Flames roared through Santa Barbara County in late 2017. UC Santa Barbara canceled classes, and the administration recommended donning an N95, long before the COVID pandemic made the mask a household item. Smoke and ash choked the air, but the Thomas Fire’s effects weren’t restricted to the land and sky. Huge amounts of ash settled … Read more
A new study estimates that the mortality burden attributable to air pollution from fossil fuel use is considerably higher than most previous estimates — a phaseout of fossil fuels would have tremendous, positive health outcomes. Air pollution continues to be a leading public health risk. Previous estimates of the attributable mortality burden varied significantly between … Read more
“Dripstones, or speleothems, are unique natural archives — like Earth’s USB sticks. They store a wealth of information on past climate which helps us to better understand the environment in which early humans lived,” Jenny Maccali explains. She is a scientist at SapienCE Centre of Excellence, and has has lead the study, now published in … Read more
White, wealthy neighborhoods in the LA area are about to start feeling the same heat that has plagued poorer, Hispanic neighborhoods for generations. A new study shows the protective effect of income has largely eroded over the past 40 years, as landscape plants can’t keep up with the pace of climate warming. Published in the … Read more
A team of U of T Scarborough researchers have discovered that the waxy protective barrier around plants might play a role in sending chemical signals to other plants and insects. The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, might eventually be harnessed to develop stronger plants that can deal with … Read more
As Earth’s climate continues to change, a plant’s ability to adapt to its shifting environment is critical to its survival. Often, to stay alive a plant must move locations by releasing its seeds, but plants are rooted in the ground and cannot move themselves. Instead, they are dependent on animals or the wind to carry … Read more
Plastic waste in the water might be stopping — or interrupting — some shrimp-like creatures from reproducing. In a unique study, the ability of ‘shrimp like’ creatures to reproduce successfully was found to be compromised by chemicals found in everyday plastics. Research showed that little critters, known as marine amphipod Echinogammarus marinus, changed their mating … Read more
Many people are familiar with the haunting images of wildlife — including sea turtles, dolphins and seals — tangled in abandoned fishing nets. The main issue behind Nylon-6, the plastic inside these nets, carpet and clothing, is that it’s too strong and durable to break down on its own. So, once it’s in the environment, … Read more
A placenta (commonly known as the “afterbirth” or “ʻiewe” in Hawaiian) is a temporary organ which connects the mother to the fetus via the umbilical cord. Its purpose is to deliver nutrients and oxygen to the fetus while serving as a barrier to prevent infections or viruses from entering the developing fetus. A new study … Read more
World War II concluded decades ago, but live mines lurking on the ocean floor still pose threats, potentially spewing unexpected geysers or releasing contaminants into the water. Experts conduct controlled explosions to clear underwater munitions, but concerns have arisen over the environmental impacts from these blasts. Now, results in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology show … Read more