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Environment - Life Sciences - 18.08.2023

Human-set fires 13,000 years ago led to extinction of megafauna in Southern California
Environment + Climate Research by UCLA and La Brea Tar Pits scientists upends theory that saber-toothed cats, other large mammals were hunted out of existence August 18, 2023 Key takeaways New research suggests that the rapid extinction of large mammals in Southern California about 13,000 years ago was likely due in part to major wildfires.

Environment - 17.08.2023

Understanding the intersections of climate change and Indigenous health and well-being
Waterloo researcher presents at the 16th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Waterloo Climate Institute Diverse knowledge and expertise are critical in understanding the intersections between health and climate change. Indigenous and local knowledge are fundamental in tackling this area of research and supporting the co-production of knowledge, bringing generations of wisdom, experience and practices to the discussion.

Chemistry - Environment - 17.08.2023

Collecting clean water from fog
Researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated the use of a specially coated metal mesh to harvest water from fog and simultaneously remove pollutants. People living in dry but foggy areas should benefit from this technology. In countries such as Peru, Bolivia and Chile, it's not uncommon for people who live in foggy areas to hang up nets to catch droplets of water.

Environment - 16.08.2023

Researchers from Utrecht University improve a web tool mapping global water challenges
Researchers from Utrecht University have improved the World Resources Institute's online Aqueduct 4. Water Risk Framework. In Aqueduct , the Water Resources Institute (WRI) compiles scientific information on global water scarcity and water-related hazards, and translates this information into clear but insightful maps for decision-makers and other non-scientific users.

Environment - 16.08.2023

Small wheatear on the move at high altitudes
Even though the summer is still in progress - for many birds the migration to the African winter quarters has already begun. Among them is the wheatear, which breeds in mountainous areas. On its 4500-kilometer journey, which takes about 30 days, the small bird can climb to an altitude of more than 5000 meters.

Environment - 16.08.2023

Alpine birds at an altitude of over 5000 metres
Autumn migration has begun. For our mountain dwellers, the black wheatear, it's time to set off for its African winter quarters. A new study by the Swiss Ornithological Institute reveals that on its 4500 km journey, completed in around 30 days, the little passerine can fly at altitudes of over 5000 m .

Earth Sciences - Environment - 16.08.2023

Funding
Woody plants are unusually common on oceanic islands. Scientists at the University of Bayreuth, together with research partners in Italy, Great Britain, Norway and Spain, have now discovered a new explanation for this phenomenon: With the lignification of biomass, many plant species native to oceanic islands have protected themselves from the impact of frequent volcanic eruptions, during which large areas are covered with huge amounts of ash.

Innovation - Environment - 15.08.2023

A new bio-inspired solar leaf design with increased harvesting efficiency
New research suggests a new solar energy design, inspired by nature, may pave the way for future renewable energy technologies. Photovoltaic solar energy is obtained by converting sunshine into electricity - and researchers from Imperial have developed a new leaf-like design with increased efficiency.

Chemistry - Environment - 14.08.2023

New materials for climate neutrality
Cluster of Excellence Materials for Energy Conversion & Storage In the Cluster of Excellence Materials for Energy Conversion & Storage (MECS) researchers from the Vienna University of Technology, IST Austria, the University of Innsbruck and the University of Vienna develop new technologies for efficient energy conversion and storage, in order to pave the way for a climate-neutral society.

Life Sciences - Environment - 14.08.2023

Curious kids
An experiment, conducted on wild orangutans, uncovers the conditions that spark curiosity Humans like to discover. Presented with something we've never seen before, most of us will be compelled to explore and learn more about it. The same can't exactly be said for our closest living relatives - the great apes.

Environment - Life Sciences - 14.08.2023

Urban great tits have paler plumage than their forest-living relatives
Known for their striking yellow breast feathers and distinctive song, great tits are a common sight in gardens and countryside alike. Now, new research has revealed that some great tits may be more brightly coloured that others, with urban birds found to have paler plumage than their countryside counterparts Known for their striking yellow breast feathers and distinctive song, great tits are a common sight in gardens and countryside alike.

Environment - Earth Sciences - 11.08.2023

Could artificially dimming the sun prevent ice melt?
With methods of so-called geoengineering, the climate could theoretically be artificially influenced and cooled. Bernese researchers have now investigated whether it would be possible to prevent the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet by artificially "dimming the sun". The results show that artificial influence does not work without decarbonization and entails high risks.

Environment - Paleontology - 11.08.2023

Extreme cooling ended the first human occupation of Europe
Paleoclimate evidence shows that around 1.1 million years ago, the southern European climate cooled significantly and likely caused an extinction of early humans on the continent, according to a new study led by UCL researchers. Published in the journal Science , the team of researchers discovered the occurrence of previously unknown extreme glacial conditions around 1.1 million years ago.

Environment - Health - 11.08.2023

Indigenous voices need to lead Australia’s response to the climate crisis
Australia must address historic and contemporary systemic racism to better tackle the climate crisis, was one of the key conclusions in a paper published in Science, in a special edition where the international publication turns its gaze on examining Australia's environmental challenges. The paper, co-written by leading Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research organisations, states that Indigenous people hold the knowledge to reform our relationship to the environment.

Environment - 11.08.2023

Marine heatwave impact on corals worse than previously thought
The effects of marine heatwaves caused by climate change on corals and biodiversity are worse than previously thought, according to new University of Victoria research published on Friday that also provides important clues about broader coral diversity and marine ecosystem health as the world grapples with record ocean temperatures.

Life Sciences - Environment - 10.08.2023

Warming oceans and rivers cause genomic changes in fish, scientists find
A study of four common fish species by University of Manchester scientists has revealed that gene expression changes when their developing embryos are exposed to warmer waters. The analysis of the small-spotted catshark, zebrafish, European seabass, and the three-spined stickleback is published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.

Environment - Earth Sciences - 10.08.2023

Then vs. now: Did the Horn of Africa reach a drought tipping point 11,700 years ago?
'Wet gets wetter, dry gets drier'. That mantra has been used for decennia to predict how global warming will affect the hydrological cycle in different world regions. But if climate models predict that much of tropical Africa will enjoy a future with wetter weather, then why does it keep getting drier in certain parts of the African tropics, like the Horn of Africa? An international team of researchers have found a pre-historic climate tipping point that helps explain the disparity between these model predictions and the intensifying drought conditions in the Horn of Africa.

Environment - 10.08.2023

3 Questions: Boosting concrete’s ability to serve as a natural ’carbon sink’
MIT CSHub postdoc Damian Stefaniuk unpacks new research to bolster concrete's natural carbon sequestration potential by adding sodium bicarbonate in mixes. Damian Stefaniuk is a postdoc at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub). He works with MIT professors Franz-Josef Ulm and Admir Masic of the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) to investigate multifunctional concrete.

Environment - Chemistry - 09.08.2023

Collaborative research to advance sustainability
Professor David Simakov is developing innovative technologies to solve complex environmental challenges By Nicola Kelly Faculty of Engineering David Simakov, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is actively engaged in two bold interdisciplinary collaborations with Canadian and international partners to advance UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Environment - Astronomy / Space Science - 09.08.2023

Measuring the Extent of Global Droughts in Unprecedented Detail
Researchers from the University of Bonn are re-analyzing satellite data to calculate global water distribution While some parts of the world suffer extreme heat and persistent drought, others are being flooded. Overall, continental water volumes vary so much over time that global sea levels fluctuate significantly too.