Plastics Are Devastating the Guts of Seabirds
New research shows that seabirds’ ingestion of the pollutant scars their insides—a new disease called “plasticosis”—and may disturb their microbiomes......»»
Researchers reveal how geminiviruses cause devastating disease in worldwide crops
Geminiviruses are a group of single-stranded circular plant DNA viruses that cause devastating diseases in many economically important crops including tomato, tobacco, cotton, corn, wheat, beans, and cassava worldwide. Due to their small genome size.....»»
Belkin announces eco-friendly lineup of its most popular chargers for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Belkin has announced an overhaul for its most popular chargers at CES. After two years of work, the company has figured out how to use up to 75% post-consumer recycled plastics for its top-selling charging products. more… The post Belkin announce.....»»
Seafloor video shows landslide was not source of 1918 Puerto Rico tsunami
Seafloor video collected by a remotely operated vehicle off the coast of Puerto Rico indicates that an underwater landslide was not the cause of a devastating tsunami that hit the island's west coast after a 1918 earthquake......»»
Scientists enhance recyclability of post-consumer plastic
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP) have developed a new method for recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE)......»»
The Crispr Baby Scientist Is Back. Here’s What He’s Doing Next
He Jiankui discusses his plans for finding cures for devastating genetic diseases. Should the scientific community trust him?.....»»
FSET begins operation of AFC energy storage system
Formosa Smart Energy Tech (FSET), an LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery maker belonging to the Formosa Plastics Group, has inaugurated an energy storage system with installation capacity of 5.0MW and total battery energy storage capacity of 5.3MWh.....»»
Europe gripped by worst ever bird flu outbreak: EU
Europe has been gripped by its "most devastating" ever outbreak of bird flu in the past year, European health authorities said on Tuesday as experts study the feasibility of vaccinations......»»
Exploring the problem of creating a plastic that is both strong and biodegradable
How can plastics be designed so they retain their desirable properties but at the same time can be more effectively recycled? This and other questions concerning the eco-friendliness of plastics are the focus of chemist Stefan Mecking and his researc.....»»
Bio-based plastics aim to capture carbon… but at what cost?
Growing crops to make plastic could cut fossil fuel use, pull carbon out of the atmosphere. Enlarge (credit: Juan Moyano / Getty Images) It’s the year 2050, and humanity has made huge progress in decarbonizing. That’.....»»
Researchers synthesize new compound for production of plastics
Creating new synthetic compounds is often a complex and multi-step process that can take years of research. Caleb D. Martin, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Baylor University and principal investigator of.....»»
Bio-Based Plastics Aim to Capture Carbon. But at What Cost?
Growing crops to make plastic could theoretically reduce reliance on fossil fuels and even pull carbon out of the atmosphere, but at an enormous environmental cost......»»
Immigrants in the UK without access to state support are facing devastating food poverty, new research shows
New research from the University of Hertfordshire reveals the acute extent of food poverty amongst immigrants in the U.K. who have no access to welfare benefits, with widespread reports of food shortages and lack of appropriate support......»»
Study finds flightless puffins vulnerable to winter storms for two months a year
Puffins lose the ability to fly for up to two months every year—twice as long as previously believed. Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) suggest the seabirds are vulnerable to winter storms due to their inability to fly after molting thei.....»»
How tackling invasive species on land can spark "stunning" improvements at sea
Restoring islands devastated by invasive species and helping coastal "connectors" like seabirds boosts nature on land and at sea—and may be a new way to increase resilience to climate change, researchers said Monday......»»
An important step toward strong, durable bio-based plastics
In a recent paper in Nature Communications, researchers at the Industrial Sustainable Chemistry group led by Prof. Gert-Jan Gruter take an important step towards the production of fully bio-based, rigid polyesters......»»
Accelerating plastic degradation in the environment: Study researches heat resistance of enzymes
Numerous plastics are principally biodegradable, but are only degraded very slowly in the open air, wastewater, or composting plants. Known enzymes with the ability to degrade plastics could solve this problem......»»
Waste pickers risk their lives to stop plastic pollution—now they could help shape global recycling policies
Globally, waste pickers are responsible for collecting and recovering—from homes, businesses and landfills—up to 60% of all plastics which are then recycled. These workers do more than any other people to prevent plastic contaminating the environ.....»»
Bird flu kills almost 14,000 pelicans, seabirds in Peru
The highly contagious H5N1 avian flu virus has killed thousands of pelicans, blue-footed boobies and other seabirds in Peru, according to the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR)......»»
Recycling previously unrecyclable polyvinyl chloride
PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is one of the most produced plastics in the United States and the third highest by volume in the world......»»
The Planet Desperately Needs That UN Plastics Treaty
An agreement can’t magically end the catastrophe of plastic pollution. But it could be a step in the right direction......»»