Virginia Tech has pedaled its way to national recognition as a gold level Bicycle Friendly University, a prestigious designation awarded by the League of American Bicyclists.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has determined that reducing methane gas emissions will immediately reduce the rise in global temperatures. The gas is up to 85 times more potent of a greenhouse gas than CO2, and more than half of it is emitted by human sources, with cattle and fossil fuel production accounting for the largest share.
New research published in the January issue of Nature Cities examines, for the first time, the potential benefits of combining heat adaptation strategies with mitigation strategies to lessen heat exposure across major U.S. cities. It also identifies the regions in which these strategies could best benefit future populations.
Exposure to phthalates, a group of plasticizing and solvent chemicals found in many household products, was linked to a lower probability of getting pregnant, but not to pregnancy loss, according to research by a University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental and reproductive epidemiologist.
Puerto Rico has faced several human-made and natural crises in recent years, including the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Building disaster resilience and recovery is crucial for community well-being and requires a comprehensive approach with cooperation from multiple organizations. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines the partnership between a Puerto Rican non-governmental organization (NGO) and a group of academics.
Most modern ocean models focus on two categories of waves: a barotropic system, which has a fast wave propagation speed, and a baroclinic system, which has a slow wave propagation speed. To help address the challenge of simulating these two modes simultaneously, a team from DOE’s Oak Ridge, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories has developed a new solver algorithm that reduces the total run time of the Model for Prediction Across Scales-Ocean, or MPAS-Ocean, E3SM’s ocean circulation model, by 45%.
Pollution spewing from a booming global economy poses a number of different threats to human health. Researchers from Zhongyuan University of Technology proposed a new possible avenue to efficiently convert nitrate, a widespread water pollutant, back to valuable ammonia.
Ecosystems fulfil a number of vital tasks: They store carbon, clean polluted water, pollinate plants and so on. How well an ecosystem can fulfil these tasks depends largely on its biodiversity, i.e. the variety of plants, animals and microorganisms that live in it.
In a ground-breaking first, researchers have predicted full lifecycle carbon emissions of vehicles using different transportation modes such as high-speed railways, private vehicle and bus.
The program, “Building Capacity in Microbiome Innovation for Plant Health, Soil Fertility and Environmental Sustainability,” is the first workforce-development USDA-NIFA grant to a research-intensive Hispanic-Serving Institution, which will help address the complex challenges facing traditional agriculture and declining interest of the next generation in food, agriculture and natural resources careers.
Nutrient runoff from agricultural production is a significant source of water pollution in the U.S., and climate change that produces extreme weather events is likely to exacerbate the problem. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at how extreme rainfall impacts runoff and suggests possible mitigation strategies.
Around Anchorage, communications among the critically endangered population of Cook Inlet beluga whales may be masked by ship noise in their core critical habitat, accordingly to the first repertoire of their calls.
Dr. Jiajue Chai at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) received two National Science Foundation grants totaling nearly $700,000 to advance research on improving air quality in large cities. Chai, an assistant professor in ESF’s Department of Chemistry, studies how atmospheric compositions influence air quality, ecosystem health, and climate change.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers, along with scientists from more than a dozen institutions, have completed a first-of-its-kind high-resolution assessment of carbon dioxide (CO2) removal (CDR) in the United States.
“The ministers chose today to break from traditional silos and to pursue strategies that put nature at the heart of climate change responses.” –Joe Walston, Executive Vice President of WCS Global Conservation
Dubai, Dec. 9, 2023 – The following statement was issued today by Daneil Zarin, Executive Director of Forests and Climate Change at the Wildlife Conservation Society:
Magnesium oxide is a promising material for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and injecting it deep underground to limit the effects of climate change. But making the method economical will require discovering the speed at which carbon dioxide is absorbed and how environmental conditions affect the chemical reactions involved.
As sea level continues to rise, threatening ecosystems, communities and infrastructure, experts are searching for ways to better understand how coastal environments may change in the future.
A team of sustainability scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced in the journal PLOS ONE that they have developed a community-based framework, founded on extensive local and traditional knowledge, to help assess and respond to the kinds of ecological threats that are widely dispersed across a varied landscape and whose solutions are not immediately obvious.
Researchers at the FLEXLAB® facility, a unique buildings testbed at Berkeley Lab, are helping the buildings and utilities sectors and U.S. policymakers develop new technologies for a zero-low-emissions grid.
A greenhouse gas far more potent than CO2, methane emissions are blamed for at least a quarter of the climate change underway on Earth. Researchers are exploring way to put microbes to work removing enough of that methane from the atmosphere to dampen global warming.
Syngenta Crop Protection, a global leader in agricultural innovation, has become a sponsor of the International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research, cementing a pioneering partnership between the research community and industry aimed at advancing fundamental science to accelerate sustainable agriculture.
Since 2011, parts of the Indian River Lagoon’s benthic cover has changed from primarily seagrass until 2015, to primarily the green macroalga C. prolifera after 2018. While native to the lagoon, C. prolifera acts as an invasive species that can move into new spaces and dominate due to its competitive ability in impaired habitats.
Michael Berkowitz, who heads up the University of Miami’s Climate Resilience Academy, is in Dubai for the United Nation’s 28th Conference of the Parties, the climate summit commonly referred to as COP28. Here’s what’s important to him.
The following statement was issued by WCS President and CEO Monica Medina concerning the US Administration’s announcement today of a new $3 Billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund, the largest fund supporting climate action in developing countries:
“The COP28 UAE Presidency in collaboration with the World Health Organization and other partners is holding the first ever Health Day and climate-health ministerial.
What: As climate experts and diplomats gather in Dubai for COP28, American University experts are available for commentary and analysis of what to expect from this important international forum and related issues. When: November 28, 2023 - ongoing Where: In-person, virtual, in-studio Background: American University experts who are available for comments include: Julie Anderson is a professorial lecturer at the Kogod School of Business.
Despite their tiny sizes, aerosols, such as sea salt, dust, and ash, play a giant role in shaping weather and climate. These particles scatter light, act as the starting point for cloud formation, and can even initiate or limit rainfall.
A new study from the UW found that unfiltered air from rush-hour traffic significantly increased passengers’ blood pressure, both while in the car and up to 24 hours later.
Mediante su Programa de Sustentabilidad Ambiental, NOIRLab de NSF reducirá la totalidad de su huella de carbón anual en un 50% hacia fines de 2027, gracias a distintas asignaciones de fondos suplementarios de la Fundación Nacional de Ciencias de los Estados Unidos para la instalación de paneles solares y baterías en los telescopios de Gemini Sur y Vera C. Rubin, ambos situados en Chile, además de otras mejoras en las instalaciones de la base de operaciones y en las cumbres.
Running in cold weather has many benefits, including reduced heat stress, boosted metabolism, elevated mood, and burning more calories. Just be sure to dress in layers and take safety precautions.
Can you turn manure into a cow, chicken or fish? Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are looking to do just that, in a roundabout, circular economy, kind of way.
Forest modeling by Oregon State University scientists shows that a site’s productivity – an indicator of how fast trees grow and how much biomass they accumulate – is the main factor that determines which time period between timber harvests allows for maximum above-ground carbon sequestration.
The November 2023 issue of Toxicological Sciences includes ToxSpotlight articles that examine the renal proximal tubule microphysiological system as an in vitro model for drug transport and toxicity studies and an integrated approach for early in vitro seizure prediction utilizing hiPSC neurons and human ion channel assays.
New research published today in leading international journal Science Advances paints an uncharacteristically upbeat picture for the planet. This is because more realistic ecological modelling suggests the world’s plants may be able to take up more atmospheric CO2 from human activities than previously predicted.
We’ve all heard it: Put a frog in boiling water, and it will jump out. But put the same frog in lukewarm water and heat it gradually, and you’ll cook the frog.