Environment
27 Nov 2019
Palm oil: Less fertilizer and no herbicide but same yield?
International team investigates environmentally sustainable palm oil production: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
331 news posts in Earth and beyond
Climate action
17 Oct 2019
Hurricane resilience in the Bahamas
A Stanford-led study suggests ecosystem investments to minimize storm damage; Frontiers in Marine Science
Climate action
16 Oct 2019
Extreme weather caused by climate change has damaged 45% of Australia’s coastal habitat
Researchers examined the cumulative impacts of recent extreme climate events on marine habitats around Australia; Frontiers in Marine Science
Environment
15 Oct 2019
Face palm: are palm oil boycotters hypocrites?
Oil palm is alternatively seen as a gift from god or a crime against humanity – according to science, it is neither; Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Climate action
06 Sep 2019
New insight from Great Barrier Reef coral provides correction factor to climate records
Researchers have fine-tuned the records used to make global climate predictions using high-resolution microscopic techniques and geochemical modeling; Frontiers in Marine Science
Sustainability
29 Aug 2019
A new vision for genomics in animal agriculture
The USDA blueprint predicts genomic technologies will play an increasingly central role in global livestock production; Frontiers in Genetics
Environment
27 Aug 2019
Study documents impacts of selective logging on Congo’s intact forest landscapes
Logging in the timber-rich forests of northern Congo is a major driver of the region’s economic development — and its ecological impoverishment; Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Climate action
26 Aug 2019
Marching for climate change may sway people’s beliefs and actions
US climate marches increased optimism about people’s ability to work together to address climate change, according to a survey of bystanders; Frontiers in Communication
Sustainability
23 Aug 2019
The fat of the land: estimating the ecological costs of overeating
Overeating is bad for our planet’s health, not just our own. Image: shutterstock. Overeating wastes far more food than we throw away, suggests research — by Matthew Prior, Frontiers science writer With every unfinished meal since Band Aid, you’ve heard it: “people are starving in Africa, y’know”. True, the UN estimates that rich countries throw away nearly as much food as the entire net production of sub-Saharan Africa – about 230 million tonnes per year. But is it any less a waste to eat the excess food? Morally, it’s equivocal. Nutritionally, it depends. However: the land, water and carbon footprints are just the same. In fact, researchers in Italy have proposed a way to measure the ecological impact of global food wastage due to excessive consumption. First, they estimated the net excess bodyweight of each country’s population – based on BMI and height data – and distributed its energy content among foods groups according to national availability. Published in Frontiers in Nutrition, the results suggest that direct food waste – thrown away or lost from field to fork – is a mere hors-d’œuvre. Metabolic Food Waste and Ecological Impact of Obesity in FAO World’s Region► Read original article► Download original article (pdf) […]
Environment
13 Aug 2019
Growing existing forests essential in mitigating global crises
“Proforestation” has significant potential in the United States; Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Climate action
25 Jul 2019
The geoengineering of consent: how conspiracists dominate YouTube climate science content
Most YouTube videos relating to climate change prevention oppose scientific consensus and hijack technical terms to appear credible, says study; Frontiers in Communication
Space sciences and astronomy
18 Jul 2019
Red wine’s resveratrol could help Mars explorers stay strong
Nutraceuticals that preserve muscle in reduced gravity will support long-term space missions; Frontiers in Physiology
Environment
01 Jul 2019
Young frogs that were stressed as tadpoles move less on land, putting their survival at risk
New Oregon State University research shows that juvenile northern red-legged frogs that have experienced climate-related stress as tadpoles are less likely to move on land, putting their survival at risk; Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Environment
19 Jun 2019
Research shows cattle ranching could help conserve rare African antelope, lions
Endangered African antelope and the lions that prey on them may benefit from certain cattle ranching practices in Kenya; Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Sustainability
03 Jun 2019
Edible insects? Lab-grown meat? The real future food is lab-grown insect meat
Lab-grown insect meat – fed on plants, and genetically modified for maximum growth, nutrition and flavor – could be a superior green alternative for high volume, nutritious food production. Image: Shutterstock. Cultured insect tissue could combine the planet-saving best of insect farming, GM livestock, labriculture and plant-based meat substitutes — by Matthew Prior, Frontiers science writer Livestock farming is destroying our planet. It is a major cause of land and water degradation, biodiversity loss – and of course, climate change. Several potential solutions have been proposed. Popular options are plant-based diets, insect farming, lab-grown meat and genetically modified animals. Which is best? All of these combined, say researchers at Tufts University. Writing in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, they explain why lab-grown insect meat – fed on plants, and genetically modified for maximum growth, nutrition and flavor – could be a superior green alternative for high volume, nutritious food production. Possibilities for Engineered Insect Tissue as a Food Source► Read original article► Download original article (pdf) Alternatives to conventional meat farming “Due to the environmental, public health and animal welfare concerns associated with our current livestock system, it is vital to develop more sustainable food production methods,” says lead author Natalie Rubio. […]