You know how grocery stores have rolls of tear-off plastic bags in their produce sections for holding vegetables and fruit? Last week California’s governor signed a law that will force supermarkets to discontinue them before 2025, reports the Bay Area Newsgroup, replacing them with either recycled paper bags or bags Read more…
A new study suggests that a billboard-like constellation of about 50 satellites, costing $65 million all in, could shine ads to every corner of the Earth for months — and potentially make money while doing so. The study, from Russian researchers at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) Read more…
Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been discovered in the saliva of wax worms, which are moth larvae that infest beehives. The enzymes are the first reported to break down polyethylene within hours at room temperature and could lead to cost-effective ways of recycling the plastic. The discovery Read more…
Trees have long been known to buffer humans from the worst effects of climate change by pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Now new research shows just how much forests have been bulking up on that excess carbon. The study, recently published in the Journal Nature Communications, finds that elevated Read more…
Our work in Chernobyl started in 2016. That year, close to the damaged nuclear reactor, we detected several Eastern tree frogs (Hyla orientalis) with an unusual black tint. The species normally has a bright green dorsal coloration, although occasional darker individuals can be found. Melanin is responsible for the dark Read more…
For the first time, the United States is designating a special diplomat to advocate for global biodiversity amid what policymakers here and overseas increasingly recognize as an extinction crisis. The Washington Post reports: Monica Medina is taking on a new role as special envoy for biodiversity and water resources, the Read more…
In a global first, wind and solar energy combined to generate more than 10 percent of the world’s electricity in 2021 — though coal-fired power plant generation and emissions jumped to new highs in the same period, too. The 2022 Power Transition Trends report by Bloomberg New Energy Fund (BNEF) Read more…