ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News |
| Paris Climate Agreement goal still within reach, suggests new study Posted: 11 Feb 2022 01:13 PM PST A new study suggests some cautiously optimistic good news: The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement goal is still within reach, while apocalyptic, worst-case scenarios are no longer plausible. |
| Endangered delicacy: Tropical sea cucumbers in trouble Posted: 11 Feb 2022 07:27 AM PST Overharvest has put the Great Barrier Reef's tropical sea cucumber populations in peril, researchers have revealed, with strong demand for this delicacy from East and Southeast Asia. |
| New species of marine plankton discovered, an overlooked source of nutrients in the oceans Posted: 11 Feb 2022 07:27 AM PST A team of researchers has discovered two new and unusual species of diatoms in the waters off Hawai'i. The organisms were also found to fix nitrogen, a critical process that supports productivity in the nutrient-poor open ocean they inhabit. |
| Solar and wind power are key to decarbonizing Switzerland Posted: 11 Feb 2022 07:26 AM PST How can we reduce the carbon footprint of electricity consumption in Switzerland? The country relies on electricity imports from fossil fuel power plants, which are major emitters of greenhouse gases. |
| 7 to 9 percent of all European vascular plants are globally threatened, study finds Posted: 11 Feb 2022 07:26 AM PST Seven to nine percent of all vascular plant species occurring in Europe are globally threatened, according to a new study. Researchers combined Red Lists of endangered plant species in Europe with data on their global distribution. |
| How El Niño and drought affected the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Posted: 11 Feb 2022 07:25 AM PST The oceanic phenomenon El Niño significantly affected the number of enslaved Africans transported from West Africa to the Americas between the mid-1600s and mid-1800s, according to a new study. The study bridges atmospheric science with African history, carrying lessons for a warming future. It found that, much like tree rings and corals, El Niño can be used as a proxy for historical rainfall and temperature patterns in West Africa. |
| Strong and elastic, yet degradable: protein-based bioplastics Posted: 11 Feb 2022 07:20 AM PST More than eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year -- a serious danger for the environment and health. Biodegradable bioplastics could provide an alternative. A research team has now introduced a new method for the production of protein-based plastics that are easily processable, biodegradable, and biocompatible, as well as having favorable mechanical properties. |
| New insights into how metal exposures can impact fetal growth Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:41 PM PST A new study reveals how prenatal exposure to mixtures of commonly found metals can adversely affect fetal growth. |
| Mystery origin of iconic Aussie snakes unlocked Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:41 PM PST New research has found the first tangible evidence that the ancestors of some of Australia's most venomous snakes arrived by sea rather than by land -- the dispersal route of most other Australian reptiles. |
| It’s in the air – battery discovery takes up the charge Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:41 PM PST Clean energy researchers have designed a molecule to boost the performance of lithium-oxygen batteries to give electric vehicles the same driving range as petrol-fueled cars. Lithium-oxygen batteries are aimed to deliver maximum energy density through breathing air to generate electricity. To date, they have been beset by challenges, including low discharge capacity, poor energy efficiency and severe parasitic reactions. This molecule can simultaneously tackle those issues. |
| Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:41 PM PST Researchers show how magnetic flux sensors can be used to monitor the operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells that run on hydrogen. By detecting changes in current, failure states due to incorrect water levels can be identified. This work may lead to cost-effective sustainable energy generation for electric vehicles. |
| Computational modelling experts pioneer pest-busting model Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:41 PM PST Mathematicians have developed a new mathematical model which could greatly increase the efficiency of pest control and hence significantly reduce the impact of pests on crops whilst minimizing the damage to environment. |
| Poorest people bear growing burden of heat waves as temperatures rise Posted: 10 Feb 2022 09:58 AM PST Lower income populations currently face a 40% higher exposure to heat waves than people with higher incomes, according to a new study. By the end of the century, the poorest 25% of the world's population will be exposed to heat waves at a rate equivalent to the rest of the population combined. |
| How climate change can worsen impact of invasive plants Posted: 10 Feb 2022 09:58 AM PST A study tested the effects of prescribed fire on long-leaf pines grown under different conditions: drought, invasive plants, and a combination of the two. |
| Posted: 10 Feb 2022 08:40 AM PST Carbon capture and storage describes the process of injecting carbon dioxide from industrial sources into underground geological reservoirs, theoretically for thousands of years. Researchers used supercomputers to understand how carbon dioxide storage works at the level of micrometer-wide pores in rock. They found that two factors greatly impact the amount of carbon dioxide that can be stored: wettability and injection rate. |
| Closing in on the carbon costs of wildfires Posted: 10 Feb 2022 08:40 AM PST Wildfire and post-fire recovery could lead to more carbon being stored than released in the long term in savannahs and grasslands, according to a new study. The findings suggest that there is far stronger potential for cycles of fire and recovery to increase soil carbon stocks in these areas than in forests. |
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