Environment

Young scientists are blurring the boundaries between advocacy and research, according to Luciana Miu, vice chair of the 2019 International Student Energy Summit. Image by David Holt on Flickr, CC-BY 2.0

interview | energy | policy | environment

29 May 2019

‘Young scientists share protesters’ sense of urgency on climate’

Young scientists have the ambition, disruptive thinking and sense of urgency to drive clean energy forward at the radical pace that is needed, says Luciana Miu, a PhD student in chemical engineering who is focusing on energy efficiency at Imperial College London, UK.

Minor cereals such as einkorn can add to the diversity of our food production. Image credit - Pixabay/Kamelia, licensed under the pixabay license

environment

29 May 2019

Rare crops crucial to protect Europe’s food supply, boost health

Rye bread or porridge oats may not be everyone’s first choice of breakfast, but scientists say Europeans need to broaden their taste in cereals both to boost their own health and to protect the future of Europe’s farming.

Harmless doses of chemicals can form mixtures inside our bodies and the health risks of this are not yet fully understood. Image credit - Flickr/CGP Grey, licensed under CC BY 2.0

environment | health

15 May 2019

Chemical mixtures pose ‘underestimated’ risk to human health say scientists

Each of us harbours hundreds of man-made chemicals inside our bodies because we are exposed to them in our daily lives. While individual chemicals may not be of immediate concern to public health, scientists now worry that certain mixtures of them may pose previously underestimated risks to health.

There is 'large uncertainty' surrounding the risk from microplastics, pieces of plastic less than 5mm wide, says Prof. Bart Koelmans. Image credit - 5Gyres, courtesy of Oregon State University licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0

interview | environment | policy

30 April 2019

‘We still don’t know enough about the dangers of microplastics’

An estimated 5.25 trillion particles of plastic float in Earth’s oceans, threatening not only the health of marine ecosystems and animals, but that of humans in the water we drink and the food we eat. However, research into the extent of the dangers posed by microplastics is still just in its infancy.

The glass sponge Vazella pourtalesi, found on the Scotian Shelf, is one of about 8,500 sponge species that is known to exist. Image credit - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

environment

29 April 2019

Sponges and corals: Seafloor assessments to help protect against climate change

Little is known about deep ocean environments. But scientists focussing on the depths of the North Atlantic are now learning more about their ecosystems - including the role of vast sea sponge grounds – and how to safeguard them against the effects of climate change and industry.

To meet the world's growing water needs, we need to squeeze the most out of every drop, which means seeing wastewater as a valuable resource. Image Credit - Danilo Pinzon / World Bank (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

environment

04 April 2019

Mining sewage for fertilisers and energy to prevent water shortages

Transforming the dirty water we flush down the drain into new products, such as clean energy and fertilisers, can help prevent reservoirs from running dry and change the way this valuable resource is viewed.

The fan mussel depends on seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean. Image credit - Fan mussel (Pinna nobilis) by Arnaud Abadie is licensed under CC BY 2.0

environment

25 March 2019

Biodiversity loss in the oceans can be reversed through habitat restoration

Activities such as laying gas pipelines, trawling for fish, drilling for oil, and even burying internet cables in the deep sea, are destroying marine ecosystems. But studies have shown that reintroducing seaweed and corals to these habitats could ward off the worst effects – and recover marine life.

There is concern that climate change is happening too fast for forests to adapt, so scientists are giving them a helping hand. Image credit - Mehdi Pringarbe/INRA Avignon, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

agriculture | environment

21 March 2019

Genetic diversity maps to help forests survive climate change

Forests have a special magic for many of us. Steeped in folklore and fantasy, they are places for enchantments, mythical creatures and outlaws. But if they are to survive into the future, they may also need a helping hand from science.

environment

19 March 2019

The business of biodiversity: can we put a value on nature?

Nature provides people with everything from food and water to timber, textiles, medicinal resources and pollination of crops. Now, a new approach aims to measure exactly what a specific ecosystem supplies in order to incentivise decision-makers and businesses to help combat biodiversity loss.

The brown-throated sloth has three toes and adapted to life in the trees before the two-toed sloth did. Image Credit - Flickr/Harry and Rowena Kennedy CC BY-NC-ND 4.0/ CC BY 3.0

environment

12 March 2019

Sloths: how did two different animals wind up looking so similar?

Sloths and guppies appear to have little in common – one is an arboreal mammal living in the slow lane, while the other is a tiny tropical fish with a frantic existence. Yet both could hold the key to better understanding a fundamental process of evolution.