Sustainability
Coffee and mushroom spores make a green plastic alternative
Coffee and mushroom spores make a green plastic alternative Researchers have shown that coffee grounds and Reishi mushroom spores can be 3D printed into a compostable alternative to plastics. Only 30% of a coffee bean is soluble in water, and many brewing methods aim to extract significantly less than that. So of the 1.6 billion […]
🔬 Science
The Panama Canal’s other conflict: Water security for the population and the global economy
The Panama Canal’s other conflict: Water security for the population and the global economy The Panama Canal carries cargo ships between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, cutting weeks off shipping time. Danny Lehman/The Image Bank via Getty Images The Panama Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world, with about 7% of […]
📰 News
How will climate change affect America’s rivers?
How will climate change affect America’s rivers? Researchers are integrating traditional geochemistry with artificial intelligence to forecast the impact of climate warming and population growth on the alkalinity and salt levels in rivers nationwide. The chemistry of US rivers is changing—and will change further in complex ways in different regions of the country. Scientists are […]
🔬 Science
Engineering students explore how to ethically design and locate nuclear facilities in this college course
Engineering students explore how to ethically design and locate nuclear facilities in this college course While nuclear power can reap enormous benefits, it also comes with some risks. Michel Gounot/GODONG/Stone via Getty Images Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Title of course: Socially Engaged Design of […]
📚 Education
Deep-sea mining threatens sea life in a way no one is thinking about − by dumping debris into the thriving midwater zone
Deep-sea mining threatens sea life in a way no one is thinking about − by dumping debris into the thriving midwater zone A cnidarian is attached to a dead sponge stalk on a manganese nodule in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Diva Amon and Craig Smith, University of Hawaii at Mānoa Picture an ocean world so deep […]
📰 News
Water cooperation is essential when countries share lakes and rivers – yet it’s been deteriorating in many places, with serious consequences
Water cooperation is essential when countries share lakes and rivers – yet it’s been deteriorating in many places, with serious consequences Lake Chad once provided adequate livelihoods for 20 million people in Africa, but it lost 90% of its surface area in 30 years. AP Photo/Christophe Ena Just over half the world’s population shares a […]
📰 News
Sharks are under serious threat, but these bans may help
Sharks are under serious threat, but these bans may help Sharks are dying at alarming rates, mostly due to fishing, but retention bans may help, researchers report. Despite the fear they may inspire in humans, sharks have far more reason to fear us. Nearly one-third of sharks are threatened with extinction globally, mostly as a […]
📰 News
Plastic pyrolysis − chemists explain a technique attempting to tackle plastic waste by bringing the heat
Plastic pyrolysis − chemists explain a technique attempting to tackle plastic waste by bringing the heat Large proportions of plastic waste don't get recycled. Westend61 via Getty Images Plus In 1950, global plastic production was about 2 million tons. It’s now about 400 million tons – an increase of nearly 20,000%. As a material, it […]
🔬 Science
Cheese made with peas tastes like the real thing
Cheese made with peas tastes like the real thing Researchers have created a hybrid version of paneer, a popular South Asian cheese, with 25% pea protein. The result is a solid step towards more sustainable dairy products with nutritional benefits. It is no secret that, as a dairy product, heavy cheese consumption comes with a […]
🔬 Science
Plastic exposure may be making bacteria resistant to drugs
Plastic exposure may be making bacteria resistant to drugs Microplastics could be fueling antibiotic resistance, according to new research. Microplastics—tiny shards of plastic debris—are all over the planet. They have made their way up food chains, accumulated in oceans, clustered in clouds and on mountains, and been found inside our bodies at alarming rates. Scientists […]
🏥 Health