Tuesday, July 1News That Matters

Tag: research

Scientists Pioneer air-moisture Tech to Break down Plastic revolutionizing recycling

Scientists Pioneer air-moisture Tech to Break down Plastic revolutionizing recycling

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Learning & Developments
In a breakthrough that could reshape plastic waste management, scientists have unveiled a pioneering method to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using moisture from the air. This novel approach utilizing an inexpensive catalyst dismantles PET bonds and transforms the material into monomers the essential building blocks of plastics allowing for efficient recycling or upcycling into higher-value products. Published in Green Chemistry, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the study introduces a solvent-free, environmentally friendly solution to global plastic pollution. Unlike conventional recycling methods, which generate harmful byproducts and require significant energy input, this technique harnesses trace moisture from ambient air, making it safer and more sustainable...
World coastal Cities Sinking NASA Warns of Accelerated Sea Level Rise

World coastal Cities Sinking NASA Warns of Accelerated Sea Level Rise

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A new NASA-led study has revealed that many of the world’s coastal cities are sinking, making them more vulnerable to rising sea levels than previously thought. Researchers found that in some regions, land is subsiding so rapidly that flood risks could double by 2050, far exceeding earlier projections. Published in Science Advances, the study used satellite data from ESA's Sentinel-1 mission to track vertical land motion along California’s coast from 2015 to 2023. The findings show that in areas like San Francisco Bay, land is sinking by over 10 millimeters per year, potentially leading to more than 45 centimeters of local sea level rise by mid-century. While melting ice caps and climate change have long been blamed for rising seas, the study highlights that human activities such as ...
Researchers Portable Lab Detect Dangerous Avian Flu in Antarctica

Researchers Portable Lab Detect Dangerous Avian Flu in Antarctica

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Biosecurity efforts in remote regions have taken a major leap forward with the introduction of a portable laboratory capable of on-site testing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1. Minister for Biosecurity Andrew Hoggard announced the breakthrough following successful trials conducted by Biosecurity New Zealand during an expedition to Antarctica. The portable lab was tested aboard the icebreaker MV Argus, where researchers used it to locate, sample, and analyze potential HPAI H5N1 cases under extreme conditions. The development comes at a critical time, as the virus first detected in 2020 has spread globally and was confirmed on the Antarctic Peninsula in February 2024. Affected species include brown skuas, Adélie penguins, snowy sheathbills, and Antarctic fur seals. "T...
China Researchers Introduce New Model For Typhoon Forecasting Accuracy

China Researchers Introduce New Model For Typhoon Forecasting Accuracy

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Learning & Developments
Researchers have introduced key improvements in numerical weather models significantly enhancing the ability to predict typhoon tracks and intensities. The study led by Dr. Xiaowei Tan from the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Earth System Modeling and Prediction Centre, focuses on refining typhoon forecasts by improving parameterization schemes used in operational models. Published in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, the research presents modifications to the CMA-TYM operational model, incorporating a new parameterization scheme for friction velocity at the ocean surface and a two-moment cloud microphysics scheme. These updates replace the original methods, leading to better predictions for Typhoon Kompasu (2118). Statistical analysis shows that the improved model e...
Urbanisation Disappear Eight Dragonfly Species from Pune as 27 New Ones Discovered

Urbanisation Disappear Eight Dragonfly Species from Pune as 27 New Ones Discovered

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A recent study has revealed a dramatic shift in Pune’s dragonfly population, with eight species vanishing while 27 new species have been discovered. Conducted by researchers and citizen scientists, the study attributes the loss of local species to land-use changes, water pollution, shifting weather patterns, and rapid urbanisation. Published in the International Journal of Tropical Insect Science the research was led by scientists from Maharashtra Institute of Technology-World Peace University and conducted between 2019 and 2022 across 52 locations in Pune. The city, which falls within the Western Ghats and Deccan Peninsula biogeographic zones, is home to a rich diversity of odonates, the insect order that includes dragonflies and damselflies. Dragonflies as Environmental Indicators ...
Women in Least Developed Nations Struggle for Voice in Climate Talks

Women in Least Developed Nations Struggle for Voice in Climate Talks

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check, Thoughts & Talks
A recent study has revealed that women from the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) face significant barriers to participating in global climate negotiations. Conducted by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the research highlights the gender imbalance in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) discussions, particularly among delegates from the 45 LDCs. Since 2008, women have made up only one in three UNFCCC delegates, with just 10% serving as heads of delegation. The study, which included surveys and case studies from Rwanda, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone, found that cultural norms, restrictive laws, and institutional barriers limit women’s roles in climate talks. Limited access to education, training, financial resources, and ...
Tree Rings Reveal Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Drought Across Eurasia

Tree Rings Reveal Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Drought Across Eurasia

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Scientists have long struggled to distinguish natural hydroclimatic variability from human-induced climate change when analyzing shifting drought conditions worldwide. While complex computer models can simulate past climate fluctuations, they often carry biases that affect regional drought estimates. Now, a groundbreaking study using tree rings provides compelling evidence that global warming is driving 21st-century drought patterns across Europe and Asia. A team of researchers, led by Kate Marvel and colleagues, turned to the Great Eurasian Drought Atlas (GEDA) a vast collection of tree ring records spanning 1,000 years to reconstruct historical drought trends. Because tree rings grow wider in warm, wet years and thinner in dry, cold years, they serve as a natural climate archive, offe...
AI Powered Satellite System Reveals Stark Green Space Inequality in Karachi

AI Powered Satellite System Reveals Stark Green Space Inequality in Karachi

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Space, Tech
A research team led by NYU Associate Professor Rumi Chunara has developed an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system that accurately tracks urban green spaces using satellite imagery offering a crucial tool for healthier city planning. The system significantly outperforms traditional methods, which have historically failed to capture up to 37% of urban vegetation. Breaking New Ground in Urban Mapping To validate their approach, researchers tested the system in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, known for its mix of dense urban sprawl and highly varied vegetation. The AI, built on enhanced DeepLabV3+ segmentation models, was trained using a technique called ‘green augmentation,’ which adjusts training data to account for different lighting and seasonal conditions. This innovation ...
Study Links Extreme Weather to Rising Power Outages Across U.S. Frequently

Study Links Extreme Weather to Rising Power Outages Across U.S. Frequently

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A new study published in PLOS Climate reveals that power outages are becoming increasingly frequent alongside extreme weather events in the U.S., highlighting regional differences in outage causes and the urgent need for preparedness. Researchers analyzed county-level data from 2018 to 2020 and found that 73% of counties experienced at least one day where a severe weather event coincided with a power outage. In 54% of counties, two simultaneous weather hazards such as hurricanes and heavy rain occurred alongside outages, raising the risk of widespread disruption. Hurricanes were the leading cause of outages, followed by snowstorms and heavy rain. However, the impact varied by region: heavy rain was a major factor in the Northeast and Gulf Coast, while extreme heat and power failures ...
Vanishing Giants India Farmlands Lose Millions of Large Trees, Raising Environmental Concerns

Vanishing Giants India Farmlands Lose Millions of Large Trees, Raising Environmental Concerns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
India has witnessed a dramatic decline in large trees across its farmlands over the past decade, with nearly 5.6 million trees disappearing between 2018 and 2022 alone, a new study has revealed. Researchers using satellite imagery from 2010 to 2022 found that in some regions, up to 50% of large trees have been lost, raising serious concerns about the impact on biodiversity, soil health, and climate resilience. The study identified central Indian states like Maharashtra and Telangana as hotspots for tree loss, with nearly 2.5 million trees vanishing between 2011 and 2018. Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh recorded the highest densities of tree loss, with about 22 trees disappearing per hectare. India’s land-cover data shows that 56% of the country is under farmland, while forests cover only ...