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Scientists from Lund University and Guangdong Ocean University modeled the impacts if solar farms covered 20% of the Sahara. Here's more on the potential geopolitical dynamics and their other findings.
Solar farms can become large enough to affect the weather around them and ultimately the climate as a whole.
A study from Ocean Conservatory and University of Toronto found microplastic particles in nearly 90% of 16 protein sources tested in the U.S. Even tofu and plant-based meat alternatives contained the plastic pollution.
An American adult consumes 11,500 microplastics a year, but annual exposure could be as high as 3.8 million particles.
A research review from Switzerland's Agroscope and Bern University of Applied Sciences details how solar panels affect berries, spinach, apple trees, dairy farms, and more when used in agriculture operations around the world.
Using solar panels on farms can produce both food and clean energy. But how does agrivoltaic use affect yields?
An Australian study of used coffee grounds found they weren't ideal for replacing the sand mixed into concrete. But when converted to coffee biochar, they show promise (and environmental benefit, too). Here's more on the work from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) scientists.
The findings offer an innovative way to greatly reduce the amount of organic waste from coffee that goes to landfill.
Vine agroforestry was a technique used to make wine in ancient Rome. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
now says agroforestry may offer benefits in a changing climate. Here's more on how it works from Dr. Dimitri Van Limbergen.
Their vineyards looked very different from today's landscape of rolling hillsides with rows of tightly spaced vines.
Honey yields have declined alongside bee populations, and factors like climate and soil quality play a role. Here's more from Penn State scientists studying how to boost honey production and protect pollinators.
The findings can enable beekeepers to predict honey yields and plant growers to understand pollination services.
For evolutionary biologist Tim Waring, it's not just that climate change presents great challenges to humanity. “Central features in human evolution are likely working against our ability to solve them," say Waring and their colleagues. So what are we to do?
Human evolution is mostly driven by cultural change, which is faster than genetic evolution.
The coastal redwoods of the United States show great capacity for adaptation. Here's more from Daniel Lewis of Cal Tech.
Redwoods, like all trees, are engineered marvels that thrive in a narrow strip of land in the US's Pacific Northwest.
Scientists from Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in the United Kingdom and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden warn that bird species are especially vulnerable to human-induced extinctions on biodiversity.
As many as 1,430 bird species, or nearly 12% of avian species, have gone extinct since the Late Pleistocene.
Norwegian environmental philosopher Arne Næss was known as the father of “deep ." His theories support a vision of human coexistence with wolves.
It boils down to how to coexist and the cultivation of ethical principles and values that undergird such coexistence.
Scientist Rebecca Hamilton and an international team studied records from 59 paleoenvironmental sites across tropical Southeast Asia. The results point to forest resilience in the face of climate change, if logging is curtailed and biodiversity protected.
Wanton logging has already wreaked havoc with tropical forests in the region, greatly reducing their sizes.
Moving your money to a climate-friendly banking partner can have real impact. A December Project Drawdown report offers financial insights you can apply in 2024.
Your money may be linked to GHG emissions through institutional lending and fossil fuel finance. But you can drive change through banking.
Rather than trying to replace bees with robots, the latest EU-funded projects are designed for them to work together. Here's how.
Struggling honeybee colonies could become bio-hybrid entities with biological and technological components.
Scientists from University of Adelaide are working on a new way to reuse plastics by converting them into other products.
Plastic waste is an untapped resource that can be recycled and processed into new plastics and other products.
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand led the effort to free 12 tigers and 3 leopards from suspected traffickers. "We are hopeful that 35 tigers in total will eventually be rescued from the farm," the group said.
The first animals were chosen on the basis of their condition with a priority given to those in the worst shape.
Biotech firms are promoting GMO crops but the focus should be on restoring what industrial agriculture has destroyed: farmers’ livelihoods, biodiversity and soil health. Here's more from experts Anneleen Kenis and Barbara Van Dyck:
Biotech firms have been trying to sell GMOs to Europeans for decades, but most Europeans remain wary.
The UK's SparxelI developed a process to make color and sparkle climate friendly, with plant-based materials and design found in berries and bird wings. Now it's winning awards for everything from glitter and sequins to beverage packaging and automotive coatings.
UK startup Sparxell relies on materials and designs found in nature to make glitter, sequins, makeup, and more in paints and packaging.
Scientists reconstructed 21,000 years of European bison range to learn how dynamics like warming temps led to their loss. Today, there are 7,300 free-range bison, but Poland, Ukraine and others might offer habitats suitable for their reintroduction.
The threats of climate change, reduced habitats and poaching remain as strong as ever for reintroduced bison.
It's a challenge to quantify the economic impacts of climate change. U.S. researchers, working with colleagues from Fondazione Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici in Italy, explain the costs of the benefits lost.
Natural capital, which comprises the benefits of natural resources to people, contribute to economies and human wellbeing.
Nearly all birds in North America – some 80% – migrate each spring and fall. And of those species that migrate, 70% travel at night. Scientists from six U.S. universities and the National Park Service explain why artificial light is among their greatest threats.
Light pollution is growing in North America by up to 10% a year as measured by the visibility of stars in the night sky.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber closed out COP28 by vowing to "follow our North Star" with a deal to transition away from fossil fuels. But leaders and activists urge fossil phaseout and faster climate action to avert catastrophe.
COP28 ends with historic words on fossil fuel "transition." But activists say words fall short of the climate action needed to limit impacts.
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world with well over 2 billion cups of it consumed daily, yet coffee yields could plummet by 50% in coming decades. Lab-grown coffee may prove a solution.
Longer roasting times produced colors similar to dark roast coffee beans too.
The European Union needs to move beyond "Farm to Fork" food labels and scores, and leverage the COP28 momentum toward building sustainable food systems.
While negotiations remained a “mixed picture” at the midpoint of the Dubai-hosted COP28 climate summit, its first week notably produced landmark agreements on food and health. In early December, over 130 countries signed up to a declaration on resilient, sustainable agriculture, while 123 nation...
Three University of Queensland experts counted species they found at a shared house in Brisbane during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The total was more than 1,000, exceeding by far the estimate of 200 made by colleagues at the start of their observations.
"After just two months scientists already discovered 777 species on a single property with many more to follow.
Shannon Gibson of University of Southern California-Dornsife explains why the COP28 commitment to ramp up climate finance is welcome ~ but don't applaud any deal (or loss and damage funding) just yet.
The applause might not yet be warranted and the deal leaves much undecided and has been met with criticism.
A robot with 3D-printed parts, designed to mimic the Hawaiian apple snail, may become another solution to plastic pollution in the marine environment.
The robot imitates the undulating motion of the snails's underside to drive water surface flow and suck in floating particles.
Noise pollution has been linked to human health risks. Now, a Colorado State University study of 83 U.S. cities finds high noise levels in once "redlined" neighborhoods, where the legacy of racial inequity has persisted for decades.
The once-redlined neighborhoods of 83 U.S. cities show higher noise pollution levels (a health risk) than those of wealthier White neighbors.
Social media photos posted by nature enthusiasts allowed scientists in Bangladesh to map habitats and identify high-priority areas for conservation.
If you like taking pictures of nature and posting them online, you can help conservationists track species distribution.
Negotiations are behind schedule, but a binding treaty on plastic pollution moves forward. Sarah Morath of Wake Forest University Law School explains why it's critical to solving the plastic pollution problem.
Some countries focus on end-of-life measures like disposal and recycling while others prioritize reducing production.
Plant-based diets can help in the fight against climate change, but the human health benefits seem clear in a Stanford-led study that compared effects of the vegan and omnivore diets in 22 sets of twins.
Participants on a vegan diet showed a drop in their LDL cholesterol, insulin and weight, which are all beneficial.
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