The surging global population growth, coupled with socioeconomic development and improved living standards, has created a heightened demand for livestock and poultry products such as meat, eggs, and milk. This escalating demand has, in turn, spurred rapid growth in the livestock and poultry industry, exacerbating environmental issues, particularly the greenhouse effect. Over the past five
The Earth’s continental crust, known as the oldest surface layer forming continents, is estimated to be around 4 billion years old. It primarily consists of basalts, volcanic rocks that are 25-50 kilometers thick. Initially, scientists believed that a single lithospheric crust covered the entire planet, with the formation of individual tectonic plates occurring much later,
Prof. Shen Yan’an and a research team hailing from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) within the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have conducted a comprehensive exploration of South China’s interglacial stratigraphy. Employing high-precision sulfur and mercury isotope analyses, their study has brought forth a fresh perspective suggesting a correlation between the
Environmental advocacy, originating from Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking 1962 book “Silent Spring” and the inaugural Earth Day observances in 1970, has taken on diverse forms over the years, including boycotts, blockades, and protests. However, in 2022, a novel form of protest emerged as some environmental activists resorted to vandalizing art and museums. These activists remain largely
A daring rescue mission has successfully recovered invaluable weather data from numerous ships that endured Japanese aerial attacks at Pearl Harbor during World War II. This data retrieval effort promises to provide critical insights for scientists in their quest to comprehend the ever-changing global climate. In December 1941, as Japanese pilots targeted battleships like the
According to researchers from Charles Darwin University (CDU), the key to establishing circular cities in developing countries lies within the slums of the Global South. These informal settlements, characterized by insecure land tenure and inadequate access to essential services like safe water, sanitation, and housing, are often seen as sources of significant societal and environmental
Early on Monday, parts of Tuscany experienced a 4.8-magnitude earthquake, as confirmed by geologists and firefighters. Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of any damage or injuries. The earthquake’s epicenter was located in the vicinity of Marradi, northeast of Florence. It occurred at 5:10 a.m., following a series of smaller tremors, as reported by
The focus has shifted from mere cessation to coexisting with climate change. A research initiative by the Complexity Science Hub sheds light on how our historical experiences can offer valuable guidance. Presently, we find ourselves grappling with a convergence of global crises, where a multitude of threats intersect, intertwining and testing our collective resilience. These
The University of Waterloo’s researchers have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by conducting the inaugural assessment of a Canadian hospital to unveil its comprehensive environmental impact and pinpoint specific areas of high carbon emissions. During the fiscal year of 2019, the researchers examined a hospital in British Columbia and identified energy and water consumption, along with
The head of a prominent agricultural organization emphasized the necessity for Thailand to prohibit the practice of stubble burning among farmers in order to enhance air quality. This statement was made on Monday, following a surge in hazardous pollution that led to millions of people requiring medical treatment. Thailand experienced severe air quality issues earlier
A groundbreaking study released on Wednesday has pointed out that human activities and desires have significantly eroded the Earth’s capacity to withstand stress, pushing it far beyond the “safe operating limits” required to sustain life for most species, including our own. A team of 29 scientists from around the world has determined that six out
On Friday, the state of California initiated legal action against five of the world’s largest oil corporations, alleging that these companies were responsible for causing billions of dollars in damages and deliberately deceiving the public by downplaying the risks associated with fossil fuels. This lawsuit, which one defendant dismissed as “groundless” and “politicized,” is just
Approaching the first anniversary of Hurricane Fiona, Hurricane Lee is currently on a trajectory towards the Atlantic coast. Dr. Chris Houser, the Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Waterloo, specializes in coastal erosion. In conjunction with his citizen-science initiative, Coastie Canada, he is monitoring the progress of post-Fiona recovery and assessing
In a recent Geophysical Research Letters publication, researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have unveiled a groundbreaking study challenging established climate research paradigms. Their work illuminates the central role played by nonlinear energy processes in shaping the observed zonal asymmetry seen in Pacific-North American (PNA) wave trains induced
A recent study, published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, reveals that a substantial shift in our dietary habits could have profound positive effects on the environment. The research suggests that if we were to replace half of our current consumption of pork, chicken, beef, and milk products with plant-based alternatives, we could potentially
The Scientific Development Squadron (VXS) 1 of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory swiftly assembled a team and conducted a mission involving the airdrop of 18 SOFAR Spotter buoys into the Gulf of Mexico with less than 24 hours’ notice. This operation was carried out in preparation for Hurricane Idalia, which was scheduled to make landfall
The U.S. government has allocated a substantial $7 billion to address the escalating wildfire crisis in the coming years. This commitment involves expanding efforts in forest thinning and controlled burns to treat at least 60 million acres over the next decade. However, this ambitious effort, while significant, falls short of addressing the full extent of
Traffic flowed past a Microsoft data center on Interstate 35 in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. Microsoft has spent over a decade building a cluster of data centers to support its cloud computing services. The city is set to open its fourth and fifth data centers later this year. (Credit: AP
A group of climate scientists from the Woodwell Climate Research Center in the United States, in collaboration with a researcher from the Environmental Change Institute in the United Kingdom, have utilized climate modeling to project a substantial increase in life-threatening heat events worldwide. Their research, featured in the journal Science Advances, integrates climate models with
In a recent publication in Science Advances, a group of researchers has revolutionized our comprehension of the Earth’s core composition by establishing a novel pressure scale. They accomplished this breakthrough using highly potent X-rays from a specialized spectrometer at RIKEN’s SPring-8 Center, avoiding the substantial approximations made in previous studies. Surprisingly, their findings revealed that
A climate modeler from the University of Canterbury is contributing to a global research effort that involves studying a 764-meter ice core preserving over 80,000 years of vital climate data. Dr. Abhijith Ulayottil Venugopal, a Postdoctoral Fellow affiliated with the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of
In the town of Amizmiz, near Marrakech, Morocco, on Sunday, September 10, 2023, people are reclaiming a washing machine from their home that suffered damage during a devastating earthquake. This earthquake has brought widespread destruction and suffering to Morocco, with the death toll rising and rescue efforts underway to retrieve both survivors and casualties from
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain One French expert cautioned that the devastating earthquake in Morocco, which claimed over 2,000 lives, did not strike the region with the highest seismic activity. However, he issued a warning about the likelihood of aftershocks. Philippe Vernant, a specialist in active tectonics, particularly in Morocco, at the University of Montpellier, addressed
