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environment

12/08/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Could the solution to plastic pollution be found in this caterpillar?

Caterpillars are hungry little creatures. They eat a lot of food and store it as energy for their future transformation into butterflies or moths. While they usually eat plant matter, a BBC article reported that the larvae of the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) appeared to eat plastic. An amateur beekeeper found a caterpillar of […]

12/06/2018 / By Tracey Watson

Shock study finds air pollution damages brain function across the world, mostly striking people who live in cities

If pressed to suggest possible causes for the development of dementia, most of us would probably list things like lifestyle, diet and genetics. One of the last things to come to mind would likely be air pollution, and yet a recent study has found that certain types of air pollution could increase the risk of […]

12/04/2018 / By Tracey Watson

Scientists: Long history of fertilizer use on land is threatening our water quality today

Imagine you’re driving down a long, straight road through rural farmland. One either side of you are beautiful green farms. The produce being grown on these farms looks healthy and appears to be thriving. Now picture the land beneath those farms as massive sponges. Like all sponges, put enough liquid in and eventually the absorption […]

12/04/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Is this the end of de-icing? Passive solar-powered system prevents freezing on airplanes and other surfaces

When ice builds up in your home or office, you either fire up the power-intensive heaters or resort to chemical sprays that will damage the environment. So American researchers recently developed an alternative de-icing system that draws upon the heat of the sun to keep ice from forming on important items, an article in Science […]

12/03/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Ozone is a safer and greener alternative to toxic insecticides

People who are looking for natural alternatives to synthetic insecticides need not look any further than a gas found in the atmosphere. In a recent study, researchers from the Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado in Venezuela suggest using ozone, a naturally occurring gas in the stratosphere, to get rid of insect pests. Their findings, which appeared in the […]

12/03/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Irish researchers detail a potential solution for tackling plastic waste

Every day, the average American churns out a lot of plastic garbage that takes forever to decay. Over time, the nearly-indestructible waste piles up and contaminates the surroundings, causing serious harm to the environment and human health. This prompted Irish researchers to look for a way to manage the ever-growing mountains of plastic waste we […]

12/01/2018 / By Rhonda Johansson

Could your blood type determine your heart attack risk? It seems so, in periods of “significant air pollution,” according to new research

Blood always tells — at least in how much you are vulnerable to a heart attack during periods of pollution. This was the conclusion made by a team of researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center after observing the relationship between blood types and cardiovascular distress in areas that are heavily polluted. Authors of the analysis […]

11/30/2018 / By Edsel Cook

An engineering feat: Different types of silk in a spider web allow it to effectively capture prey

To human eyes, a spiderweb looks beautiful yet delicate. However, the strands are tough enough to survive contact with much larger animals. At the same time, they are also small enough to evade the notice of the prey that the web is intended to reveal and ensnare. Intrigued by this duality, a group of researchers […]

11/27/2018 / By Frances Bloomfield

Recycling platinum: Researchers achieve breakthrough in developing fuel cells for the next wave of green energy

Fuel cells are electrochemical cells that combine hydrogen with oxygen to generate electricity, water, and heat. The market for these devices has been growing since the early 2010s, primarily due to their efficiency and independence conventional fuels. In order for fuel cells to function, however, they require the rare precious metal platinum. To that end, […]

11/26/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Changing to a healthy diet is not just good for you, it also saves a lot of fresh water, according to a new study

As it turns out, eating healthily is good not just for you, but also for the environment. Data from recent research indicates that following a healthy diet can reduce your water footprint and let you save more water. The world is going through a water crisis. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that more than […]

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