News by Subject Biology

A large scale expansion in bioenergy crop production could be just as detrimental to biodiversity as climate change itself, according to new research.

One out of three rivers in the Iberian Peninsula has salinization mainly due the impact of agricultural activity and territory urbanization. This environmental problem will affect hydric ecosystems due global warming, the growing use of water and the exploitation of soil natural resources.

Model calculations by ETH researchers show that if China fought smog more aggressively, it could massively increase solar power production.

Air quality has been associated with numerous adverse health outcomes from asthma to pre-term birth. Researchers at University of Utah Health found women living along the Wasatch Front -- the most populous region in the state of Utah -- had a higher risk (16 percent) of miscarriage following short-term exposure to elevated air pollution. The results are available online on December 5 in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

Even in this digital age, paper is still everywhere. Often, printed materials get used once and are then discarded, creating waste and potentially pollution. Now, scientists report in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces the development of an easy-to-make 'rewritable' paper that can be drawn or printed on over and over again. The messages can last more than half a year, compared to other rewritable papers whose messages fade after a few days or a few months.

While it's an important part of our diets, new research shows that rice plants can be used in a different way, too: to clean runoff from farms before it gets into rivers, lakes, and streams.