Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

SMART warnings could protect communities at risk from flooding      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engaging communities in developing a real-time early warning system could help to reduce the often-devastating impact of flooding on people and property -- particularly in mountainous regions where extreme water events are a 'wicked' problem, a new study reveals.

Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Even Sonoran Desert plants aren't immune to climate change      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In North America's hottest, driest desert, climate change is causing the decline of plants once thought nearly immortal and replacing them with shorter shrubs that can take advantage of sporadic rainfall and warmer temperatures.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Turtles and crocodiles with unique characteristics are more likely to go extinct      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New study demonstrates that the most endangered turtles and crocodile species are those that have evolved unique life strategies. Many of the most threatened species carry out important ecosystem functions that other species depend on. Habitat loss was identified as the key overall threat to turtles and crocodiles, followed by climate change and global trade. Unique species faced additional pressure from local consumption, diseases, and pollution.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Social comparisons better than knowledge in climate change mitigation interventions      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In interventions designed to encourage more sustainable and climate-smart behavior, examples of what other people are doing and financial 'carrots' are more important than providing knowledge and facts. This has been shown in an international second-order meta-analysis of more than four hundred primary studies. However, all types of climate mitigation interventions have a relatively small effect on how people behave.

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

How to prepare for ocean acidification, a framework      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An international research team develops a rubric for governments and policymaking bodies to evaluate preparedness for ocean acidification.

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

Team uses natural catalysts to develop low-cost way of producing green hydrogen      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a practical way to produce green hydrogen using sustainable catalysts and say their work is a major step towards production simpler, more affordable and more scalable.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Could changes in Fed's interest rates affect pollution and the environment?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Can monetary policy such as the U.S. Federal Reserve raising interest rates affect the environment? According to a new study, it can. Results suggest that the impact of monetary policy on pollution is basically domestic: a monetary contraction or reduction in a region reduces its own emissions, but this does not seem to spread out to other economies. However, the findings do not imply that the international economy is irrelevant to determining one region's emissions level. The actions of a country, like the U.S., are not restricted to its borders. For example, a positive shock in the Federal Reserve's monetary policy may cause adjustments in the whole system, including the carbon emissions of the other regions.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals
Published

Epigenetic fingerprint as proof of origin for chicken, shrimp and salmon      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Free-range organic chicken or factory farming? Scientists have developed a new detection method that can reveal such differences in husbandry. The so-called epigenetic method is based on the analysis of the characteristic patterns of chemical markers on the genome of the animals.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

What should we call evolution driven by genetic engineering? Genetic welding, says researcher      (via sciencedaily.com) 

With CRISPR-Cas9 technology, humans can now rapidly change the evolutionary course of animals or plants by inserting genes that can easily spread through entire populations. An evolutionary geneticist proposes that we call this evolutionary meddling 'genetic welding.' He argues that we must scientifically and ethically scrutinize the potential consequences of genetic welding before we put it into practice.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Team designs molecule to disrupt SARS-CoV-2 infection      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team of scientists designed a molecule that disrupts the infection mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and could be used to develop new treatments for COVID-19 and other viral diseases.

Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Tiny yet hazardous: New study shows aerosols produced by contaminated bubble bursting are far smaller than predicted      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New research has shown that bursting bubbles coated by a thin oil layer produce drops with smaller sizes, greater overall number of drops, and are ejected at a higher velocity, compared to bubbles generated in clean water.

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

The Greenland Ice Sheet is close to a melting point of no return      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study using simulations identified two tipping points for the Greenland Ice Sheet: releasing 1000 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere will cause the southern portion of the ice sheet to melt; about 2500 gigatons of carbon means permanent loss of nearly the entire ice sheet. Having emitted about 500 gigatons of carbon, we're about halfway to the first tipping point.

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

HIV genomes that hide in white blood cells offer new target to eliminate infections      (via sciencedaily.com) 

To develop treatments that may one day entirely rid the body of HIV infection, scientists have long sought to identify all of the places that the virus can hide its genetic code. Now, in a study using blood samples from men and women with HIV on long-term suppressive therapy, a team of scientists reports new evidence that one such stable reservoir of HIV genomes can be found in circulating white blood cells called monocytes.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Colorful films could help buildings, cars keep their cool      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The cold blast of an air conditioner can be a relief as temperatures soar, but 'A/C' units require large amounts of energy and can leak greenhouse gases. Today, scientists report an eco-friendly alternative -- a plant-based film that cools when exposed to sunlight and comes in many textures and bright, iridescent colors. The material could someday keep buildings, cars and other structures cool without requiring power.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Molecular Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Human cells help researchers understand squid camouflage      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Squids and octopuses are masters of camouflage. But some aspects of how they become reversibly transparent are still 'unclear,' because researchers can't culture cephalopod skin cells in the lab. Now, researchers have replicated the tunable transparency of squid skin in mammalian cells, which are more easily cultured.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Technology Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Meet the hybrid micro-robot: The tiny robot that is able to navigate in a physiological environment and capture targeted damaged cells      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a hybrid micro-robot, the size of a single biological cell (about 10 microns across), that can be controlled and navigated using two different mechanisms -- electric and magnetic. The micro-robot is able to navigate between different cells in a biological sample, distinguish between different types of cells, identify whether they are healthy or dying, and then transport the desired cell for further study, such as genetic analysis.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geology
Published

Surprise effect: Methane cools even as it heats      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Most climate models do not yet account for a recent discovery: methane traps a great deal of heat in Earth's atmosphere, but also creates cooling clouds that offset 30% of the heat.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Vehicle exhaust filters do not remove ultrafine pollution      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Filters fitted to vehicle exhaust systems to remove particulate matter pollution have limited impact on ultrafine particles, new research shows.