Ecology
Iceland first UK supermarket to trial deposit return scheme
Iceland has become the first supermarket in the UK to trial the plastic bottle deposit return scheme. It has installed a reverse vending machine at its store in Fulham, London, as part of a six-month programme. It follows the government’s…
High CO2 Levels Make Rice Less Nutritious, Study Finds
Research published Wednesday in Science Advances found that rice grown with the higher atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations expected by the end of this century was less nutritious, signaling bad news for the more than two billion people who rely on…
Plastic Killed Most Sperm Whales Found Dead in Greek Waters Since 2001
More than a third of the sperm whales found dead in the eastern Mediterranean since 2011 were killed by plastic debris, researchers from the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute in Athens found. Necropsies on nine of the 24 dead whales found…
Illegal Online Sales of Endangered Wildlife Rife in Europe
The online sale of endangered and threatened wildlife is rife across Europe, a new investigation has revealed, ranging from live cheetahs, orangutans and bears to ivory, polar bear skins and many live reptiles and birds. Researchers from the International Fund…
Can the Mediterranean Diet Protect You Against Air Pollution Health Risks?
Air pollution is a serious and growing public health concern. Ninety-five percent of the Earth’s population breathes unsafe air, and scientists are discovering more and more health risks associated with doing so. However, since the solution to air pollution depends…
Vancouver Bans Plastic Straws, Foam Cups and Containers
Vancouver has become the first major Canadian city to adopt a ban on a range of single-use plastics. Starting June 1, 2019, the distribution of plastic drinking straws and polystyrene foam cups and take-out containers will be prohibited. The initiative…
Climate Change on Track to Cause Major Insect Wipeout, Scientists Warn
Global warming is on track to cause a major wipeout of insects, compounding already severe losses, according to a new analysis. Insects are vital to most ecosystems and a widespread collapse would cause extremely far-reaching disruption to life on Earth,…