Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Methane from megafires: More spew than we knew      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using a new detection method, scientists found a massive amount of methane, a super-potent greenhouse gas, coming from wildfires -- a source not currently being accounted for by California state air quality managers.

Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Less ice, fewer calling seals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For several years, a team of researchers used underwater microphones to listen for seals at the edge of the Antarctic. Their initial findings indicate that sea-ice retreat has had significant effects on the animals' behavior: when the ice disappears, areas normally full of vocalizations become very quiet.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

A novel platinum nanocluster for improved oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Hydrogen, derived from polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), is an excellent source of clean energy. However, PEFCs require platinum (Pt), which is a limited resource. Some studies have shown that Pt nanoclusters (NCs) have higher activity than conventionally used Pt nanoparticles, however the origin of their higher activity is unclear. Now, researchers have synthesized a novel Pt NC catalyst with unprecedented activity and identified the reason for its high performance.

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

New approach estimates long-term coastal cliff loss      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new method for estimating cliff loss over thousands of years in Del Mar, California, may help reveal some of the long-term drivers of coastal cliff loss in the state.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

A solar hydrogen system that co-generates heat and oxygen      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have built a pilot-scale solar reactor that produces usable heat and oxygen, in addition to generating hydrogen with unprecedented efficiency for its size.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Temperature, drought influencing movement of Plains bison      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Temperature and severe drought can drive movement among herds of Plains bison, says a recent study. The team's GPS-backed data suggests that conserving the once-endangered species could depend on accounting for the climate extremes that Plains bison will likely encounter moving forward.

Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Microbiology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

New discovery stops bacterial virus contamination      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new discovery could help stop bacteria being contaminated with viruses, reducing disruption and decreasing costs in industry and research.

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

Scientists develop new way to measure wind      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Atmospheric scientists have developed an algorithm that uses data from water vapor movements to measure wind. This could help predict extreme events like hurricanes.

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

Microwaves advance solar-cell production and recycling      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New technology advances solar-cell production and recycling. New microwave technology will improve the manufacture of solar cells and make them easier to recycle.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Nature-based management is making rivers more resilient      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Nature-based management is making rivers more resilient. New research shows progress in Australia towards United Nations goals, making rivers more able to recover from flood, drought and other impacts. In July 2022, the 120-kilometre Wollombi Brook, which flows north into the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, suffered one of its biggest floods on record. And it held up remarkably well, says Professor Kirstie Fryirs of the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University. 'Yes, there was widespread inundation, but the flood waters were slower and the vegetation prevented large scale erosion and sediment movement. 'All the hard work that a very active community put into nature-based rehabilitation for more than 20 years, such as continuous streamside revegetation, played a role in this outcome.' It is one of the best examples in Australia of sustainable environmental restoration in the management of rivers, she says

Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Microbiology Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Air pollution is not just a human problem -- it's also changing the gut of British bumblebees      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Human activity is contributing to pollution that is affecting our health. According to WHO estimates, atmospheric air pollution is estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year. Scientists and the public alike are well aware of how human activity and pollution is affecting our heath, but new research has identified how bumblebees may be caught in the crossfire.

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

Gentle method allows for eco-friendly recycling of solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

By using a new method, precious metals can be efficiently recovered from thin-film solar cells. The method is also more environmentally friendly than previous methods of recycling and paves the way for more flexible and highly efficient solar cells.

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

New look at climate data shows substantially wetter rain and snow days ahead      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new look at climate data shows that, by the end of the century, the heaviest days of rain and snowfall across much of North America will likely release 20 to 30 percent more moisture than they do now. Much of the increased precipitation will occur in winter, potentially exacerbating flooding in regions such as the upper Midwest and the west coast. Researchers also found that heavy precipitation days historically experienced once in a century will become more frequent -- as often as once every 30 or 40 years in the Pacific Northwest and southeastern United States.

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

Chemists redesign biological PHAs, 'dream' biodegradable plastics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

They've been called 'dream' plastics: polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs. Already the basis of a fledgling industry, they're a class of polymers naturally created by living microorganisms, or synthetically produced from biorenewable feedstocks. They're biodegradable in the ambient environment, including oceans and soil.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Engineers devise technology to prevent fouling in photobioreactors for CO2 capture      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new, inexpensive technology can limit the buildup of algae on the walls of photobioreactors that can help convert carbon dioxide into useful products. Reducing this fouling avoids costly cleanouts and allows more photosynthesis to happen within tanks.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Shift to 'flash droughts' as climate warms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

'Flash droughts' have become more frequent due to human-caused climate change and this trend is predicted to accelerate in a warmer future, according to new research.

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

Timing of snowshoe hare winter color swap may leave them exposed in changing climate, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study, which used 44 years of data, shows that as the globe has warmed, altering the timing and amount of snow cover, snowshoe hares' winter transformation may be out of sync with the color of the background environment; this may actually put them at a greater disadvantage.

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

The hidden culprit behind nitrogen dioxide emissions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team assesses neighborhood-scale NO2 exposure using a European satellite. High-rise apartment complexes are a significant source of emissions that should be considered in the development of clean air policies.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Multifunctional patch offers early detection of plant diseases, other crop threats      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed an electronic patch that can be applied to the leaves of plants to monitor crops for different pathogens -- such as viral and fungal infections -- and stresses such as drought or salinity. In testing, the researchers found the patch was able to detect a viral infection in tomatoes more than a week before growers would be able to detect any visible symptoms of disease.