The fungus Parengyodontium album has been found to break down polyethylene waste in the marine environment at a rate of around 0.05% per dayCredit: DepositphotosIt's evident that we have a significant plastic waste problem, but various initiatives aim to curb it while also addressing the existing pollution. Nature is also stepping in, as scientists have discovered...
President Joe Biden speaks at an Earth Day event on April 22, 2024 in Triangle, VA. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA)The US government is aiming to support carbon offsets by endorsing industry-led efforts to reform a market that has faced increasing criticism.The Biden administration has introduced a set of principles to define “high-integrity” carbon...
Two images of a wheat spike. The top image is a spike from an alog1 mutant, with additional spikelets highlighted in pink. The bottom image is a normal spike from a plant without the edited gene. Credit: University of AdelaideScientists have uncovered new insights into the role of a well-known wheat gene, Photoperiod-1 (Ppd-1),...
Credit: DepositphotosA new study anticipates a worsening global water scarcity scenario, projecting that by 2100, as much as 66% of the population could be impacted, particularly in regions of the Global South.This highlights the urgent necessity to address both the quantity and quality of water in forthcoming water management strategies.Conducted by researchers at Utrecht...
Scientists have been fertilizing microalgae "crops" with feces from farmed mealwormsDALL-EIn the pursuit of eco-friendly protein sources surpassing traditional livestock, insects and microalgae emerge as leading contenders. Recently, scientists have developed a technique that utilizes waste from insects as nourishment for microalgae.The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization highlights that meat production contributes to...
Credit: PixabayOn May 20th, 2024, a 380 square kilometer (~147 mi²) iceberg separated from the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. This event, known as A-83, marks the third major iceberg calving in this area in the last four years.In 2021, the first significant event occurred when A-74 separated from the ice sheet, followed by...
Credit: PixabayIn Antarctica, massive glaciers are constantly shifting, with ice streams acting like conveyor belts that transport most of the ice and sediment debris from these glaciers to the ocean.According to new research from Washington University in St. Louis, one such ice stream displaces the entire Ross Ice Shelf at least once daily. This...
An aerial view of the rust-colored Kutuk River in Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. Thawing permafrost is exposing minerals to weathering, increasing the acidity of the water, which releases metals like iron, zinc and copperFor the first time, a large team of North American scientists has mapped Alaska's 'rusting' rivers and...
Credit: PixabayCarbon pricing systems have empirically reduced emissions by 5 to 21% in their initial years of operation. A research team has compiled findings from 17 real-world climate policies worldwide, offering a more comprehensive understanding than ever before. They employed artificial intelligence to consolidate existing surveys and made them comparable through a new calculation...
This ancient ice block is helping tell the true story of global warmingOSUAlthough there's increasing evidence suggesting that we're experiencing unparalleled levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases, our limited historical understanding has impeded our ability to contextualize current CO2 emissions over the long term. What if we could utilize the Earth's natural historical records to...
