Toxic PAH air pollutants from fossil fuels "multiply" in sunlight
When power stations burn coal, a class of compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, form part of the resulting air pollution. Researchers have found that PAH toxins degrade in sunlight into child compounds and byproducts......»»
Why banks consider renewable energy to be a riskier investment than fossil fuels
The financial sector is among the world's most heavily regulated industries—and for good reason. Financial rules, which force banks to hold capital in reserve when making riskier investments, are designed to prevent financial crises. Other financia.....»»
New sensor gives unprecedented look at changes in ATP levels inside a cell
Just as the US economy runs on the dollar, the cellular economy runs on adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The energy-carrying molecule fuels nearly all processes inside the cell, making ATP critical for cellular life......»»
Researchers develop a detector for continuously monitoring toxic gases
Most systems used to detect toxic gases in industrial or domestic settings can be used only once, or at best a few times. Now, researchers at MIT have developed a detector that could provide continuous monitoring for the presence of these gases, at l.....»»
Fossil captures starfish splitting itself in two—showing this has been happening for 155 million years
One of the wildest wonders of nature is the ability of some animals to reproduce by splitting in half. There is still so much we don't know about this process. So the discovery of a 155-million-year-old starfish fossil frozen partway through this pro.....»»
Fossil found in Germany shows starfish relative engaged in clonal fragmentation 150 million years ago
A team of paleontologists from Germany and Austria reports that a brittle star fossil found in Germany shows evidence of clonal fragmentation 150 million years ago. Their paper is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biologica.....»»
Discovery of the first ancestors of scorpions, spiders and horseshoe crabs
Who were the earliest ancestors of scorpions, spiders and horseshoe crabs? A Ph.D. student from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), with the support of a CNRS researcher, has identified a fossil that fills the gap between modern species and tho.....»»
Bid to end deadly cooking methods which stoke global warming
Fifty countries are meeting in France on Tuesday to discuss the lack of access to clean cooking methods worldwide which causes millions of deaths every year and fuels global warming......»»
No sign of widespread lead exposure from Maui wildfires, Hawaii health officials say
Lead screening conducted on west Maui residents after last summer's devastating wildfires showed no widespread exposure to the toxic metal, Hawaii health officials said Thursday......»»
For sustainable aviation fuel, researchers engineer a promising microorganism for precursor production
Sustainable aviation fuels made from renewable sources of carbon could reduce carbon dioxide emissions and help to mitigate climate change. Isoprenol is a chemical involved in the production of a jet biofuel blendstock called 1,4-dimethylcyclooctane.....»»
Getting dirty to clean up the chemical industry"s environmental impact
The global chemical industry is a major fossil fuel consumer and climate change contributor; however, new Curtin University research has identified how the sector could clean up its green credentials by getting dirty......»»
Most Gypsy and Traveler sites in Great Britain are located within 100 meters of major pollutants, shows research
Gypsy and Traveler communities are among the more socially excluded groups in the UK. There is a long history of government failures in meeting these groups' housing needs......»»
Discovery of ancient Glaswegian shrimp fossil reveals new species
A short but robust little shrimp may have died out over 330 million years ago during the Carboniferous period, but the rare Scottish shellfish has been revitalized as a new species to science and as a Glaswegian......»»
US restorationist solves 60-million-year-old dinosaur fossil "puzzles"
Before a T. rex can tower over museum visitors or a Triceratops can show off its huge horns, dinosaur fossils must first be painstakingly reconstructed—cleaned, fit together and even painted......»»
Team describes MXene-supported PtCo bimetallic catalyst for hydrogen evolution in acidic conditions
Hydrogen energy is considered a promising solution with high energy density and zero pollution emissions. Currently, hydrogen is mainly derived from fossil fuels, which increases energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, hindering efforts to a.....»»
DDT pollutants found in deep sea fish off LA coast raise questions about the pesticide"s continuing threat to wildlife
In the 1940s and 1950s, the ocean off the coast of Los Angeles was a dumping ground for the nation's largest manufacturer of the pesticide DDT—a chemical now known to harm humans and wildlife. Due to the stubborn chemistry of DDT and its toxic brea.....»»
A leap toward carbon neutrality: New catalyst converts carbon dioxide to methanol
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a catalyst material known as cobalt phthalocyanine that converts carbon dioxide—a significant driver of climate change—into renewable fuels such as methanol......»»
Functionalized chitosan as a biobased flocculant for the treatment of complex wastewater
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB have developed a biobased and functionalized flocculant to efficiently treat complex wastewaters. Furthermore, toxic phenols are removed from the water by the e.....»»
Human activity is causing toxic thallium to enter the Baltic Sea, finds new study
Human activities account for a substantial amount—anywhere from 20% to more than 60%—of toxic thallium that has entered the Baltic Sea over the past 80 years, according to new research by scientists affiliated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic In.....»»
Researchers detect toxic chemicals in aquatic organisms with new AI method
Swedish researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg have developed an AI method that improves the identification of toxic chemicals—based solely on knowledge of the molecular structure......»»
Business and management graduates can become sustainability champions—lessons from Uganda and Tanzania
There is no doubt about it: the world is in the grips of a climate crisis. The headlines are full of reports about extreme weather events and the negative effects of the fossil fuel industry......»»