Meandering along the river Seine: France"s roving plastic rubbish
The scrap of red plastic in among the waterside reeds in northern France could be any fragment of the throwaway consumerism piling up across the planet, flowing into rivers, choking animals, even seeping into our bloodstreams......»»
New radar analysis method can improve winter river safety
University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers have developed a way to use radar to detect open water zones and other changes in Alaska's frozen rivers in the early winter. The approach can be automated to provide current hazard maps and is applicable ac.....»»
New colorful plastic films for versatile sensors and electronic displays
Innovative electronics is one of the many applications of modern plastics. Some recent research efforts have used plastic to improve the color realism of display technologies......»»
Could a bald eagle and a winery block a proposed rock quarry along the Boise River?
A nesting bald eagle, a beloved local winery and over 30 neighbors may jeopardize a proposal to open a 260-acre surface mine along the Boise River......»»
Officials sued over farm chemicals near Latino schools
For Nelly Vaquera-Boggs, the plastic tarps that cover strawberry fields in Monterey County, California, when they are being fumigated with toxic chemicals offer little comfort—especially when those fields are close to schools......»»
Chemists stabilize ethylene on silver in search for better ethylene purification technology
Production of ethylene is one of the most important chemical processes used today, with about 300 million metric tons of the tiny chemical produced each year. Ethylene gas is used to create everyday items like shopping bags and plastic film packaging.....»»
A machine learning-based approach to discover nanocomposite films for biodegradable plastic alternatives
The accumulation of plastic waste in natural environments is of utmost concern, as it is contributing to the destruction of ecosystems and is causing harm to aquatic life. In recent years, material scientists have thus been trying to identify all-nat.....»»
Environmental groups grateful but vigilant after Key Bridge collapse
When Alice Volpitta watched the video of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, and the trucks tumbling into the Patapsco River in the darkness, she thought first for the people who had fallen......»»
Can toothpaste tubes be recycled across the US? It"s getting closer
Toothpaste tubes and other squeezable plastic containers are getting closer to being more sustainable in the U.S. Some 90% of toothpaste tubes on the market are now made in a way that makes them compatible for recycling with HDPE, the same plastic us.....»»
Team finds evidence of commonly conducted ritualized human sacrifice across Europe in the Stone Age
A team of archaeologists affiliated with several institutions in France and one in Germany has found that ritualized human sacrifice was common across Europe during the Neolithic......»»
Ocean currents threaten to collapse Antarctic ice shelves, study finds
A new study published in Nature Communications has revealed that the interplay between meandering ocean currents and the ocean floor induces upwelling velocity, transporting warm water to shallower depths. This mechanism contributes substantially to.....»»
River restoration is encouraging Atlantic salmon to return to heart of the UK
For the first time in 100 years, Atlantic salmon are once again spawning in the upper waters of the River Derwent......»»
Using CO₂ and biomass, researchers find path to more environmentally friendly recyclable plastics
Modern life relies on plastic. This lightweight, adaptable product is a cornerstone of packaging, medical equipment, the aerospace and automotive industries and more. But plastic waste remains a problem as it degrades in landfills and pollutes oceans.....»»
Tiny weevils are waging war on the invasive water lettuce plant choking South Africa"s Vaal River
Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.), also known as Nile cabbage, is a free-floating aquatic plant from the family Araceae, the same family as the arum lily......»»
Superfund plan for Columbia River sparks debate in Northwest
It would create one of the largest Superfund sites in America and the first in which most of the toxic pollution comes from another country. But those are not the only unique aspects of an EPA proposal to add the upper reaches of the Columbia River i.....»»
A microbial plastic factory for high-quality green plastic
Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture-resistant and highly biodegradable even in seawater. The Kobe University development provides a platform for the industrial-scale,.....»»
Protecting our planet: Five strategies for reducing plastic waste
Plastics are ubiquitous in our world, and given that plastic waste can take thousands of years to break down, there's more of it to be found on Earth every single day. Worse yet is the fact that the stuff doesn't easily decompose—it mostly just dis.....»»
Cutting-edge enzyme research fights back against plastic pollution
Since the 1950s, the surge in global plastic production has paralleled a concerning rise in plastic waste. In the United States alone, a staggering 35 million tons of plastic waste were generated in 2017, with only a fraction being recycled or combus.....»»
Ocean floor a "reservoir" of plastic pollution, study finds
New research from CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, and the University of Toronto in Canada, estimates up to 11 million metric tons of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor. The article, "Plastics in the deep sea—A global estima.....»»
Live in Henry Ford"s winter home for $4.5 million
The Cherry Hill House, built around 1870, overlooks a private golf course and Lake Clara at the Ford Field & River Club outside Savannah, Ga......»»
Textiles and food packaging biggest source of PFAS in Yangtze River
The first study of toxic "forever chemicals" along the full length of Asia's longest river, the Yangtze, has found 13 different types of PFAS, nearly half of them coming from textile treatments and food packaging......»»