Plastic is blowing in the wind
As the plastic in our oceans breaks up into smaller and smaller bits without breaking down chemically, the resulting microplastics are becoming a serious ecological problem. A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science reveals a troubling aspect.....»»
One in 10 premature births linked to plastic chemicals: Study
One in 10 premature births in the United States have been linked to pregnant women being exposed to chemicals in extremely common plastic products, a large study said on Wednesday......»»
Secondary eyewall formation in upper- and lower-layer vertical wind shear simulated in idealized tropical cyclones
About 80% of intense tropical cyclones (TCs) possess concentric eyewalls—namely, the primary and secondary eyewalls. The intensity of the TC can vary considerably during secondary eyewall formation (SEF) and eyewall replacement, posing a great chal.....»»
In a warming world, climate scientists consider category 6 hurricanes
For more than 50 years, the National Hurricane Center has used the Saffir-Simpson Windscale to communicate the risk of property damage; it labels a hurricane on a scale from Category 1 (wind speeds between 74–95 mph) to Category 5 (wind speeds of 1.....»»
Washington state drinking water, hydropower at risk as Pacific Northwest snowpack shrinks
At Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park the clouds lift by noon and wind screams down the mountainsides. Temperatures sunk to zero as Jon Riedel, a retired geologist with the National Park Service, stood on a ridge above the blue-green reservoir.....»»
The US Has Big Plans for Wind Energy—but an Obscure 1920s Law Is Getting in the Way
The Biden administration aims to deploy offshore wind turbines capable of generating 30 gigawatts of power by 2030. With less than a decade to go, the country remains woefully behind target......»»
Hermit crabs find new homes in plastic waste: Shell shortage or clever choice?
The crustaceans are making the most of what they find on the seafloor. Enlarge / Scientists have found that hermit crabs are increasingly using plastic and other litter as makeshift shell homes. (credit: Luis Diaz Devesa/Getty).....»»
A type of plastic that can be shape-shifted using tempering
A team of molecular engineers have developed a type of plastic that can be shape-shifted using tempering. In their paper published in the journal Science the team, from the University of Chicago, with a colleagues from the US DEVCOM Army Research Lab.....»»
US center"s tropical storm forecasts are going inland, where damage can outstrip coasts
The "cone of uncertainty" produced by the National Hurricane Center to forecast the location and ferocity of a tropical storm is getting an update this year to include predictions for inland areas, where wind and flooding are sometimes more treachero.....»»
Engineers unmask nanoplastics in oceans, revealing their true shapes and chemistry
Millions of tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. The sun's ultraviolet light and ocean turbulence break down these plastics into invisible nanoparticles that threaten marine ecosystems......»»
Green methanol for the circular economy: Researchers develop new catalyst
Researchers hope to produce the raw material methanol at the edge of a field or on the farm using renewable energy. In addition to wind or sun, water and CO2 would be needed to produce the raw materials for the green methanol process: carbon monoxide.....»»
Scientists launch ambitious roadmap for circular carbon plastics economy
Researchers from the Oxford Martin Program on the Future of Plastics, University of Oxford, have outlined ambitious targets to help deliver a sustainable and net zero plastic economy. In a paper published in Nature, the authors argue for a rethinking.....»»
Scientists find a close-loop recycling process for one of the most widely used plastics
A pioneering development enables the targeted replication of the chemical structure of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a plastic that has been difficult to imitate until now, and shows great potential for sustainable alternatives in the plastics ind.....»»
Research finds resin destroys coronavirus on plastic surfaces
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, are currently developing anti-viral surfaces to decrease the spread of infectious diseases. A recent study published in Microbiology Spectrum found that a resin ingredient is effective against co.....»»
Microparticles from road tires are "high concern" pollutants, research shows
Plastic microparticles released into the environment from common road tires should be treated as a "high concern" pollutant that may exceed chronic safety limits in some heavily contaminated environments, new research has shown......»»
On tropical coasts, hermit crabs are now making their homes in plastic waste
Terrestrial hermit crabs are soft-bodied crustaceans that live near water in the world's tropical areas. Without any natural protection of their own, these crabs normally find shelter in discarded mollusk shells. But a number of terrestrial hermit cr.....»»
U.S. agencies set plans to protect endangered right whales during offshore wind operations
Two federal environmental agencies issued plans Thursday to better protect endangered whales amid offshore wind farm development......»»
Lagos styrofoam, plastics ban brings applause and concern
From trash-strewn pavements to street vendors packing meals in polystyrene containers, plastic waste is a constant menace in the urban landscape of Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital and the continent's most populous city......»»
A large percentage of European plastic sent to Vietnam ends up in nature, finds study
Despite strict EU regulations on plastic recycling, there is little oversight on plastic waste shipped from the EU to Vietnam. A large percentage of the exported European plastic cannot be recycled and gets dumped in nature. This is the finding of ne.....»»
Researchers engineer bacteria that eat plastic, make multipurpose spider silk
Move over Spider-Man: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a strain of bacteria that can turn plastic waste into a biodegradable spider silk with multiple uses......»»
Sierra Space is blowing up stuff to prove inflatable habitats are safe
"We are well on our way to having our habitats ready for launch in 2026.” Enlarge / Sierra Space's 300 cubic meter inflatable habitat burst at 77 psi, five times the pressure it would need to handle in space. (credit: Sierra Sp.....»»