Computer Science: General Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Researchers use AI, Google street view to predict household energy costs on large scale      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An interdisciplinary team of experts has found a way to use artificial intelligence to analyze a household's passive design characteristics and predict its energy expenses with more than 74 percent accuracy. By combining their findings with demographic data including poverty levels, the researchers have created a comprehensive model for predicting energy burden across 1,402 census tracts and nearly 300,000 households in Chicago.

Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

How climate change risks increase at a national scale as the level of global warming increases      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have quantified how climate change risks to human and natural systems increase at a national scale as the level of global warming increases. A collection of eight studies -- all focusing on Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana and India -- shows that the risks of drought, flooding, declines in crop yields, and loss of biodiversity and natural capital greatly increase for each additional degree of global warming. The overarching picture for the accrual of climate risk across these countries as global warming increases from 1.5 C to 4 C above pre-industrial levels is presented.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Turning waste into gold      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have recovered gold from electronic waste. Their highly sustainable new method is based on a protein fibril sponge, which the scientists derive from whey, a food industry byproduct.

Chemistry: General Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Researchers improve the stability of perovskite solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Perovskite solar cells are considered the strongest contender to replace silicon solar cells. While they achieve high power conversion energy, they also suffer from lead leakage and perovskite degradation due to moisture. Now scientists leverage the technique of interfacial passivation, where lead ions are bound by crown ether B18C6, obtaining 21.7% power conversion energy. The crown ether also resists degradation due to moisture for 300 hours at room temperature and 85% humidity.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Zoology Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Small dietary changes can cut your carbon footprint by 25%      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research provides compelling evidence that partially substituting animal with plant protein foods can increase life expectancy and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, it also suggests that benefits depend on the type of animal protein being replaced. The study drew data from a national nutrition survey to analyze Canadians' dietary records. The study modeled partial replacements (25% and 50%) of either red and processed meat or dairy with plant protein foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu, and fortified soy beverages, on a combination of nutrition, health, and climate outcomes.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Uncertainty in measuring biodiversity change could hinder progress towards global targets for nature      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

More than ever before, there is a growing interest in dedicating resources to stop the loss of biodiversity, as recently exemplified by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) decided at COP15 in December 2022. The GBF focuses on understanding why biodiversity is declining and what actions are needed to reverse this trend. However, according to researchers, implementing the plan is challenging because information about biodiversity changes is not evenly available everywhere, and is uncertain in many places.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research
Published

Genetic research revealed several new fern species in tropical America      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have clarified the evolutionary history of a previously poorly known group of ferns from the tropical rainforests of America using DNA methods. The study discovered many new fern species, 18 of which have now been given official names and species descriptions.

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

Surprising methane discovery in Yukon glaciers: 'Much more widespread than we thought'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Global melting is prying the lid off methane stocks, the extent of which we do not know. A researcher has now discovered high concentrations of the powerful greenhouse gas in meltwater from three Canadian mountain glaciers, where it was not thought to exist -- adding new unknowns to the understanding of methane emissions from Earth's glaciated regions.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Emergency atmospheric geoengineering wouldn't save the oceans      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Climate change is heating the oceans, altering currents and circulation patterns responsible for regulating climate on a global scale. If temperatures dropped, some of that damage could theoretically be undone. But employing 'emergency' atmospheric geoengineering later this century in the face of continuous high carbon emissions would not be able to reverse changes to ocean currents, a new study finds. This would critically curtail the intervention's potential effectiveness on human-relevant timescales.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

80 mph speed record for glacier fracture helps reveal the physics of ice sheet collapse      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research documents the fastest-known large-scale breakage along an Antarctic ice shelf. A 6.5-mile crack formed in 2012 over 5-and-a-half minutes, showing that ice shelves can effectively shatter -- though the speed is limited by seawater rushing in. The results help inform large-scale ice sheet models and projections of future sea level rise.

Ecology: Nature Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

African great apes predicted to see frequent extreme climate events in the next 30 years      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

African apes are already being exposed to climate change impacts, and will experience extreme events such as wildfires, heatwaves and flooding more frequently in the next 30 years, according to a new study.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

EU countries have seen a decade of progress towards their 2030 sustainable energy goal      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Countries in the European Union (EU) have made progress over the past decade toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which calls for 'access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all' by 2030, according to a new study.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Study finds pesticide use linked to Parkinson's in rocky mountain, great plains region      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Pesticides and herbicides used in farming have been linked to Parkinson's disease in the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains region of the country, according to a preliminary study.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

The West is best to spot UFOs      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers identified environmental factors that explain why reports of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) are more common in certain regions of the country. Most sightings occur in the American West where proximity to public lands, dark skies and military installations afford more opportunities to see strange objects in the air. Understanding the environmental context of these sightings will make it easier to find explanations for their occurrence and help identify truly anomalous objects that may be a legitimate threat.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Climate change shrinking fish      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fish weight in the western North Pacific Ocean dipped in the 2010s due to warmer water limiting food supplies, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed the individual weight and overall biomass of 13 species of fish. In the 1980s and 2010s, the fish were lighter. They attributed the first period of weight loss to greater numbers of Japanese sardine, which increased competition with other species for food. During the 2010s, while the number of Japanese sardine and chub mackerel moderately increased, the effect of climate change warming the ocean appears to have resulted in more competition for food, as cooler, nutrient-dense water could not easily rise to the surface. These results have implications for fisheries and policymakers trying to manage ocean resources under future climate change scenarios.

Ecology: Animals Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Chemistry in the ground affects how many offspring wild animals have      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chemistry in the ground affect how many kids wild animals have Areas with more copper and selenium in the ground lead to higher reproductive success in wild musk oxen in Greenland.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Researchers develop novel method to photosynthesize hydrogen peroxide using water and air      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a microporous covalent organic framework with dense donor-acceptor lattices and engineered linkages for the efficient and clean production of hydrogen peroxide through the photosynthesis process with water and air.