US Offshore Wind Farms Are Being Strangled With Red Tape
This year has seen wind farm costs rise and many projects canceled as developers struggle with opaque regulations and determined opposition—but the industry is far from dead......»»
Australians are washing microplastics down the drain and it"s ending up on farms
Australian wastewater treatment plants produce thousands of tons of treated sewage sludge every year. This nutrient-rich material is then dried to make "biosolids," which are used to fertilize agricultural soil......»»
Flowers grown floating on polluted waterways can help clean up nutrient runoff
Cut-flower farms could be a sustainable option for mitigating water pollution. Enlarge / The cut flowers could pay for themselves and even turn a profit. (credit: Margi Rentis) Flowers grown on inexpensive floating platf.....»»
Developers in England will be forced to create habitats for wildlife—here"s how it works
England's new environmental policy, biodiversity net gain, went live on February 12. Most new developments—everything from a few houses to large solar farms or new roads and railways—will now have to provide a 10% net gain in biodiversity, mainta.....»»
Erratic weather fueled by climate change will worsen locust outbreaks, study finds
Extreme wind and rain may lead to bigger and worse desert locust outbreaks, with human-caused climate change likely to intensify the weather patterns and cause higher outbreak risks, a new study has found......»»
The escalating impact of global warming on atmospheric rivers
Ribbons of water vapor called atmospheric rivers wind through the troposphere, moving the planet's moisture from near the equator toward the poles. These aerial waterways are responsible for about 20%–30% of the annual rain and snow in parts of Eur.....»»
Small adjustments can reduce nitrogen loss in peat meadows, says researcher
Relatively simple adjustments can reduce nitrogen losses on dairy farms in peatland areas. That's the conclusion of the Ph.D. research by Leiden environmental scientist Jeroen Pijlman at the Louis Bolk Institute. Protein-poor grass species and narrow.....»»
New adhesive tape picks up and sticks down 2D materials as easily as child"s play
Materials just atoms in thickness, known as two-dimensional (2D) materials, are set to revolutionize future technology, including in the electronics industry. However, commercialization of devices that contain 2D materials has faced challenges due to.....»»
First Nations people must be at the forefront of Australia"s renewable energy revolution, say researchers
Australia's plentiful solar and wind resources and proximity to Asia means it can become a renewable energy superpower. But as the renewable energy rollout continues, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must benefit......»»
Trees can make farms more sustainable—here"s how to help farmers plant more
Imagine making one change to a farm field so that as well as producing food, it also generated building materials, fuel and fodder. At the same time, this change would nourish the health of the soil, regulate the micro-climate and support pest-contro.....»»
Climate change is fueling the disappearance of the Aral Sea. It"s taking residents" livelihoods, too
Toxic dust storms, anti-government protests, the fall of the Soviet Union—for generations, none of it has deterred Nafisa Bayniyazova and her family from making a living growing melons, pumpkins and tomatoes on farms around the Aral Sea......»»
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......»»
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.....»»
The right bacteria turn farms into carbon sinks
A company works with farmers to treat fields with bacteria that sequester carbon. Some of the microbes that make carbon sequestration work. (credit: Andes Ag, Inc) In 2022, humans emitted a staggering 36 gigatons of carb.....»»
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.....»»
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......»»
Humpback whales move daytime singing offshore, research reveals
Humpback whale singing dominates the marine soundscape during winter months off Maui. However, despite decades of research, many questions regarding humpback whale behavior and song remain unanswered. New research has revealed a daily pattern wherein.....»»
Urban agriculture’s carbon footprint can be worse than that of large farms
Saving on the emissions associated with shipping doesn't guarantee a lower footprint. Enlarge (credit: Bruce Yuanyue Bi) A few years back, the Internet was abuzz with the idea of vertical farms running down the sides of.....»»