Opinon: Conservation areas stand between needs of local communities and preserving natural resources
For centuries the Makuleke community lived in the northeastern corner of South Africa, close to the modern-day border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. But by the beginning of the 20th century, the squeeze on a disenfranchised community had begun, as.....»»
Building concrete on Mars from local materials
Imagine you've just gotten to Mars as part of the first contingent of settlers. Your first challenge: build a long-term habitat using local materials. Those might include water from the polar caps mixed with specific surface soils. They might even re.....»»
New rules for cutting emissions at Colorado natural gas facilities will be "tough for everybody"
Colorado air-quality regulators this week will tackle one of the more complicated rules the state has drafted, ordering about 40 natural gas companies to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions or pay into a system designed to help businesses lower the.....»»
Study reveals untapped potential in Switzerland"s wood material flows
Switzerland has set itself a goal that is as ambitious as it is necessary: net zero by 2050. One of the most important raw materials on the road to a climate-neutral future is wood. This renewable natural resource binds CO2 from the atmosphere as it.....»»
How do you make a kilogram? Gravity can provide new answers
Claus Lämmerzahl, Professor of Gravitational Physics at the University of Bremen, and Dr. Sebastian Ulbricht, scientist at the Natural Metrology Institute, have proposed in a new article that gravity could be the basis for the quantum-physical reali.....»»
Wildfires in radioactive areas found to heighten river contamination risks
Wildfires in radiologically contaminated areas pose substantial risks, such as the redistribution of radionuclides and increased radiation exposure for residents. A team of researchers from the University of Tsukuba investigated the effects of a larg.....»»
How cities are reinventing the public-private partnership: Four lessons from around the globe
Cities tackle a vast array of responsibilities—from building transit networks to running schools—and sometimes they can use a little help. That's why local governments have long teamed up with businesses in so-called public-private partnerships......»»
Rising drought frequency poses new threats to US wildlife, study finds
People around the world are dealing with drought, so it's not shocking that it affects wildlife, too: lack of moisture contributes to habitat loss, affects how animals compete for resources, and leads to dehydration and heat stress. The surprising pa.....»»
New data from "the last ice area" may help long-term conservation efforts in the Arctic
Earlier this year our international team of scientists from the Refuge Arctic consortium departed Iqaluit, Nvt. on a 56-day research expedition in the far north. We were sailing aboard the icebreaker CCGS Amundsen and our main objective was to study.....»»
Sea sponge-inspired microlenses offer new possibilities in optics
Beneath the ocean's surface, simple marine animals called sea sponges grow delicate glass skeletons that are as intricate as they are strong. These natural structures are made of a material called silica—also known as bioglass—that is both lightw.....»»
ChatGPT vs. Perplexity: battle of the AI search engines
ChatGPT Search and Perplexity stand at the forefront of AI-enhanced web search, but which one is best?.....»»
Huge and rare Mekong catfish spotted in Cambodia, raising conservation hopes
Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish—one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world—were caught and released recently in Cambodia, reviving hopes for the survival of the species......»»
Climate resilience over the past 5,000 years: How human communities have adapted throughout history
According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average temperature in 2024 will almost certainly exceed the limit of 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average temperature as set in the Paris Climate Agreement for the first eve.....»»
Genetic method leverages bacterial transfer mechanism to produce new active ingredients
Microorganisms produce a wide variety of natural products that can be used as active ingredients to treat diseases such as infections or cancer. The blueprints for these molecules can be found in the microbes' genes, but often remain inactive under l.....»»
Giraffes" uphill battle: Slopes more than 20° pose challenges for their conservation
New research finds that giraffes much prefer flat terrain and do not traverse slopes of more than 20°, which severely limits the areas in, and outside, protected reserves they can access. The findings, which are yet to be published, were presented a.....»»
Proteomics method identifies ligand-binding proteins and binding sites in complex systems
In a study published in Nature Methods, a research group developed a highly sensitive proteomics method called peptide-centric local stability assay (PELSA), which enables the simultaneous identification of ligand-binding proteins and their binding s.....»»
Conservation leads to benefits: Large marine protected areas are boosting fish catch rates
Increases in catch rates for fish such as tuna have been demonstrated near recently created Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs), including Revillagigedo in Mexico. This shows that LSPMAs are large enough to protect highly migratory species su.....»»
Apple Wallet digital IDs are now available in 10 areas. Here are the newest ones
Access to Digital IDs and driver's licenses through Apple Wallet is coming to two more locations — and the total number of supported areas has increased to 10......»»
Montserrat"s wandering turtles highlight need for conservation without borders
Sea turtles that nest in Montserrat migrate and feed in the waters of multiple Caribbean countries and territories—according to a new study that highlights the need for international conservation efforts......»»
One of world"s largest glacier floods triggered in Greenland
For the first time, scientists have observed the release of a massive glacial lake outburst in East Greenland, where more than 3,000 billion liters of meltwater were unleashed in just weeks. This rare, natural flooding event, witnessed by University.....»»
Can the UK"s "Online Safety Act" tame the hidden violence in leisure communities?
The UK's new Online Safety Act, programmed for implementation in the second half of next year, could reshape how social media platforms deal with harmful online content. This legislation aims to protect users by requiring platforms to swiftly remove.....»»