This chapter explores the growing threats faced by top predators in the Mediterranean Sea. Climate change, overfishing, and plastic pollution may affect their migration patterns and lead them to abandon established reproduction areas. For instance, tuna might not find its spawning grounds due to warmer water, sea turtles might fight against plastic debris to lay…
Mineral dust from desert areas accounts for a large portion of aerosols globally, estimated at 3–4 billion tons per year. Aerosols emitted from arid and semi-arid areas, e.g., from parched lakes or rivers, are transported over long distances and have effects on a global scale, affecting the planet’s radiative balance, atmospheric chemistry, cloud formation and…
The pollution of the planet by microplastics is significantly cutting food supplies by damaging the ability of plants to photosynthesise, according to a new assessment. The analysis estimates that between 4% and 14% of the world’s staple crops of wheat, rice and maize is being lost due to the pervasive particles. It could get even…
Scripps Research scientists discovered how a chemical modification of a key brain protein—potentially triggered by climate change-induced air pollution, pesticides, wildfires and processed meats—disrupts normal brain cell function. February 27, 2025 LA JOLLA, CA—Air pollution contributes to nearly 7 million premature deaths each year, and its effects go far beyond the lungs. Breathing in wildfire…
We humans are a messy bunch. Where we dwell, there accumulates evidence of our nesting. We have fossilized garbage piles dating back more than 100,000 years. It’s a whole thing. Putting aside its potential for harm, anthropogenic pollution can be a useful archaeological tool. We can see when people started using certain technologies, and trace…
The idea of the circular economy is quickly becoming a game-changing paradigm for solving sustainability issues worldwide and generating enormous economic potential. The circular economy places more emphasis on extending the lifecycle of materials, designing out waste, and regenerating natural systems than the conventional linear economy, which follows the “take, make, dispose” model. In recent…
In a delightful piece of information that has so far escaped our attention; a small team of mollusks are used to monitor the water in Warsaw, Poland. Monitoring the water for pollutants is of course important work. Modern-day equipment is used to do so. But for one part of the job, in part to protect…
The global waste crisis presents an urgent challenge that demands innovative solutions to mitigate environmental degradation and unlock economic opportunities. The transformation of waste into wealth has emerged as a critical strategy for promoting environmental sustainability and fostering economic growth. By harnessing modern technologies and fostering community engagement, societies worldwide are turning waste into valuable…
Plastic pollution occurs in every ecosystem on the planet and lingers for decades. Could insects be part of the solution? Previous research found that insects can ingest and absorb pure, unrefined microplastics—but only under unrealistic, food-scarce situations. In a new Biology Letters paper, UBC zoologist Dr. Michelle Tseng and alumna Shim Gicole tested mealworms in…
With house building a priority for the new UK Government, researchers at the University of Surrey are urging city planners not to forget to build “greening areas” such as parks in new communities. Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), working with 30 co-authors from seven countries, found that parks may be the most…