Crowd oil -- Fuels from air-conditioning systems Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Toronto have proposed a method enabling air conditioning and ventilation systems to produce synthetic fuels from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water from the ambient air. Compact
2019-05-03 00:00:00
Climate extremes explain 18%-43% of global crop yield variations Climate extremes, such as drought, heatwaves, heavy precipitation and more are responsible for 18%-43% of variation in crop yields for maize, spring wheat, rice and soybeans. according to a new paper published in Environmental Research Letters. The resear
2019-05-03 00:00:00
Localized efforts to save coral reefs won't be enough, study suggests A National Science Foundation study of factors that cause corals stress suggests that localized attempts to curb pollution on reefs won't save them without a worldwide effort to reduce global warming.
2019-05-02 00:00:00
How could a changing climate affect human fertility? Human adaptation to climate change may include changes in fertility, according to a new study by an international group of researchers. They found that, through its economic effects, climate change could have a substantial impact on fertility, as people d
2019-05-02 00:00:00
Climate change: What do all the terms mean? Use our translator tool to find out what all the scientific terms used to discuss climate change actually mean.
2019-05-01 14:13:36
NASA study: Human influence on global droughts goes back 100 years Human-generated greenhouse gases and atmospheric particles were affecting global drought risk as far back as the early 20th century, according to a study from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City.
2019-05-01 00:00:00
Narwhals have endured a million years with low genetic diversity, and they're thriving Danish researchers have sequenced the genome of a narwhal, the Arctic whale famous for the horn-like tusk protruding from its forehead. Their work, appearing May 1 in the journal iScience, finds that compared to other Arctic marine mammals, narwhals have
2019-05-01 00:00:00
Signs of faster melting in world's largest ice shelf Part of the world's largest ice shelf is melting 10 times faster than the rest, shedding light on how it might respond to climate change.
2019-04-30 14:27:17
Field study finds pellet-fed stoves cut air pollutant emissions 90% A field study finds that a new cookstove design, which makes use of compressed wood pellets, reduces air pollution by about 90% for a range of contaminants associated with health problems and climate change. The findings stem from a Rwanda field study des
2019-04-30 00:00:00
Rapid permafrost thaw unrecognized threat to landscape, global warming researcher warns University of Guelph Prof. Merritt Turetsky and an international team of researchers asssessed abrupt thaw studies across the permafrost zone to estimate the overall effect. They found carbon emissions have the potential to double the climate feedback ass
2019-04-30 00:00:00
Preventing collapse after catastrophe As the impacts of climate change escalate, ecosystems will likely undergo events that will disrupt entire populations. In marine ecosystems, anthropogenic warming has subjected organisms to elevated temperatures, oxygen loss, and acidification. The increa
2019-04-25 00:00:00
New view of how ocean 'pumps' impact climate change A new Rochester study has found that factors such as wind, currents, and even small fish play a larger role in transferring and storing carbon from the surface of the ocean to the deep oceans than was previously thought.
2019-04-25 00:00:00
Human-caused climate change played limited role in Beijing's 2013 'airpocalypse' Although the particulate matter that filled the winter skies resulted from both human and natural emissions, a new Northwestern University study concludes that human-caused climate change played only a minor role in the air's stagnation.
2019-04-25 00:00:00
Major deep carbon sink linked to microbes found near volcano chains Up to about 19% more carbon dioxide than previously believed is removed naturally and stored underground between coastal trenches and inland chains of volcanoes, keeping the greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere, according to a study in the journal
2019-04-24 00:00:00
Reindeer adapt to climate change by eating seaweed The arctic archipelago of Svalbard is already experiencing dramatic effects from climate change. A new study shows how these changes can force wild reindeer to graze on seaweed, a strategy that increases their likelihood of survival -- and is recorded in
2019-04-24 00:00:00
Antarctica: the final frontier for marine biological invasions? A new study looking at the implications of increased shipping activity and the impact on Antarctic marine biodiversity is published this week in the journal Global Change Biology. The research is an important step in the quest to understand whether invas
2019-04-24 00:00:00
Carbon dioxide from Silicon Valley affects the chemistry of Monterey Bay Elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide in air flowing out to sea from Silicon Valley and the Salinas Valley could increase the amount of carbon dioxide dissolving in Monterey Bay waters by about 20 percent.
2019-04-23 00:00:00
New study compiles gulf of maine seasonal wildlife timing shifts Many researchers and amateur naturalists track dates for the first robin or pond ice-out; such records offer data on timing of plant and animal life cycle events known as phenology. While such observations are common in terrestrial systems, a new report l
2019-04-23 00:00:00
Researchers create artificial mother-of-pearl using bacteria A University of Rochester biologist invented an inexpensive and environmentally friendly method for making artificial nacre using an innovative component: bacteria. The artificial nacre is made of biologically produced materials and has the toughness of n
2019-04-23 00:00:00
Soft tissue makes coral tougher in the face of climate change A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa and the California Academy of Sciences revealed soft tissues that cover the rocky coral skeleton promote the recovery of corals following a bleaching event.
2019-04-23 00:00:00
Modified 'white graphene' for eco-friendly energy Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), together with colleagues from the United States and Germany, have found a way to obtain inexpensive catalysts from hexagonal boron nitride or "white graphene". The technology can be used in the
2019-04-22 00:00:00
From coal to gas: How the shift can help stabilize climate change A transition from coal-based energy to cleaner-burning gas has long been viewed as a staple of many climate action plans, despite concerns over leakage and possible harmful emissions. A recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change finds tha
2019-04-22 00:00:00
Study: Reducing energy required to convert CO2 waste into valuable resources Surplus industrial carbon dioxide creates an opportunity to convert waste into a valuable commodity. Excess CO2 can be a feedstock for chemicals typically derived from fossil fuels, but the process is energy-intensive and expensive. University of Illinois
2019-04-22 00:00:00
Climate change has worsened global economic inequality The gap between the economic output of the world's richest and poorest countries is 25 percent larger today than it would have been without global warming, according to new research from Stanford University.
2019-04-22 00:00:00
Giant tortoises migrate unpredictably in the face of climate change Researchers use GPS to track the timing and patterns of giant tortoise migration over multiple years. The tortoises often take the same migration routes over many years in order to find optimal food quality and temperatures. The timing of this migration i
2019-04-18 00:00:00
Could computer games help farmers adapt to climate change? Researchers from Sweden and Finland have developed the interactive web-based Maladaptation Game, which can be used to better understand how Nordic farmers make decisions regarding environmental changes and how they negotiate the negative impacts of potent
2019-04-18 00:00:00
Plants and microbes shape global biomes through local underground alliances Princeton University researchers report that the distribution of forest types worldwide is based on the relationships plant species forged with soil microbes to enhance their uptake of nutrients. These symbioses could help scientists understand how ecosys
2019-04-17 00:00:00
Climate change threatens endangered sparrows A new study in The Condor: Ornithological Applications finds that some sparrow species will go extinct within the century due to climate change.
2019-04-16 00:00:00
How inland waters 'breathe' carbon -- and what it means for global systems A new Yale study reveals important insights into the factors that influence the release of greenhouse gases from rivers and streams, including a key relationship between storm events, ecology, and topography in moderating this release.
2019-04-16 00:00:00
Climate change to blame for Hurricane Maria's extreme rainfall Hurricane Maria dropped more rain on Puerto Rico than any storm to hit the island since 1956, a feat due mostly to the effects of human-caused climate warming, new research finds.
2019-04-16 00:00:00
Corals in the Red Sea offer long-term view of the south Asian summer monsoon When it comes to understanding future climate, the south Asian summer monsoon offers a paradox. Most climate models predict that as human-caused global warming increases, monsoon rain and wind will become more intense -- but weather data collected in the
2019-04-16 00:00:00
What Earth's gravity reveals about climate change On March 17, 2002, the satellite duo GRACE was launched to map the Earth's gravity field more precisely than ever before. The measurements make it possible to monitor the terrestrial water cycle, the mass balance of ice sheets and glaciers or changes in s
2019-04-16 00:00:00
NASA study verifies global warming trends A new study by researchers from NASA has verified the accuracy of recent global warming figures.The team used measurements of the 'skin' temperature of the Earth taken by a satellite-based infrared measurement system called AIRS (Atmospheric Infra-Red Sou
2019-04-16 00:00:00
Predictability limit: Scientists find bounds of weather forecasting In the future, weather forecasts that provide storm warnings and help us plan our daily lives could come up to five days sooner before reaching the limits of numerical weather prediction, scientists said.
2019-04-15 00:00:00
Leveraging scientists' perceptions for successful interactions with policy makers Creating new policies that deal with important issues like climate change requires input from geoscientists. Policy makers, media outlets, and the general public are interested in hearing from experts, and scientists are put under increasing amounts of pr
2019-04-15 00:00:00
Plastic's carbon footprint From campaigns against microplastics to news of the great Pacific garbage patch, public awareness is growing about the outsized effect plastic has on the world's oceans. However, its effect on the air is far less obvious. Plastic production, use, and disp
2019-04-15 00:00:00
Climate change could undermine children's education and development in the tropics A new study by a University of Maryland researcher published in the April 15, 2019, issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concludes that exposure to extreme heat and precipitation in prenatal and early childhood years in cou
2019-04-15 00:00:00
Could climate change cause infertility? A number of plant and animal species could find it increasingly difficult to reproduce if climate change worsens and global temperatures become more extreme -- a stark warning highlighted by new scientific research.
2019-04-15 00:00:00
Electric vehicle adoption improves air quality and climate outlook A Northwestern University study quantified the differences in air pollution generated from battery-powered electric vehicles versus internal combustion engines. The researchers found that even when their electricity is generated from combustion sources, e
2019-04-12 00:00:00
New research adds to work of Prandtl, father of modern aerodynamics Not only will this discovery be important for agriculture, aviation and weather prediction, but it will also be vital for climate change research and associated sea-level rise, as accurate prediction of katabatic surface wind profiles over large ice sheet
2019-04-11 00:00:00
Ice Ages occur when tropical islands and continents collide Earth's steady state is warm and balmy, but half a dozen times over the past billion years, the planet developed ice caps and glaciers. Researchers have now amassed evidence that these cold snaps occurred when tectonic activity propelled continents headlo
2019-04-11 00:00:00
Study: How will tropical mammals react to rising temperatures? How wildlife will react to climate change is an open question, but one of the first studies to compare the responses of tropical mammals to warmer habitats suggests the answer won't be as simple as 'move to a cooler place.'
2019-04-11 00:00:00
Driving a wedge into historic gaps of climate science Evidence of historic marine life present in Alaskan permafrost is helping scientists reconstruct ancient changes in the ice cover over the Arctic Ocean.
2019-04-11 00:00:00
New research reveals climate change secrets hidden in the Yukon permafrost A study from U of T Mississauga uses new research techniques to reveal alarming information about climate change in Canada's north. A study published in Nature Communications confirms that recent climate warming in the central Yukon region has surpassed t
2019-04-10 00:00:00
Simultaneous heatwaves caused by anthropogenic climate change Without the climate change caused by human activity, simultaneous heatwaves would not have hit such a large area as they did last summer. This is the conclusion of researchers at ETH Zurich based on observational and model data.
2019-04-10 00:00:00
Human activities shift dominant tree-fungi pairing in North America The dominant type of tree-fungi pairing found in North American forests has shifted during the past three decades, in response in human activities such as increased nitrogen deposition and fire suppression, as well as climate change.
2019-04-10 00:00:00
Reducing greenhouse gases while balancing demand for meat Humans' love for meat could be hurting the planet. Many of the steps involved in the meat supply chain result in greenhouse gas emissions. But a new international study in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology evaluates several strategies that could
2019-04-10 00:00:00
Shrinking the carbon footprint of a chemical in everyday objects MIT chemical engineers have devised an alternative approach to synthesizing epoxides, a type of chemical that is found in many products, including plastics, pharmaceuticals and textiles. Their approach could reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by
2019-04-09 00:00:00
Everyday enzymes, now grown in plants Whether we know it or not, enzymes play a role in a range of everyday products, from orange juice to denim jeans. Using his innovative plant-based platform and a new startup company, the University of Pennsylvania's Henry Daniell and colleagues are transf
2019-04-09 00:00:00
Study gives new insight into how climate change is transforming Virginia's barrier islands A new study of Virginia's barrier islands off the coast of the Eastern Shore provides a fundamental understanding of how barrier islands will change in the near future amid a warming climate, sea-level rise and storm events such as hurricanes and nor'east
2019-04-09 00:00:00
Genetic breakthrough on tropical grass could help develop climate-friendly cattle farms Researchers at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) have shown that Brachiaria grass species can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cattle and increase productivity -- and breeding improved varieties can potentially augment the envir
2019-04-09 00:00:00
Engineers develop concept for hybrid heavy-duty trucks Researchers at MIT have devised a new way of powering heavy-duty trucks that could drastically curb pollution, increase efficiency, and reduce or even eliminate their net greenhouse gas emissions.
2019-04-08 00:00:00
Climate change impacts peatland CO2 gas exchange primarily via moisture conditions A new study led by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and Natural Resources Institute Finland suggests that peatland CO2 exchange is more strongly influenced by drying than warming as such, and that soil moisture may be critical to determi
2019-04-08 00:00:00
The carbon offset market: Leveraging forest carbon's value in the Brazilian Amazon As companies seek and are required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, the world's carbon markets are expanding. A government-run program in the Amazon rainforest in northwestern Brazil transforms forest carbon value into public wealth by focusing o
2019-04-05 00:00:00
Tokyo Tech scientists discover deep microbes' key contribution to Earth's carbon cycle Hydrocarbons play key roles in atmospheric and biogeochemistry, the energy economy, and climate change. Most hydrocarbons form in anaerobic environments through high temperature or microbial decomposition of organic matter. Subsurface microorganisms can a
2019-04-04 00:00:00
Global warming disrupts recovery of coral reefs The damage caused to the Great Barrier Reef by global warming has compromised the capacity of its corals to recover, according to new research published today in Nature.'Dead corals don't make babies,' said lead author Professor Terry Hughes, Director of
2019-04-03 00:00:00
Permian volcanism contributed to atmospheric greenhouse gas content in Antarctica The Choiyoi magmatic Province, with an estimated volume of ~1.3 million square kilometers, represents a voluminous Permian subduction-related volcanic episode that has thus far been described only from South America. In their new paper for Lithosphere, De
2019-04-02 00:00:00
New 'blue-green' solution for recycling world's batteries Rice University materials scientists demonstrate an environmentally friendly solution to remove valuable cobalt and lithium metals from spent lithium-ion batteries. The metals and the eutectic solvent they use to extract them can then be recycled.
2019-04-01 00:00:00
Be the change you want to see in the world Individuals have as big a role to play in tackling climate change as major corporations but only if they can be encouraged to make significant lifestyle changes by effective government policy, a major new European study co-authored by a University of Suss
2019-04-01 00:00:00
Cleaning up oil using magnets In the future, it could be possible to remove oil spills on the surface of the ocean by using magnets. An interdisciplinary group of researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg led by Professor Dr. Marcus Halik has developed
2019-04-01 00:00:00
Natural climate processes overshadow recent human-induced Walker circulation trends A new study, published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change, shows that the recent intensification of the equatorial Pacific wind system, known as Walker Circulation, is unrelated to human influences and can be explained by natural processes. Th
2019-04-01 00:00:00
Climate change: How green is your parcel? The Royal Mail is introducing e-trikes but what are other delivery companies doing to cut their emissions?
2019-03-29 01:15:59
New plant breeding technologies for food security An international team, including researchers from the University of Göttingen, argues in a perspective article recently published in "Science" that new plant breeding technologies can contribute significantly to food security and sustainabl
2019-03-29 00:00:00
Changes in onset of spring linked to more allergies across the US Human-induced climate change is disrupting nature's calendar, including when plants bloom and the spring season starts, and new research from the University of School of Public Health suggests we're increasingly paying the price for it in the form of seas
2019-03-28 00:00:00
Climate change: Drilling in 'Iceberg Alley' The huge blocks of ice that drift away from Antarctica have a story to tell about Earth's past - and its future.
2019-03-27 01:28:06
Cities under pressure Experts at Newcastle University, UK, highlight the challenge we face to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase cities' resilience to extreme weather and also give people quality space to live in.
2019-03-27 00:00:00
White people's eating habits produce most greenhouse gases White individuals disproportionately affect the environment through their eating habits by eating more foods that require more water and release more greenhouse gases through their production compared to foods black and Latinx individuals eat, according t
2019-03-27 00:00:00
More bang for the climate buck: study identifies hotspots for adaptation funding Using a combination of crop models and expertise from farmers and others -- and applying them to our current trajectory of high greenhouse gas emissions -- scientists built a tool to assess climate risk vulnerability to help pinpoint communities in need o
2019-03-27 00:00:00
The solid Earth breathes The solid Earth breathes as volcanoes "exhale" gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) -- which are essential in regulating global climate -- while carbon ultimately from CO2 returns into the deep Earth when oceanic tectonic plates are forced to descend
2019-03-26 00:00:00
Sometimes it's not good to be green The greening or eutrophication of the world's lakes will increase the emission of methane into the atmosphere by 30 to 90 percent during the next 100 years, say authors of a March 26, 2019 paper in Nature Communications. This increased methane emission is
2019-03-26 00:00:00
OU study finds climate warming accelerates tallgrass prairie bioiversity A University of Oklahoma study on climate warming in an Oklahoma tallgrass prairie has implications for understanding and predicting ecological consequences of climate change and ecosystem management strategies. More rapid changes in biodiversity are expe
2019-03-25 00:00:00
Study examines commercial hybrid-electric aircraft, reduced carbon emissions Although we're still a long way from commercial airplanes powered by a combination of fossil fuel and batteries, a recent feasibility study at the University of Illinois explored fuel/battery configurations and the energy lifecycle to learn the tradeoffs
2019-03-25 00:00:00
Fossil barnacles, the original GPS, help track ancient whale migrations Whale barnacles add new shell throughout the year that has been shown to reflect, through oxygen isotope ratios, the conditions of the seas through which the whale traveled. UC Berkeley paleobiologists have now shown that fossilized whale barnacles retain
2019-03-25 00:00:00
Experts reveal that clouds have moderated warming triggered by climate change Led by Swansea University's Tree Ring Research Group, researchers from Sweden, Finland and Norway have analysed information contained in the rings of ancient pine trees from northern Scandinavia to reveal how clouds have reduced the impact of natural phas
2019-03-25 00:00:00
Climate changes make some aspects of weather forecasting increasingly difficult The ongoing climate changes make it increasingly difficult to predict certain aspects of weather, according to a new study from Stockholm University. The study, focusing on weather forecasts in the northern hemisphere spanning 3-10 days ahead, concludes t
2019-03-22 00:00:00
When more women make decisions, the environment wins When more women are involved in group decisions about land management, the group conserves more - particularly when offered financial incentives to do so, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder study published this week in Nature Climate Change
2019-03-21 00:00:00
Tropical storms likely to become more deadly as climate changes Tropical storms are likely to become more deadly under climate change, leaving people in developing countries, where there may be a lack of resources or poor infrastructure, at increased risk, new research from Oregon State University shows.
2019-03-20 00:00:00
Scientists study fish to learn how to adapt to the impacts of climate change Freshwater biodiversity is rapidly declining worldwide, and nature-based solutions which increase the resilience of ecological communities are becoming increasingly important in helping communities prepare for the unavoidable effects of climate change.
2019-03-19 00:00:00
Uncertain projections help to reveal the truth about future climate change A team of four scientists from the US and the UK explain how differing climate model projections can be used collectively to reduce uncertainties in future climate change, in a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
2019-03-18 00:00:00
EPFL researchers make a key discovery on how alpine streams work An EPFL study has showed that until now, scientists have been substantially underestimating how quickly gases are exchanged between mountain streams and the atmosphere. Based on research in the Swiss cantons of Vaud and Valais, an EPFL laboratory has shed
2019-03-18 00:00:00
Climate change negatively affects waterbirds in the American West New research shows that recent climate change is having profound effects on wetlands across the American West - affecting birds that use these wetlands for breeding, migration and wintering.
2019-03-18 00:00:00
Using Thoreau, scientists measure the impact of climate change on wildflowers A new study is using observations made by Henry David Thoreau -- 19th-century American naturalist, social reformer, and philosopher -- to explore the effects of climate change on tree leaf-out and, as a result, the emergence of spring wildflowers.
2019-03-14 00:00:00
Converting biomass by applying mechanical force German nanoscientists have succeeded in demonstrating a new reaction mechanism to cleave cellulose efficiently. This new reaction could lead to an efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective process for the conversion of biomass. The study was
2019-03-14 00:00:00
Climate change could devastate painted turtles, according to new study Climate change could contribute to the demographic collapse of the painted turtle, a species that has temperature-dependent sex determination. An Iowa State University scientist is sounding the alarm about the painted turtle's future in a new study.
2019-03-13 00:00:00
Largest carbon dioxide sink in renewable forests Forests are the filters of our Earth: they clean the air, remove dust particles, and produce oxygen. So far, the rain forest in particular has been considered the 'green lung' of our planet. Yet, an international team, including researchers of Karlsruhe I
2019-03-13 00:00:00
How marine snow cools the planet Researchers at the University of Sydney have mapped out how carbonate formations formed from 'marine snow' have helped regulate Earth's temperature over 120 million years. Dr Andria Dutkiewicz warns that global warming could release some of that carbon in
2019-03-13 00:00:00
Study reviews the potential impacts of future heat waves on humans and wildlife Climate change is often talked about in terms of averages, like the goal set by the Paris Agreement to limit the Earth's temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius. What such numbers fail to convey is that climate change will not only increase the world's
2019-03-12 00:00:00
