Swiss mired in poisonous row over pesticides
The idyllic image of peaceful Swiss Alpine pastures is being shattered by upcoming votes on pesticides which have sharply divided opinion in rural Switzerland......»»
Spatial model predicts bumblebee exposure to pesticide use
It has long been known that agricultural pesticides are one of the greatest threats to bees and other essential pollinators. What farmers have lacked is an understanding of how different pesticides, applied at various times on a variety of crops, aff.....»»
Environmental risks of new pesticides with nanoparticles insufficiently examined, say researchers
The environmental risks of new pesticides containing nanoparticles are inadequately researched, according to four Leiden University scientists, who have published an article in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. They call for an examinat.....»»
Magnesium still has the potential to become an efficient hydrogen store, says study
It is easy to be optimistic about hydrogen as an ideal fuel. It is much more difficult to come up with a solution to an absolutely fundamental problem: How to store this fuel efficiently? A Swiss-Polish team of experimental and theoretical physicists.....»»
ABB buys tech company to give next-generation industrial robots eyes and brains
The deal to buy Sevensense, a Swiss startup, is the latest robotics investment by ABB and follows growing demand for industrial robots that can move and work independently......»»
Finding a home for the wandering mushrooms—phylogenetic and taxonomic updates of Agaricales
Many edible, medicinal, and poisonous mushrooms that we are familiar with belong to the order Agaricales, which is a group of fungi with important economic and ecological value. Understanding the phylogenetic relationships of Agaricales can help us t.....»»
Why we need to know more about individual carbon footprints
Most countries, including Switzerland, record their greenhouse gas emissions by source and sector. In absolute terms, Swiss greenhouse gases make up less than 1% of global emissions. With an average of 12 metric tons of CO2 equivalents per capita per.....»»
Researchers discover eco-friendly fungicide alternative
A material that could replace current fungicides (i.e., anti-fungal pesticides), increase food security, and help protect wildlife has been discovered......»»
Scientists engineer plant microbiome for the first time to protect crops against disease and cut use of pesticides
Scientists have engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time, boosting the prevalence of 'good' bacteria that protect the plant from disease. The findings published in Nature Communications by researchers from the University of Southampton,.....»»
Lula vetos part of Brazil"s controversial pesticide bill
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday vetoed key parts of a controversial law that is set to loosen the rules around the use of pesticides in the country......»»
In Colombia, illegally felled timber repurposed to help bees
In northeast Colombia, police guard warehouses stacked high with confiscated timber with a noble new destiny: transformation into homes for bees beleaguered by pesticides and climate change......»»
Microwaves heat the soil to eliminate pests and help farmers manage soil diseases
A research team led by Dr. Sunshin Jung at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a breakthrough technology that effectively eliminates pests without the use of pesticides and protects farms from soil diseases by using mi.....»»
Pesticide pollution threatens shellfish safety, estuary study finds
New research led by Southern Cross University has found a cocktail of nasty pesticides in oysters and water from one of the NSW North Coast's dominant rivers......»»
Environmental engineers suggest that anaerobic digestion could be used to clean cattle manure, produce fuel
Chemicals—from antibiotics used to keep livestock healthy to pesticides that shield crops from insects and other pests—play an important role in modern agriculture. However, many of these substances accumulate in cow manure used as fertilizer, wh.....»»
Swiss project explores different storage pathways for CO₂
Switzerland has set itself an ambitious goal: to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. But this will require more than just a massive expansion of renewable energies and saving measures......»»
"Inert" ingredients in pesticides may be more toxic to bees than scientists thought
Bees help pollinate over a third of the world's crops, contributing an estimated US$235 billion to $577 billion in value to global agriculture. They also face a myriad of stresses, including pathogens and parasites, loss of suitable food sources and.....»»
Study shows that inoculating soil with mycorrhizal fungi can increase plant yield by by up to 40%
Farmland often harbors a multitude of pathogens which attack plants and reduce yields. A Swiss research team has now shown that inoculating the soil with mycorrhizal fungi can help maintain or even improve yields without using additional fertilizers.....»»
Bees are still being harmed despite tightened pesticide regulations, study shows
A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees—one of the most important wild pollinators. In a huge study spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, researchers have shown that despite.....»»
India hopes cloud seeding can wash away deadly smog
Indian scientists are preparing cloud seeding technology to clean poisonous smog in the capital with rain, but environmental critics fear it is an expensive distraction from tackling root causes......»»
Female toxin-producing newts are surprisingly more poisonous than males
Tetrodotoxin, the neurotoxin that makes a blue-ringed octopus deadly, also protects Taricha newts—but we don't understand how they produce it, or what purposes it serves for them......»»
How to develop bio-inspired catalysts
Victor Mougel is an absolute fan of nature, not only because he grew up on a farm, spends a lot of time outdoors with his wife and children, and sometimes rides up and down Swiss mountains on his road bike. He also believes that no chemist can hold a.....»»