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UrduOn the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, SAS and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis join forces to transform crowdsourced knowledge into actionable intelligence to help protect the planet.
Tag: Environment
A new biosensor for the COVID-19 virus
A team of researchers from Empa, ETH Zurich and Zurich University Hospital has succeeded in developing a novel sensor for detecting the new coronavirus. In future it could be used to measure the concentration of the virus in the environment – for example in places where there are many people or in hospital ventilation systems.
Faster-degrading plastic could promise cleaner seas
To address plastic pollution plaguing the world’s seas and waterways, Cornell University chemists have developed a new polymer that can degrade by ultraviolet radiation, according to research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Study describes cocktail of pharmaceuticals in waters in Bangladesh
An analysis revealed that water samples held a cocktail of pharmaceuticals and other compounds, including antibiotics, antifungals, anticonvulsants, anesthetics, antihypertensive drugs, pesticides, flame retardants and more. Not all chemicals were found at every test site.
Rutgers Experts Can Discuss Earth Day Legacy on 50th Anniversary
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 20, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professors Robert E. Kopp and Karen M. O’Neill are available for interviews on the legacy of Earth Day and what the future may hold for humanity and the environment on our fragile planet. Kopp…
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Offers “Earth Day at Home” Webinar Series
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 16, 2020) – In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, Rutgers Cooperative Extension will offer an “Earth Day at Home” webinar series. The webinars, on Mondays from April 20 to June…
Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss Environmental Protection During COVID-19 Crisis
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professors Nicole Fahrenfeld and John Reinfelder are available for interviews on environmental protection issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fahrenfeld can discuss issues including microbial water quality, sewer issues (including what…
Start your garden right
An ounce of preparation in the spring for a summer of garden bounty.
Rutgers Experts Can Discuss Emissions, Climate Change During COVID-19 Crisis
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 13, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick experts are available for interviews on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and efforts to promote a greener economy and lifestyles. “During the 2007…
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Mild March and 2020 Warmth
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 10, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson is available for interviews on the unusually mild March weather in New Jersey and the second warmest start of any year since record-keeping began in 1895. March 2020…
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Air Quality During COVID-19
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 9, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Monica Mazurek is available for interviews on air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are experiencing unusually low levels of gas-phase and particulate air pollutants compared with last year,…
Don’t Look to Mature Forests to Soak up Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mature forests are limited in their ability to absorb “extra” carbon as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increase. These findings may have implications for New York state’s carbon neutrality goals.
Earth Day historian can discuss upcoming 50th anniversary
BUFFALO, N.Y. — As Earth Day’s 50th anniversary approaches on April 22, University at Buffalo environmental historian Adam Rome can speak to media about the very first Earth Day in 1970, its legacy and the modern U.S. environmental movement. Rome, PhD,…
How Old are Whale Sharks? Nuclear Bomb Legacy Reveals Their Age
Nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s have helped scientists accurately estimate the age of whale sharks, the biggest fish in the seas, according to a Rutgers-led study. It’s the first time the age of this majestic species has been verified. One whale shark was an estimated 50 years old when it died, making it the oldest known of its kind. Another shark was an estimated 35 years old.
University of Redlands professor says ‘there is simply no way to justify the Trump Administration’s new fuel economy standards.’
Dr. Nicholas Reksten is an environmental economist at the University of Redlands who can speak with authority about the economic impact of the Trump Administration’s new fuel economy standards. “There is simply no way to justify the administration’s new fuel…
Soil Science Society publishes blogs about Deepwater Horizon’s Anniversary
Blogs look at the immediate and long-term impacts on the Gulf’s coastal soils
Oysters and Clams Can be Farmed Together
Eastern oysters and three species of clams can be farmed together and flourish, potentially boosting profits of shellfish growers, according to a Rutgers University–New Brunswick study. Though diverse groups of species often outperform single-species groups, most bivalve farms in the United States and around the world grow their crops as monocultures, notes the study in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.
Renewables take a blow from coronavirus, but recovery expected
Wind, solar and battery industries have suffered with the spread of the coronavirus and reports from industry leaders forecast cutbacks and erasing of growth. John Tobin is professor of practice at the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University,…
In face of pandemic, Barclays climate resolution reflects long-term climate threat
Amidst a global public health and economic crisis brought on by the fast spreading novel coronavirus, British investment bank and financial services company, Barclays, announced on Monday its plans for a climate finance resolution. The bank plans to bring down…
Relaxing Environmental Rules Shows Poor Judgment in the Midst of COVID-19 Outbreak
Following reports of the Environmental Protection Agency’s move to implement broad changes that would relax environmental rules, the American Thoracic Society expressed disappointment with the plan.
Long term air and water pollution to remain steady despite quarantines, says climate change expert
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – One of the COVID-19’s more pleasant impacts has been stories of a cleaner environment as people hunker down inside. Satellite video shows pollution dissipating across the United States and China; the usually murky Venice, Italy canals are…
How Stable is Deep Ocean Circulation in Warmer Climate?
If circulation of deep waters in the Atlantic stops or slows due to climate change, it could cause cooling in northern North America and Europe – a scenario that has occurred during past cold glacial periods. Now, a Rutgers coauthored study suggests that short-term disruptions of deep ocean circulation occurred during warm interglacial periods in the last 450,000 years, and may happen again.
Why do farmers care about conservation?
Long-term farm success depends on sustainable practices.
NUS researchers successfully engineer the world’s first aerogels made from scrap rubber tyres
A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has achieved a major technological breakthrough by converting waste rubber tyres into super-light aerogels that have a wide range of applications. This is the first time that aerogels are made from waste rubber tyres. The new rubber aerogels demonstrate remarkable properties – they are extremely light, highly absorbent, very durable, and they are also very efficient at trapping heat and sound.
Scientists Have Discovered the Origins of the Building Blocks of Life
Rutgers researchers have discovered the origins of the protein structures responsible for metabolism: simple molecules that powered early life on Earth and serve as chemical signals that NASA could use to search for life on other planets. Their study, which predicts what the earliest proteins looked like 3.5 billion to 2.5 billion years ago, is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
If you’re poor, poverty is an environmental issue
A survey from Cornell researchers – conducted among more than 1,100 U.S. residents – found that there were, in fact, demographic differences in how people viewed environmental issues, with racial and ethnic minorities and lower-income people more likely to consider human factors such as racism and poverty as environmental, in addition to more ecological issues like toxic fumes from factories or car exhaust.
Trump floodplain buyout plan bold, but ‘uncoordinated’
The Trump administration is pushing cities to use eminent domain in order to remove homeowners from flood zones — threatening to withhold federal funds those municipalities need to combat climate change if the cities refuse. Linda Shi, assistant professor in…
Heat Stress May Affect More Than 1.2 Billion People Annually by 2100
Heat stress from extreme heat and humidity will annually affect areas now home to 1.2 billion people by 2100, assuming current greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Rutgers study. That’s more than four times the number of people affected today, and more than 12 times the number who would have been affected without industrial era global warming.
Researchers provide insight on how our notion of the environment has changed since the inception of Earth Day 50-years ago
Since Earth Day’s inception in 1970, there’s been some major success in legislation and an increased awareness of the climate and environment. However, the work is far from over. In preparation of Earth Day’s 50th celebration, Arizona State University is…
Microbes play important role in soil’s nitrogen cycle
But different microbes have distinct roles to play, and environmental factors influence activity.
Climate Change Could Threaten Sea Snails in Mid-Atlantic Waters
Climate change could threaten the survival and development of common whelk – a type of sea snail – in the mid-Atlantic region, according to a study led by scientists at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. The common, or waved, whelk (Buccinum undatum) is an important commercial species that has been harvested for decades in Europe and Canada for bait and human consumption. Its habitat within the mid-Atlantic region is one of the Earth’s fastest warming marine areas and annual fluctuations in the bottom temperature are among the most extreme on the planet due to unique oceanographic conditions.
How new data can make ecological forecasts as good as weather forecasts
Soon, University of Wisconsin–Madison ecologist Ben Zuckerberg thinks we’ll be able to pull off the same forecasting feat for bird migrations and wildlife populations as for climate forecasts. That’s because just as those recurring changes in climate have predictable consequences for humans, they also have predictable effects on plants and animals.
Climate change at Mount Rainier expected to increase ‘mismatch’ between visitors and iconic wildflowers
The wildflowers of Mount Rainier’s subalpine meadows, which bloom once the snowpack melts and are a major tourist draw, will melt months earlier by the end of this century due to climate change. New research shows that, under those conditions, many visitors would miss the flowers altogether.
Sandia, Puerto Rican university collaborate to develop energy projects for global tropics
A new 10-year agreement between Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, has the potential to bring more reliable electricity to remote communities and the latest in electrical grid technology to rural areas in the world’s tropics. A Sandia manager who was born and grew up in Puerto Rico says the agreement will continue a decadeslong relationship with the university he attended.
UK’s Superfund Research Center Connects with Community for a Healthier Kentucky
Research conducted within UK’s Superfund Research Center (UK-SRC) suggests that proper nutrition can reduce the toxicity of environmental pollutants. Dawn Brewer leads the UK-SRC’s Community Engagement Core, which is working to connect this science with the community to improve the health of Kentuckians.
Cover crops can benefit hot, dry soils
Soil gets more than just “cover” from cover crops.
ESF is First College in New York to Sign Plastic Ban Pledge
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is the first college in New York state to sign the #breakfreefromplastic pledge committing to develop a roadmap to a plastic-free campus by 2025. Students drive the college’s zero-waste efforts.
Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss Winter’s Snow Drought in N.J.
New Brunswick, N.J. (March 2, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick experts are available to discuss New Jersey’s mild weather so far this winter. That includes February, which was the third mildest February since record-keeping began in New Jersey in 1895…
What happened to Alaska’s soils during the 2019 fires?
Protecting the permafrost after a record fire season
FAU Poll Shows Florida Democrats, Republicans and Independents Concerned About Impact of Climate Change on Future Generations
Floridians from all major political parties believe climate change is real and are concerned about its impact on future generations in the state, according to the second Florida Climate Resilience Survey.
New systemic approach needed to tackle global challenges
Putting systemic thinking at the centre of policymaking will be essential to address global issues in an era of rapid and disruptive change, according to a new joint report by IIASA and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Preparing Plants for our Future Climate
Study investigates plant behavior when exposed to higher carbon dioxide levels.
Using eyes in the sky for sustainability: HU research team to harness AI, satellite imagery to create Lean, Smart cities
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, exposure to polluted air, water, and soil caused more than 9 million premature deaths in 2015 – three times more than malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis combined. Other pollution forms, such as noise and light pollution, can cause stress, anxiety, headaches, and sleep loss resulting in decreased productivity.
These alarming statistics recently led a team at HU to begin work toward real solutions aimed at changing the troubling pollution picture. The team intends to develop a blueprint for cities to minimize waste sources in electricity, transportation, water, and more.
How do my food choices affect the environment?
Every action counts – no food is impact-free.
Newly found bacteria fights climate change, soil pollutants
Cornell University researchers have found a new species of soil bacteria that is particularly adept at breaking down organic matter, including the cancer-causing chemicals that are released when coal, gas, oil and refuse are burned.
Amazon forest disturbance is changing how plants are dispersed
The study looked at areas in the Brazilian Amazon with varying levels of disturbance from activities like logging or burning.
Road salt harmful to native amphibians, new research shows
The combined effects of chemical contamination by road salt and invasive species can harm native amphibians, according to researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Fighting climate change at the sink: A guide to greener dishwashing
If you’re an environmentally conscious consumer, you’ve probably heard that today’s highly efficient dishwashers use less energy and water than traditional hand-washing techniques.
Small marsupials in Australia may struggle to adjust to a warming climate
Numerous questions remain unanswered as to how the planet’s species will respond to climate change.
The Nose Knows: Study Establishes Airborne Exposure to Harmful Algal Blooms’ Toxins
There are no limits specific to airborne concentrations of microcystins (blue-green algae) or inhalation guidelines. Little is known about recreational and occupational exposure to these toxins. New research provides evidence of aerosol exposure to microcystins in coastal residents. Researchers detected microcystin in the nasal passages of 95 percent of the participants; some who reported no direct contact with impacted water. Results also showed higher concentrations among occupationally exposed individuals and demonstrated a relationship between nasal and water microcystin concentrations.