Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Federal housing programs protect residents from lead exposure      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Americans already living in housing supported by federal housing assistance programs have significantly lower blood lead levels than counterparts who would later join these programs, according to new research.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Curbing coal-burning emissions translates to health gains for children      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Research finds a nearly 40% decline in the annual average concentration of respirable particulate matter (PM2.5) in Krakow, Poland, between 2010 and 2019 following the implementation of clean air policies. Air quality improvements translated to substantial benefits for children's outcomes, including fewer cases of asthma and better birth outcomes.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

High resolution imagery advances the ability to monitor decadal changes in emperor penguin populations      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Emperor penguin populations have been exceedingly difficult to monitor because of their remote locations, and because individuals form breeding colonies on seasonal sea ice fastened to land (known as fast ice) during the dark and cold Antarctic winter. New research that incorporates very high-resolution satellite imagery with field-based validation surveys and long-term data has provided the first multi-year time series that documents emperor penguin global population trends.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Molecular simulations of ammonia mixtures support search for renewable fuels      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Ammonia is an important molecule with many applications. The end product of the famed Haber-Bosch process, it is commonly synthesized to capture nitrogen for fertilizers, and is used for refrigeration, in cleaning products, and in the production of pharmaceuticals. Recently, this modest molecule has also attracted interest as a potential resource for addressing one of today's most pressing challenges -- the need for reliable and abundant renewable fuels.

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

New high-performance solar cell material      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study reports the discovery of an entirely new stable, earth-abundant, high-performance material for solar absorbers -- the central part of a solar cell that turns light into electricity. While identifying new solar materials is typically very time-consuming, the researchers used a unique high-throughput computational screening method to quickly evaluate around 40,000 candidate materials.

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

Grounding zone discovery explains accelerated melting under Greenland's glaciers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have conducted the first large-scale observation and modeling study of northwest Greenland's Petermann Glacier. Their findings reveal the intrusion of warm ocean water beneath the ice as the culprit in the accelerated melting it has experienced since the turn of the century, and their computer predictions indicate that potential sea level rise will be much worse than previously estimated.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

AI analysis of historical satellite images show USSR collapse in 1990s increased methane emissions, despite lower oil and gas production      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An AI-powered analysis of 25 years of satellite images yields the surprising finding that methane emissions in Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic and major oil-producing region, actually increased in the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Exploring arctic plants and lichens: An important conservation baseline for Nunavut's newest and largest territorial park      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A comprehensive study of the floristic diversity of Agguttinni Territorial Park, Nunavut's newest and largest Territorial Park, has documented 141 vascular plant, 69 bryophyte, and 93 lichen species from this unique protected area on northern Baffin Island. Through a combination of extensive fieldwork in 2021 and examination of hundreds of existing herbarium specimens, the authors have documented species newly reported for Baffin Island and have crafted a biodiversity baseline important for park management and conservation.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

New study quantifies health impacts from oil and gas flaring in U.S.      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study finds that pollution from oil and gas venting and flaring results in $7.4 billion in health damages, more than 700 premature deaths, and 73,000 asthma exacerbations among children annually. Researchers also conclude that emissions are underreported and controlling emissions is not only profitable for operators, but also can significantly improve public health in surrounding communities.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Vehicle brakes produce charged particles that may harm public health      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists know relatively little about particles released into the air when a vehicle driver brakes, though evidence suggests those particles may be more harmful to health than particles exiting the tailpipe.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

AI making waves in marine data collection      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Numerous measurement stations around the world provide us with data about air quality, allowing us to enhance it. Although we are increasingly collecting data from marine areas, access to such data is considerably more challenging. Signals are poorly transmitted through water, differences in both pressure and currents hinder measurement devices and there is an absence of pre-constructed computing infrastructure. Could intelligent technologies help us improve marine data collection?

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Air filters and scheduled window opening can reduce classroom pollution by up to 36%      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

To improve air quality in classrooms, schools should use air purifiers during the school day and open the windows after hours. That's according to a new study.

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

Mars attracts: How Earth's interactions with the red planet drive deep-sea circulation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have used the geological record of the deep sea to discover a connection between the orbits of Earth and Mars, past global warming patterns and the speeding up of deep ocean circulation. The patterns they discover suggest that warming seas could produce deep whirpools in ocean currents.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Climate policies to reduce motor vehicle emissions can improve children's health, save money      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study finds that policies to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from motor vehicles combined with investments in electric vehicles and public transportation would reduce air pollution and bring large benefits to children's health. They would also save money.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

India's water problems set to get worse as the world warms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Winter storms known as western disturbances that provide crucial snow and rainfall to northern India are arriving significantly later in the year.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Study explores impacts of Arctic warming on daily weather patterns in the U.S.      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Arctic sea ice is shrinking as the world continues to warm, and a new study may provide a better understanding of how the loss of this ice may impact daily weather in the middle latitudes, like the United States.

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

A better handle on the emissions budget for the Paris climate targets      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have found a new way to calculate the total carbon emissions consistent with the Paris climate targets of 1.5 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius of global warming.