news 2018
« BACK
Environment
Results 101 - 120 of 178.
Life Sciences - Environment - 13.06.2018
Large fenced reserves an effective way to bring wolves back to Scotland
Large fenced reserves an effective way to bring wolves back to Scotland Research, led by the University of Sussex and the University of Kent, indicates that for wolves to be effective at directly reducing red deer numbers and allowing nature to recover in the Scottish Highlands they may need to be reintroduced to very large fenced reserve.
Environment - 12.06.2018
New insights into the contribution of land ice to sea level rise
A new study led by scientists from the University of Bristol has provided an up-to-date insight into the impact of melting land ice on sea levels. The new estimate shows there has been a six-fold increase in annual land ice contribution to global sea level rise from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 11.06.2018
Rising CO2 may increase dangerous weather extremes, whatever happens to global temperatures
New research from the University of Oxford and collaborators at several other institutions, including the University of Bristol, provides compelling evidence that meeting the global warming target of 1.5°C may not be enough to limit the damage caused by extreme weather. The paper, published today , demonstrates that higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations directly increase temperature and rainfall extremes, meaning there could be dangerous changes in these extremes even if the global mean temperature rise remains within 1.5°C.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 08.06.2018
Rising CO2 may increase dangerous weather extremes, whatever happens to global temperatures
New research from the University of Oxford and collaborators at several other institutions provides compelling evidence that meeting the global warming target of 1.5°C may not be enough to limit the damage caused by extreme weather. The paper, published today , demonstrates that higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations directly increase temperature and rainfall extremes, meaning there could be dangerous changes in these extremes even if the global mean temperature rise remains within 1.5°C.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 07.06.2018
Scientists propose changing the rules of history to avoid environmental collapse
For the first time in our planet's 4.5 billion-year history a single species, humans, is increasingly dictating its future, according to a new book by UCL scientists. The new epoch known as the Anthropocene - assessed in 2015 by Professors Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin in a report published in Nature - marks the period when human impacts on our home planet have become global and sustained.
Environment - Health - 06.06.2018
Pollution hits the fungi that nourish European trees
Pollution is changing the fungi that provide mineral nutrients to tree roots, which could explain malnutrition trends in Europe's trees. A huge study of 13,000 soil samples across 20 European countries has revealed that many tree fungi communities are stressed by pollution, indicating that current pollution limits may not be strict enough.
Economics - Environment - 05.06.2018
Regional inequalities within the EU ’have declined over the past 35 years’
New research from the University of Oxford and UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany shows the gap between Europe's haves and have-nots has been narrowing over the past 35 years. The paper, a major comparative study of European urban and regional growth patterns, reveals that since 1980 cities and regions across the EU have been converging economically, becoming increasingly similar in per capita incomes and real growth rates.
Health - Environment - 05.06.2018
Pollution from cars and vans costs £6billion per year in health damages
A new Oxford University collaboration has shed light on the damaging health consequences of Britain's car addiction - revealing that it is likely costing our NHS and society in general more than £6 billion per year. Commissioned by Global Action Plan - who coordinate the forthcoming Clean Air Day (21 June) , and conducted in collaboration with the University of Bath, the researchers' in-depth analysis found for the first time that the health impact costs of diesel cars are significantly higher than petrol, electric and hybrid vehicles.
Mechanical Engineering - Environment - 04.06.2018
Experts build pulsed air rig to test 3D printed parts for low carbon engines
Researchers designed a unique facility for testing 3D printed engine parts, to help reduce carbon emissions worldwide. The new Transient Air System Rig (TASR) was designed and built by Dr Aaron Costall and his team from Imperial College London's Department of Mechanical Engineering. The researchers hope it will help makers of large off-road and freight vehicles reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) they produce.
Environment - Economics - 04.06.2018
’Carbon bubble’ coming that could wipe trillions from the global economy - study
Macroeconomic simulations show rates of technological change in energy efficiency and renewable power are likely to cause a sudden drop in demand for fossil fuels, potentially sparking a global financial crisis. Experts call for a "carefully managed" shift to low-carbon investments and policies to deflate this "carbon bubble".
Environment - Innovation - 04.06.2018
Transforming our lives can limit global warming to 1.5C without new technology
Changes to how we move around, heat our homes and use devices could all limit global warming by reducing our energy demand. The new study, published today in Nature Energy , is the first to show how the 1.5 o C global warming target can be reached without increasing our global energy demand, while at the same time raising living standards in developing countries.
Environment - 31.05.2018
Conforming to the beauty ideal to look younger, thinner, firmer and smoother becomes the norm - research finds
The speed at which sign language users understand what others are 'saying' to them depends on whether the conversation partners are leftor right-handed, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Birmingham worked with British Sign Language (BSL) signers to see how differences in sign production affect sign comprehension.
Environment - Life Sciences - 31.05.2018
New estimates of the environmental cost of food
Research published in the journal Science highlights the environmental impacts of thousands of food producers and their products, demonstrating the need for new technology to monitor agriculture, and the need for environmental labels on food products. Researchers at Oxford University and the Swiss agricultural research institute, Agroscope, have created the most comprehensive database yet on the environmental impacts of nearly 40,000 farms, and 1,600 processors, packaging types, and retailers.
Environment - 29.05.2018
University of Birmingham School celebrates its Ofsted ’Good’ rating
Research by scientists at the University of Birmingham suggests that ancestral humans may have been more adept at negotiating unstable arboreal environment than previously thought. A study published in Nature Scientific Reports shows that by using light fingertip touch, participants were able to improve their balance in a simulated forest canopy environment by up to 30%.
Environment - 21.05.2018
Car dealers are a major barrier to the spread of electric vehicles
Car dealers are a major barrier to the spread of electric vehicles A new study by Aarhus University, Denmark and the University of Sussex has found that car dealerships and sales personnel are a major obstacle to the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) in the Nordic region and possibly beyond. The study, published in Nature Energy , shows that EVs are at a disadvantage at the point of sale in comparison with petrol and diesel vehicles across Northern Europe.
Life Sciences - Environment - 21.05.2018
Managed hunting can help maintain animal populations
Researchers studying the hunting of ibex in Switzerland over the past 40 years have shown how hunts, when tightly monitored, can help maintain animal populations at optimal levels. Our results emphasise the importance of continuous monitoring of hunting practices, especially in regions where hunters can choose animals based on certain traits.
Environment - Life Sciences - 21.05.2018
’Talking’ algae could provide new route to monitoring climate change
A University of Bath scientist has for the first time developed a way of monitoring alterations in the aquatic system by listening to microalgae communicating. Last updated on Monday 2 July 2018 Led by the University of Bath, the research which has been published in demonstrates that contrary to popular belief, microalgae do communicate with each other when under stress.
Life Sciences - Environment - 18.05.2018
Giraffes surprise biologists yet again
New research from the University of Bristol has highlighted how little we know about giraffe behaviour and ecology. It is commonly accepted that group sizes of animals increase when there is a risk of predation, since larger group sizes reduce the risk of individuals being killed, and there are 'many eyes' to spot any potential predation risk.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 16.05.2018
Special issue of Royal Society magazine highlights scale of oceanic change
The seas around the West Antarctic Peninsula have experienced some of the fastest global warming in recent decades, increasing the rate and richness of biological activity in the region. Innovative analytical techniques and collaborative research projects involving scientists from around the world are helping to improve our understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change.
Environment - 15.05.2018
University of Birmingham forms spinout to develop new therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis
A study led by the University of Birmingham suggests a possible association between exposure to certain pollutants and an increased risk of so-called 'cot death'. The research, published in BMJ Open and carried out in collaboration with the University of Oulu in Finland and the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia in Africa, examines the relationship between the effects of short-term variations in air pollution and the onset of cot death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Advert