Obesity has been a major global health issue in recent decades as more people eat unhealthy diets and fail to exercise regularly. A new University of Michigan study suggests there is another factor that tips the scale in women’s weight, body mass index, waist circumference and body fat — air pollution. Women in their late … Read more
Modern agriculture uses a lot of plastic, especially in the form of mulch film that farmers use to cover field soils. This keeps the soils moist for crops, suppresses weeds and promotes crop growth. However, it is usually very time-​consuming and costly for farmers to collect and dispose of conventional polyethylene (PE) film after use. … Read more
Discarded cigarette butts are a top source of plastic pollution, and a new study estimates that banning menthol cigarettes in the United States would lead to 3.8 billion fewer littered cigarette filters each year, saving about 750,000 kg — or 1.7 million pounds — of waste each year. Cigarette butts are the most-littered items in … Read more
A global cross-disciplinary team of scientists led by UNSW Sydney researchers has developed the first comprehensive classification of the world’s ecosystems across land, rivers and wetlands, and seas. The ecosystem typology will enable more coordinated and effective biodiversity conservation, critical for human wellbeing. The extensive collaboration includes the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), … Read more
A breakthrough in electric vehicle battery design has enabled a 10-minute charge time for a typical EV battery. The record-breaking combination of a shorter charge time and more energy acquired for longer travel range was announced today (Oct. 12) in the journal Nature. “The need for smaller, faster-charging batteries is greater than ever,” said Chao-Yang … Read more
As Californians work toward a publicly stated goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, residents of the Golden State stand to reap such additional benefits as cleaner air, widespread improvements in public health and related cost savings, according to researchers at the University of California, Irvine. But the extent to which these plusses will be shared … Read more
Researchers from Nagoya University and Keio University in Japan have estimated a person’s stress levels caused by the sound of a flying car passing overhead. The research was published in the Technical Journal of Advanced Mobility in September 2022. The drone market is booming, as several automobile companies and start-ups develop new personal aircraft. The … Read more
Mechanical devices are increasingly being considered as a potential way to help address plastic pollution found globally in marine environments. However, a new study suggests that while they do remove plastics and other items of marine litter, the quantities of litter removed can be comparatively low and they can also trap marine organisms. The study … Read more
The Greenland ice sheet may be more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought, new research suggests. Rising air temperatures amplify the effects of melting caused by ocean warming, leading to greater ice loss from the world’s second largest ice sheet, a study reveals. While previous studies have shown that rising air and ocean temperatures … Read more
Direct air capture may be key to saving Earth from the effects of climate change, but there’s a catch: It’s really hard to do. Direct air capture (DAC) technologies are designed to remove carbon dioxide from the air, although there’s still a lot of room for improvement in DAC materials. Other molecules in the air, … Read more