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Categories: Geoscience: Environmental Issues, Geoscience: Geology
Published Penalties for dropping out of ecosystem services incentive programs should equal lost environmental benefits



PES programs are currently structured in ways that could limit their participation or create incentives to drop out before the full environmental benefits are realized.
Published The case for sharing carbon storage risk



Even the most optimistic projections for the rapid build-out of solar, wind, and other low-carbon resources acknowledge that coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels will dominate the world's energy mix for decades to come. If the vast greenhouse gas emissions from burning these fossil fuels continue to enter the planet's atmosphere, global warming will not be limited to sustainable levels. The capture and geologic sequestration of carbon emissions (CCS) offer a promising solution to the world's carbon conundrum.
Published Study tallies heatwave deaths over recent decades



Between 1990 and 2019, more than 150,000 deaths around the globe were associated with heatwaves each year, according to a new study.
Published 90% of Floridians believe climate change is happening



The latest 'Florida Climate Resilience Survey' found that 90% of Floridians believe that climate change is happening. Belief in human-caused climate change has surged among Florida Independents while slipping among Republicans in the state since last fall. But despite these changes, the survey found enduring support among Floridians for increased government action to address the consequences of a warming planet. The survey found 68% of all respondents want state government to do more and 69% want the federal government to do more to address climate change.
Published Transforming waste carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals with a cost reduction of about 30%



A team of scientists has developed a novel technique to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from treated flue gas directly into high-value chemicals and fuels. This innovation sidesteps the conventional approach of using high-purity CO2 for electrochemical reduction processes, achieving significant cost savings of about 30%.
Published Avocado pruning residues used to produce more sustainable food packaging



A prototype of a more durable material increases the biodegradability of food packaging, partially replacing its bioplastic with cellulose fibers extracted from the branches and leaves of the avocado tree.
Published GPS stations measure daily ice loss in Greenland



Monitoring the effects of climate change in Greenland has been made much easier with an innovative method.
Published How wildfires change soil chemistry



Severe wildfires can drive chemical changes in soil that affect ecosystem recovery and risks to human health. A new study finds broader surveillance and modeling of these changes could inform strategies for protecting lives, property and natural resources, and managing wildlife.
Published Young whale's journey highlights threats facing ocean animals



A young whale's journey across the Mediterranean highlights the many threats facing ocean animals, researchers say.
Published 2023 was the hottest summer in two thousand years



Researchers have found that 2023 was the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere in the past two thousand years, almost four degrees warmer than the coldest summer during the same period.
Published Today's world: Fastest rate of carbon dioxide rise over the last 50,000 years



Today's rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years, researchers have found through a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice.
Published The price tag of phasing-out coal



Coal phase-out is necessary to solve climate change, but can have negative impacts on workers and local communities dependent on coal for their livelihoods. Researchers have studied government plans for coal phase-out around the world and discovered that more than half of such plans include monetary compensation to affected parties. This planned compensation globally amounts to USD 200 billion, but it excludes China and India, the two largest users of coal that currently do not have phase-out plans. The study shows that if China and India decide to phase out coal as fast as needed to reach the Paris climate targets and pay similar compensation, it would cost upwards of USD 2 trillion.
Published Clues from deep magma reservoirs could improve volcanic eruption forecasts



New research into molten rock 20km below the Earth's surface could help save lives by improving the prediction of volcanic activity.
Published Scientists unlock key to breeding 'carbon gobbling' plants with a major appetite



The discovery of how a critical enzyme 'hidden in nature's blueprint' works sheds new light on how cells control key processes in carbon fixation, a process fundamental for life on Earth. The discovery could help engineer climate resilient crops capable of sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more efficiently, helping to produce more food in the process.
Published US Navy Growler jet noise over Whidbey Island could impact 74,000 people's health



As often as four days a week, Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island fly loops overhead as pilots practice touch-and-go landings. The noise is immense. New research shows that the noise isn't just disruptive -- it presents a substantial risk to public health.
Published New light shed on carboxysomes in key discovery that could boost photosynthesis



A research team has discovered how carboxysomes, carbon-fixing structures found in some bacteria and algae, work. The breakthrough could help scientists redesign and repurpose the structures to enable plants to convert sunlight into more energy, paving the way for improved photosynthesis efficiency, potentially increasing the global food supply and mitigating global warming.
Published New 'forever chemical' cleanup strategy discovered



A method has been discovered to treat water heavily contaminated with unhealthful forever chemicals, known by chemists as PFAS or poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances. It involves treating heavily contaminated water with ultraviolet (UV) light, sulfite, and a process called electrochemical oxidation. It breaks up strong fluorine-to-carbon bonds in the PFAS compounds and other concentrated organic compounds in heavily polluted water. The reaction also occurs at room temperature without a need for additional heat or high pressure. This method is expected to be useful in cleanups of PFAS pollution from decades of fire suppressant foam use at military facilities.
Published Transformation of ocean management is underway



Despite its benefits and recognition as a keystone practice of ocean stewardship and conservation, adoption of ecosystem-based management has been slow to take hold. To support this change in ocean management, a group of researchers and practitioners investigated the global progress of marine EBM initiatives.
Published How climate change will affect malaria transmission



A new model for predicting the effects of climate change on malaria transmission in Africa could lead to more targeted interventions to control the disease according to a new study. Previous methods have used rainfall totals to indicate the presence of surface water suitable for breeding mosquitoes, but the new research used several climatic and hydrological models to include real-world processes of evaporation, infiltration and flow through rivers. This groundbreaking approach has created a more in-depth picture of malaria-friendly conditions on the African continent.
Published Manganese sprinkled with iridium: a quantum leap in green hydrogen production



Researchers report a new method that reduces the amount of iridium needed to produce hydrogen from water by 95%, without altering the rate of hydrogen production. This breakthrough could revolutionize our ability to produce ecologically friendly hydrogen and help usher in a carbon-neutral hydrogen economy.