Using microbes to get more out of mining waste
Researchers have developed a new mining technique which uses microbes to recover metals and store carbon in the waste produced by mining. Adopting this technique of reusing mining waste, called tailings, could transform the mining industry and create.....»»
Curbside collection improves organic waste composting, reduces methane emissions
Most organic household waste ends up in landfills, where it generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Composting food and garden waste instead of sending it to landfills can significantly reduce methane emissions and help mitigate global warming......»»
How climate change could affect the microbes that ferment grapes and give wine its specific flavors
The far-reaching consequences of climate change inevitably include the production of foods and beverages, including wine......»»
A new look at Grand Canyon springs and possible threats from uranium mining
A new research paper published recently in Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, coordinated by scientists from The University of New Mexico and collaborating institutions, addresses the complex nature and societal importance of Grand Canyon.....»»
New model integrates soil microbes, large perennial grasses
Of all the carbon stored in ecosystems around the world, about half can be found in soils. Depending on climate, vegetation, and management, soils can be either a carbon source or a sink......»»
New cost-effective method can detect low concentrations of pharmaceutical waste and contaminants in water
Pharmaceutical waste and contaminants present a growing global concern, particularly in the context of drinking water and food safety. Addressing this critical issue, a new study by researchers at Bar-Ilan University's Department of Chemistry and Ins.....»»
Yeast uses plastic waste oils to make high-value chemicals
Polyolefins are a type of plastic that is resistant to breaking down. This makes this plastic—a kind found in everything from grocery bags to car bumpers—hard to recycle. In a new study, scientists have discovered a potential solution, the yeast.....»»
The World’s E-Waste Has Reached a Crisis Point
A new UN report finds that humanity is generating 137 billion pounds of TVs, smartphones, and other e-waste a year—and recycling less than a quarter of it......»»
Research suggests natural electrical grid deep inside Earth enables many types of microbes to survive
To "breathe" in an environment without oxygen, bacteria in the ground beneath our feet depend upon a single family of proteins to transfer excess electrons (produced during the "burning" of nutrients) to electric hairs called nanowires projecting fro.....»»
Rising scourge of e-waste a "catastrophe" for environment: UN
The world threw away a record amount of smartphones, televisions and other electrical devices in 2022, the UN said Wednesday, warning this avalanche of dumped gadgets was polluting the planet......»»
The World"s E-Waste Has Reached a Crisis Point
A new UN report finds that humanity is generating 137 billion pounds of TVs, smartphones, and other e-waste a year—and recycling less than a quarter of it......»»
Characterizing salps as predators of marine microbes
A huge fraction of global flows of carbon and other nutrients pass through marine microbes. Little is known about their causes of death, however. This information determines where those nutrients will go......»»
Study suggests major chemical corporations hide most polluting activities in subsidiaries
According to the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), chemical manufacturing is one of the U.S.'s three largest polluters, along with metal mining and electric utilities, which together account for two-thirds of the country's toxic releases......»»
Cellulose fibers are emerging as a sustainable option for wrapping everything from foods to electronics
Attention supermarket shoppers in Belgium, France and Luxembourg: a test to cut waste from plastic packaging of foods is coming to nearby stores......»»
Molecular crystal motors move like microbes when exposed to light
At first glance, Rabih O. Al-Kaysi's molecular motors look like the microscopic worms you'd see in a drop of pond water. But these wriggling ribbons are not alive; they're devices made from crystallized molecules that perform coordinated movements wh.....»»
Is food waste the key to sustainable, plastic-free diapers and sanitary pads?
Once thrown away, disposable items such as diapers and sanitary pads can take hundreds of years to decompose, because their absorbent parts and waterproof layers contain plastics and other synthetic polymers. But now, researchers are replacing these.....»»
Transforming wood waste for sustainable manufacturing
Lignin, a complex organic polymer, is one of the main components of wood, providing structural support and rigidity to make trees strong enough to withstand the elements. When transforming wood into paper, lignin is a key ingredient that must be remo.....»»
Tropical plants beat drought by interacting with specific microbes, study shows
Plant-soil-microbe interactions play a crucial role in processes that take place in the soil directly around plant roots, or the rhizosphere, and these processes contribute to nutrient cycling and metabolite turnover in the environment. Amid the wate.....»»
How the Tudors dealt with food waste
More than 10 million tons of food is wasted in the UK each year. Leftovers perish in their plastic Tupperware tombs, supermarket bins heave with damaged but perfectly edible produce, and fields are littered with spoiled harvests. Preventing good food.....»»
The Global Danger of Boring Buildings
Unloved buildings turn to ruin, leading to a deluge of construction waste worldwide. Designer Thomas Heatherwick tells WIRED why cities need to prioritize human health and joy in architecture......»»
Mining helium-3 on the Moon has been talked about forever—now a company will try
"There are so many investments that we could be making, but there are also Moonshots." Enlarge / That's no spice harvester. It's an extractor pulling helium-3 from the lunar surface. (credit: Interlune) Two of Blue Origi.....»»