Ecology
Biodegradable Material Could Replace Most Plastic Used To Wrap & Preserve Food
The world produces about 300 million tons of plastic every year, of which about 10% will end up in the ocean. In the US, about 30 million tons winds up in landfills, and half of that is plastic packaging used…
Even With Huge Carbon Emissions Reductions World’s Periglacial Zones (Home To Permafrost) To Disappear By 2100, Research Finds
The world’s periglacial zones, home to essentially all of the world’s permafrost, will “almost completely disappear” by the year 2100 even in the most optimistic of scenarios concerning greenhouse gas emissions reductions, according to a new study. In other words,…
14 States On Track to Meet Paris Targets
Fourteen states and Puerto Rico are on track to meet and potentially exceed their portion of the U.S. commitment under the Paris agreement. The report shows that the member states of the U.S. Climate Alliance (USCA), which has grown to…
Air Pollution Exposure & Kidney Disease Linked By New Study
Exposure to air pollution increases the risk of experiencing a decline in kidney function and developing kidney disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The study found that the effects of…
32nd Annual International Coastal Cleanup Gets Hundreds Of Thousands Of Volunteers Involved Worldwide
The 32nd annual International Coastal Cleanup took place on September 16. Promoted by the Ocean Conservancy, the coastal cleanup began with a small group of volunteers in Texas in 1986 and has grown every year. In 2017, there were more…
EU Commission ‘Limiting Focus’ of Chemicals and Waste Roadmap
The European Commission’s roadmap on chemicals, products and waste legislation should concentrate on resolving policy conflicts, says the European Engineering Industries Association, Orgalime. There is a “limiting” of focus to how to reduce the presence, and improve the tracking, of…
High Risk That Temperatures Could Exceed Thermal Survival Limits for Many Fish Species by 2070, Study Finds
Anthropogenic climate warming could lead to water temperatures in some parts of the world exceeding the thermal survival limits of the fish species living there now, according to new research from the University of Washington. As it stands, according to…