Abandoned mine in Pernik, Bulgaria – © trabantos/Shutterstock The EU Just Transition Fund supports the European regions most affected by the abandonment of fossil fuels, financing green innovation, job retraining and environmental clean-ups. Its implementation, however, is proceeding very slowly The European Union’s transition to climate neutrality, as outlined in the Green Deal, is one…
War zones, microplastics and street lights are among the emerging threats to the bee population, according to scientists. Bee experts have drawn up a list of the 12 most pressing threats to the pollinator over the next decade, published in a report, Emerging Threats and Opportunities for Conservation of Global Pollinators, by the University of…
Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues have been exploring nontoxic, plant-based approaches to attract and remove contaminants from water. In one set of lab experiments, they found that polymers from okra, fenugreek and tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water. Srinivasan spoke about successful demonstrations of the plant extracts in freshwater…
Scientists say human-caused climate change led to 15,000 additional deaths from wildfire air pollution in the continental United States during the 15-year period ending in 2020. About 35% of the additional deaths attributed to climate change occurred in 2020, the year of the historic Labor Day fires in the Pacific Northwest as well as major…
A new study from North Carolina State University researchers finds that conversion of forests to urban development or agriculture near streams can have harmful effects on water quality downstream, presenting both health concerns and raising the cost of water treatment. Using a model called the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, researchers mapped out the current…
Looking to corn “There is a lot of opportunity with zein, which is a family of proteins in corn that forms a beautiful film to make biodegradable plastics, and it’s a little bit more expensive, but we hope that will be hitting the market soon as well,” said Sun Ferreira, a co-author of the study…
Plastic pollution, particularly macro-plastic, poses significant threats to marine ecosystems worldwide, with adverse effects on marine megafauna such as mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. This study examines the areas of higher risk of megafauna encountering floating macro-plastics in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, semi-enclosed basins with high anthropogenic pressures and plastic densities. Using Lagrangean and…
Wildflowers could be absorbing toxic metals from soil in urban areas and passing toxins on to pollinators, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that common plants including white clover and bindweed, which are vital forage for pollinators in cities, can accumulate arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead from contaminated soils. These…
In the quiet hills of Tilos island, the rhythmic clatter of bins being sorted and rinsed echoes a community’s commitment to zero waste. On this small Aegean isle, residents meticulously separate their waste into multiple categories, and have traded a traditional landfill for a state-of-the-art recycling center, reportedly helping the island achieve an 86% recycling…
Water supply for irrigation is a limiting factor for agriculture in Mediterranean countries. A strategy for increasing water availability proposes to use low quality water for irrigation to avoid irrigation with precious and high cost potable water. A drawback about using waste water is the potential heavy metal accumulation in soil and foodstuff. In this…