Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Alaska's rusting waters: Pristine rivers and streams turning orange      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Dozens of Alaska's rivers and streams are turning orange. The staining could be the result of minerals exposed by thawing permafrost and climate change, finds a new study.

Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Recycling carbon dioxide into household chemicals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists report a family of tin-based catalysts that efficiently converts CO2 into ethanol, acetic acid and formic acid. These liquid hydrocarbons are among the most produced chemicals in the U.S and are found in many commercial products.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science
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Regional differences in bird diversity in agroforestry systems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The diversity and ecological functionality of bird communities in tropical agroforestry systems are shaped by the surrounding landscape, in particular the extent and composition of the forest.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Severe Weather
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Night-time heat significantly increases the risk of stroke      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers show that nocturnal heat significantly increases the risk of stroke. The findings can contribute to the development of preventive measures: With them, the population can better protect themselves against the risks of climate change with increasingly frequent hot nights. In addition, knowledge of the consequences of hot nights can improve patient care.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
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Green infrastructure plans need to consider historical racial inequalities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Urban greening projects should consider historical development patterns and past discriminatory practices to avoid exacerbating the unequal distribution of environmental benefits, says an urban and regional planning professor.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
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Warming climate intensifies flash droughts worldwide      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sudden, severe dry spells known as flash droughts are rising in intensity around the world, with a notable exception in mountainous Central Asia, where flash drought extent is shrinking, according to new research. Heat and changes to precipitation patterns caused by a warming climate are driving these trends, the study found.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Climate
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New research reveals that prehistoric seafloor pockmarks off the California coast are maintained by powerful sediment flows      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research on a field of pockmarks -- large, circular depressions on the seafloor -- offshore of Central California has revealed that powerful sediment flows, not methane gas eruptions, maintain these prehistoric formations.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
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By listening, scientists learn how a protein folds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

By converting their data into sounds, scientists discovered how hydrogen bonds contribute to the lightning-fast gyrations that transform a string of amino acids into a functional, folded protein. Their report offers an unprecedented view of the sequence of hydrogen-bonding events that occur when a protein morphs from an unfolded to a folded state.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Energy: Fossil Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology
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Can coal mines be tapped for rare earth elements?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of geologists analyzed 3,500 samples taken in and around coal mines in Utah and Colorado. Their findings open the possibility that these mines could see a secondary resource stream in the form of rare earth metals used in renewable energy and numerous other high-tech applications.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Electric school buses may yield significant health and climate benefits, cost savings      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Replacing diesel school buses with electric school buses may yield up to $247,600 in climate and health benefits per individual bus, according to a new study. The researchers found that these benefits -- including fewer greenhouse gas emissions and reduced rates of adult mortality and childhood asthma -- and their associated savings are strongest in large cities and among fleets of old (2005 and before) buses.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
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The impacts of climate change on food production      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shows that climate change has led to decreased pollen production from plants and less pollen diversity than previously thought, which could have a significant impact on food production.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Digging up good news for microbial studies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Findings indicate that soil stored under refrigerated or air-dried conditions can still retain the needed information for understanding microbial community composition and structure for many years.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: General Engineering: Nanotechnology
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Blueprints of self-assembly      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have taken a step closer to replicating nature's processes of self-assembly. The study describes the synthetic construction of a tiny, self-assembled crystal known as a 'pyrochlore,' which bears unique optical properties. The advance provides a steppingstone to the eventual construction of sophisticated, self-assembling devices at the nanoscale -- roughly the size of a single virus.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Extreme heat associated with children's asthma hospital visits      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Extreme heat events were associated with increased asthma hospital visits, according to new research.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Seeking stronger steel, systematic look at 120 combinations of alloy elements provides clues      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Investigating ways to create high-performance steel, a research team used theoretical calculations on 120 combinations of 12 alloy elements, such as aluminum and titanium, with carbon and nitrogen, while also systematically clarifying the bonding mechanism.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
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Decarbonization dynamics: New analysis unveils shifting trends in the voluntary carbon offset market      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have conducted a worldwide analysis of voluntary carbon offset programs and identified trends into which types of carbon reduction technologies are selected and prioritized. Their findings provide important insights for policymakers to improve the effectiveness and credibility of the carbon offset market.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
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U.S. drought-monitoring system outpaced by climate changes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study reports that the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly maps of nationwide drought conditions -- which help direct emergency federal aid -- have captured the steady march of climate change, but the Drought Monitor has itself failed to adapt to that reality. Areas of the country are spending more and more time in severe drought conditions the Drought Monitor still considers to be rare occurrences. The consequences could be that swaths of the country -- particularly in the West -- may not receive aid in keeping with the enhanced risk of drought as periodic emergencies become persistent new realities.