Planting trees to offset carbon emissions is seen as one of many strategies to deal with rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere. This ranges from a small scale, where members of the public are encouraged to plant trees, to well organised initiatives planting millions of trees. There has also been a growth in standards for …
Crop production and food security go hand in hand. Farmers and researchers have long focussed on how to improve crop production, looking for gains to be made from better soil preparation, fertilizers, irrigation, pest control and selecting more productive cultivars. However, there are factors outside of their control, such as weather and air pollution. Air …
Sand can be found everywhere there is land. For anyone who has walked on a beach or visited a desert, the supply of sand seems endless. Sand can also be found at the bottom of rivers, lakes and oceans. Sand comes from rocks eroded by weathering and mechanical abrasion and the sand we see has …
Zambian court issues interdict stopping land clearance for commercial agriculture next to Kasanka National Park – potential risk to millions of migrating fruit bats. FAO warns fishmeal and fish oil industry in West and Central Africa threatens food security by competing directly with the poorest consumers. One Ocean Summit in France. Thirty heads of state …
Researchers in Australia have developed a new way to capture CO2 and convert it to solid carbon. The process has been developed in the laboratory and the next step will be to test it with a small prototype. It has the potential to provide a novel way to capture and store CO2. Current approaches to …
Carbon capture by converting CO2 to solid carbon – a new method Read More »
Charles Taylor, a PhD candidate at Columbia University, used long term data on pesticide use in apple orchards corresponding to the emergence of cicadas in 13 and 17 year cycles in the eastern United States to identify off-farm impacts. His study reports adverse effects on infant mortality and health, and poorer school outcomes.
Concrete is an incredibly useful and versatile material. It is made from sand, gravel, water and cement, and can be cast into different shapes, becoming very hard as it sets. It is one of the most commonly used substances in the construction industry. Unfortunately, cement production is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. …
New method to produce cement with huge reduction in CO2 emissions Read More »
Municipal waste management is a severe problem. Landfill and other approaches to waste management are associated with soil, air and water pollution. There are also human health issues and greenhouse gas emissions to consider. Incineration, is one approach to waste management that produces CO2 emissions. A recent study investigated the option of using carbon capture …
The massive problem of plastic pollution is well known, and there is a considerable global research effort to find solutions.Plastic is known to absorb organic pollutants but was thought not to be able to absorb metals. This is because most plastics are non-polar. In the upcoming November 2021 issue of the Journal of Hazardous Materials …
Microplastics a Trojan Horse? Microplastics accumulate metals which organisms can ingest Read More »
The huge problem caused by plastic pollution is now well known and how governments and industry deal with the problem is still a “work in progress”. The most common form of plastic produced today is polyethylene terephthalate, commonly called PET. PET is a strong, lightweight plastic used for packaging foods and beverages. It is recycled …
Significant benefits from enzyme-based plastic recycling possible Read More »
