' that uses artificial intelligence techniques to detect formaldehyde in real time at concentrations as low as eight parts per billion, far beyond the sensitivity of most indoor air quality sensors.

Chemistry: General Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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Conversion process turns greenhouse gas into ethylene      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have created a more efficient way of converting carbon dioxide into valuable products while simultaneously addressing climate change.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Towards A Better Way of Releasing Hydrogen Stored in Hydrogen Boride Sheets      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Hydrogen stored in hydrogen boride sheets can be efficiently released electrochemically, report scientists. Through a series of experiments, they demonstrated that dispersing these sheets in an organic solvent and applying a small voltage is enough to release all the stored hydrogen efficiently. These findings suggest hydrogen boride sheets could soon become a safe and convenient way to store and transport hydrogen, which is a cleaner and more sustainable fuel.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Alien invasion: Non-native earthworms threaten ecosystems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Analysis reveals imported earthworm species have colonized large swaths of North America, and represent a largely overlooked threat to native ecosystems. The researchers warn of the need to better understand and manage the invaders in our midst.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Industrial pollution leaves its mark in Mediterranean corals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For the first time, pollutants from burning fossil fuels have been found embedded in corals, offering scientists a potential new tool to track the history of pollution, finds a new study.

Chemistry: General Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
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Researchers unveil method to detect 'forever chemicals' in under 3 minutes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

PFAS have earned the name 'forever chemicals' with good reason -- the human-made compounds, which can take thousands of years to degrade and are found in everything from grease-resistant food packaging to water-repellent clothing, have made their way into nearly half the U.S. tap water supply.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Biology: Zoology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
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Foul fumes pose pollinator problems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered that nighttime air pollution -- coming primarily form car exhaust and power plant emissions -- is responsible for a major drop in nighttime pollinator activity. Nitrate radicals (NO3) in the air degrade the scent chemicals released by a common wildflower, drastically reducing the scent-based cues that its chief pollinators rely on to locate the flower. The findings show how nighttime pollution creates a chain of chemical reactions that degrades scent cues, leaving flowers undetectable by smell. The researchers also determined that pollution likely has worldwide impacts on pollination.

Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Scientists develop artificial 'worm gut' to break down plastics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of scientists has developed an artificial 'worm gut' to break down plastics, offering hope for a nature-inspired method to tackle the global plastic pollution problem.