Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Naturally regrowing forests are helping to protect the remaining old forests in the Amazon      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Secondary forests that have regrown naturally on land abandoned from agriculture  are important in counteracting the effects of forest fragmentation across the Amazon basin, according to new findings.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

New study indicates C4 crops less sensitive to ozone pollution than C3 crops      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have studied the effects of elevated O3 on five C3 crops (chickpea, rice, snap bean, soybean, wheat) and four C4 crops (sorghum, maize, Miscanthus × giganteus, switchgrass). Their findings indicate that C4 crops are much more tolerant of high O3 concentrations than C3 crops.

Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Diverse forests hold huge carbon potential, as long as we cut emissions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New study estimates that natural forest recovery could capture approximately 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon, but only if we also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving these results requires community-driven efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity. In brief: Forests have the potential to capture 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon in areas where they would naturally exist. This forest potential can only be achieved alongside emissions cuts. Sixty-one percent of the forest potential can be achieved by protecting existing forests and allowing them to regrow to maturity. Thirty-nine percent can be achieved by reconnecting fragmented landscapes through community-driven ecosystem restoration and management. A natural diversity of species is needed to maximize the forest carbon potential.

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

Solar-powered device produces clean water and clean fuel at the same time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A floating, solar-powered device that can turn contaminated water or seawater into clean hydrogen fuel and purified water, anywhere in the world, has been developed by researchers.

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

Designing cities for 21st-century weather      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have investigated how changes in urban land and population will affect future populations' exposures to weather extremes under climate conditions at the end of the 21st century. They used a data-driven model to predict how urban areas across the country will grow by 2100, and found that how a city is laid out or organized spatially has the potential to reduce population exposures to future weather extremes.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Low-intensity fires reduce wildfire risk by 60%      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

High-intensity, often catastrophic, wildfires have become increasingly frequent across the Western U.S. Researchers quantified the value of managed low-intensity burning to dramatically reduce the risk of such fires for years at a time.

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

Scientists found hundreds of toxic chemicals in recycled plastics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

When scientists examined pellets from recycled plastic collected in 13 countries they found hundreds of toxic chemicals, including pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Because of this, the scientists judge recycled plastics unfit for most purposes and a hinder in the attempts to create a circular economy.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

New cooling ceramic can enhance energy efficiency for the construction sector and help combat global warming      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in developing a passive radiative cooling (PRC) material. The material, known as cooling ceramic, has achieved high-performance optical properties for energy-free and refrigerant-free cooling generation. Its cost-effectiveness, durability and versatility make it highly suitable for commercialization in numerous applications, particularly in building construction. 

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Yeast cells can produce drugs for treatment of psychotic disorders      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of researchers has demonstrated that genetically engineered yeast cells can produce the natural plant product alstonine, which has shown positive effects in treating schizophrenia.

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

Scientists caution against a reliance on mechanical devices to clear water bodies of plastic      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international group of scientists has called for the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution to focus more on measures to reduce the production and consumption of plastics and the prevention of future plastic waste, rather than on the unselective removal of waste already in the water.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Team creates synthetic enzymes to unravel molecular mysteries      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A bioengineer has developed synthetic enzymes that can control the behavior of the signaling protein Vg1, which plays a key role in the development of muscle, bone and blood in vertebrate embryos. The team of researchers is using a new approach, called the Synthetic Processing (SynPro) system, in zebrafish to study how Vg1 is formed. By learning the molecular rules of signal formation in a developing animal, researchers aim to engineer mechanisms -- such as giving cells new instructions -- that could play a role in treating or preventing disease.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Physics: Optics
Published

'Indoor solar' to power the Internet of Things      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

From Wi-Fi-connected home security systems to smart toilets, the so-called Internet of Things brings personalization and convenience to devices that help run homes. But with that comes tangled electrical cords or batteries that need to be replaced. Now, researchers have brought solar panel technology indoors to power smart devices. They show which photovoltaic (PV) systems work best under cool white LEDs, a common type of indoor lighting.

Chemistry: General Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Plastics treaty must tackle problem at source      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The new Global Plastics Treaty must tackle the problem at source, researchers say. They say the treaty must prioritize 'upstream' issues: cutting total production and consumption of plastics, phasing out hazardous chemicals and tackling fossil fuel subsidies.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

First live birth of a chimeric monkey using embryonic stem cell lines      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of researchers has reported for the first time the live birth of a monkey that contains a high proportion of cells derived from a monkey stem cell line. This 'chimeric' monkey is composed of cells that originate from two genetically distinct embryos of the same species of monkey. This has previously been demonstrated in rats and mice but, until now, has not been possible in other species, including non-human primates.

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

Greenland's glacier retreat rate has doubled over past two decades      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study documents how Greenland's peripheral glaciers have changed from 1890 to 2022. Using satellite images and a unique archive of historical aerial photos, researchers documented changes in the lengths of more than 1,000 of the country's glaciers over the past 130 years. Although glaciers in Greenland have experienced retreat throughout the last century, the rate of their retreat has rapidly accelerated over the last two decades.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Zen and the art of mitochondrial maintenance: The machinery of death makes a healthier life      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

While we all aspire for a long lifespan, what is most coveted is a long period of vigor and health, or 'healthspan,' that precedes the inevitable decline of advancing age. Researchers have discovered that instruments of death that cells use to commit suicide when things go wrong contribute to making a longer and healthier life by revitalizing the specialized cellular compartments called mitochondria.