Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Himalayan glaciers react, blow cold winds down their slopes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Himalayan Glaciers fight back to preserve themselves, but for how long? An international team of researchers explains a stunning phenomenon: rising global temperatures have led Himalayan glaciers to increasingly cool the air in contact with the ice surface. The ensuing cold winds might help cool the glaciers and preserve the surrounding ecosystems. The results were found across the Himalayan range.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Ecology: Trees Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Crocodile family tree mapped: New light shed on croc evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Around 250 million years ago, 700 species of reptiles closely related to the modern-day crocodile roamed the earth, now new research reveals how a complex interplay between climate change, species competition and habitat can help explain why just 23 species of crocodile survive today.     

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Research
Published

Decoding flavonoid metabolism: A closer look at plant-based diets      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of researchers has elucidated the process by which the major flavonoids naringenin, apigenin, and genistein are metabolized in the body. These findings are fundamental in elucidating the correlation between the metabolism of flavonoids in the body and their potential health benefits.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Consensus needed on when global warming reaches 1.5°C      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of scientists has emphasized that -- surprisingly -- there is currently no formally agreed way of defining the current level of global warming relevant to the Paris Agreement.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Ash can fertilize the oceans      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Flames roared through Santa Barbara County in late 2017. UC Santa Barbara canceled classes, and the administration recommended donning an N95, long before the COVID pandemic made the mask a household item. Smoke and ash choked the air, but the Thomas Fire's effects weren't restricted to the land and sky. Huge amounts of ash settled into the oceans, leaving researchers to wonder what effect it might have on marine life.  

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Study identifies key algae species helping soft corals survive warming oceans      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

During a two-year survey of soft corals in the Florida Keys,  scientists identified three species of octocorals that have survived heat waves. While the coral animal itself may be heat tolerant, scientists concluded that the symbiotic algae inside the coral serve as a protector of sorts.

Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Climate
Published

Antarctica's ancient ice sheets foreshadow dynamic changes in Earth's future      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Identifying how and why Antarctica's major ice sheets behaved the way they did in the early Miocene could help inform understanding of the sheets' behavior under a warming climate. Together, the ice sheets lock a volume of water equivalent to more than 50 meters of sea level rise and influence ocean currents that affect marine food webs and regional climates. Their fate has profound consequences for life nearly everywhere on Earth.  

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

Phasing out fossil fuels could save millions of lives      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists provide new evidence to motivate rapid fossil fuel phaseout. The science team determined exposure to ambient air pollution and its health impacts using an updated atmospheric composition model, a newly developed relative risk model and recent satellite-based fine particle data. They estimated all-cause and disease-specific mortality and attributed them to emission categories. They show that phasing out fossil fuels is a remarkably effective health-improving and life-saving intervention. About 5 million excess deaths per year globally could potentially be avoided.  

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

What makes sustainable consumption so difficult      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

When it comes to self-discipline, psychological research traditionally focuses on individual responsibility. Some researchers believe this is too short-sighted. Self-discipline doesn't work without effective regulation.

Ecology: Endangered Species Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Vertically farmed greens taste as good as organic ones      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Consumer skepticism about the taste of vertically farmed greens is widespread. But a scientific taste test shows that respondents rate greens grown vertically and without soil as just as good as organic ones.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Climate
Published

Decoding past climates through dripstones      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A recent study demonstrates how dripstones can be crucial for reconstructing past climates. The new approach can provide a detailed picture of the climate around early human occupations in South Africa.

Biology: Botany Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Money to burn: Wealthy, white neighborhoods losing their heat shields      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

White, wealthy neighborhoods in the LA area -- and likely around the world -- are about to start feeling the same heat that has plagued poorer, Hispanic neighborhoods for generations. A new study shows the protective effect of income has largely eroded over the past 40 years, as landscape plants can't keep up with the pace of climate warming. 

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

how far can the wind can carry a plant's seeds? New model      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Playing an essential foundational role in an ecosystem, plants contribute to the well-being of human health by helping create resources like food and medicine. Therefore, to better understand how plants can maintain resiliency in the face of challenges like climate change, researchers recently developed an innovative mathematical model that can provide fast and reliable predictions of how far wind can carry a plant's seeds.

Biology: Microbiology Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Inoculation against diseased fields      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Farmland often harbors a multitude of pathogens which attack plants and reduce yields. A research team has now shown that inoculating the soil with mycorrhizal fungi can help maintain or even improve yields without the use of additional fertilizers or pesticides. In a large-scale field trial, plant yield increased by up to 40 percent.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Small marine creatures swimming in plastic chemicals not reproducing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Plastic waste in the water might be stopping -- or interrupting -- some shrimp-like creatures from reproducing. In a unique study, the ability of 'shrimp like' creatures to reproduce successfully was found to be compromised by chemicals found in everyday plastics.    

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Durable plastic pollution easily, cleanly degrades with new catalyst      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Found in fishing nets, carpet, clothing, Nylon-6 is a major contributor to plastic pollution, including ocean pollution. Now, chemists have developed a new catalyst that quickly, cleanly and completely breaks down Nylon-6 in a matter of minutes -- without generating harmful byproducts. Even better: The process does not require toxic solvents, expensive materials or extreme conditions, making it practical for everyday applications. In experiments, the new process recovered 99% of the polymer's building blocks, which can then be upcycled into higher-value products.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Climate: Why disinformation is so persistent      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme heat waves: the consequences of climate change are more visible than ever, and the scientific community has confirmed that humans are responsible. Yet studies show that a third of the population still doubts or disputes these facts. The cause is disinformation spread by certain vested interests. To try and prevent this phenomenon, a team has developed and tested six psychological interventions on nearly 7,000 participants from twelve countries. The research highlights the extremely persuasive nature of disinformation and the need to strengthen our efforts to combat it.