news 2018

The oceans are the planet's most important depository for atmospheric carbon dioxide on time scales of decades to millennia. But the process of locking away greenhouse gas is weakened by activity of the Southern Ocean, so an increase in its activity could explain the mysterious warmth of the past 11,000 years, an international team of researchers reports.

The unprecedented temperatures seen over Summer 2018 are a sign of things to come - and a direct result of climate change, according to new Oxford University research. In the newly published report, researchers from the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at the School of Geography and Environment, Oxford University , who worked in collaboration with the World Weather Attribution network (WWA) , reveal that climate change more than doubled the likelihood of the European heatwave, which could come to be known as regular summer temperatures.

The unprecedented temperatures seen over Summer 2018 are a sign of things to come  - and a direct result of climate change, according to new Oxford University research. In the newly published report, researchers from the  Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at the School of Geography and Environment, Oxford University , who worked in collaboration with the World Weather Attribution network (WWA) , reveal that climate change more than doubled the likelihood of the European heatwave, which could come to be known as regular summer temperatures.

By trading energy between countries with different weather patterns, Europe could make the most of wind and solar power. This conclusion is from a study modelling the future of weather and energy in Europe, which could help plan future continent-wide energy systems and policies that share renewable resources across countries.

By trading energy between countries with different weather patterns, Europe could make the most of wind and solar power. This conclusion is from a study modelling the future of weather and energy in Europe, which could help plan future continent-wide energy systems and policies that share renewable resources across countries.

By combining studies on one species of malaria-carrying mosquito, researchers found that no other animals rely solely on them for food. The study, by Imperial College London researchers, suggests the mosquito can be reduced or even eliminated in local areas without impacting the ecosystem. Locally eliminating this one species of mosquito could drastically cut cases of malaria, although the team note that more research is needed in the field to test that the ecosystem is not significantly perturbed.

Global biodiversity is at tipping point and on the verge of collapse, according to a major research collaboration. The team caution that urgent, concerted action is needed to reverse species loss in the tropics and prevent an environmental catastrophe.

Bin the bug spray now: New study shows EU pesticide ban is failing to protect suburban bee populations Bees living in suburban habitats are still being exposed to significant levels of pesticides despite the EU ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on flowering crops, new research from University of Sussex scientists shows.

Demand for animal protein and increasing wealth fuelled a tripling in the domestic production of livestock in China between 1980 and 2010, and the rise, despite some improvements in efficiencies at the farm level, had significant impacts on environmental sustainability, nationally and globally. With this rise set to continue, an international team of researchers, including the University of Bristol Veterinary School , has now devised a blueprint to increase production efficiency and environmental performance through a "new transition" backed by an array of stakeholders.

The rate at which our planet is warming has been found to be a critical factor in explaining the decline of bird and mammal species, reveals new research by UCL and ZSL (Zoological Society of London). For the study, published today in Global Change Biology , 987 populations of 481 species across the globe were studied to investigate how the rate of climate change and land-use change (from natural to human-dominated landscapes) interact to affect the rate of decline on mammals and birds, as well as whether species located in protected areas and body size had an influence.

Climate change will only affect the economic growth of the poorest nations Climate change looks set to slow productivity only in the world's poorest nations, according to new research from University of Sussex and La Sapienza economists. The research, published in Environmental and Resource Economics , warns that the world's 100 poorest countries will be 5% worse off by the end of the century than they would have been without climate change - wiping trillions of dollars from the global economy every year.

An intriguing new exhibition using rocks to represent different aspects and interpretations of climate change will be on display at the University of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, Wills Memorial Building, from Wednesday 25 July. For the past six months, artist and sculptor, Alice Cunningham has been working as an artist-in-residence as part of the School's EarthArt programme which encourages local artists to work with members academics on an art-science collaborative project.

The world's oceans are likely to become more acidic than at any time in the past 14 million years, scientists have found. New research led by Cardiff University has shown that under a 'business-as-usual' scenario of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, ocean acidification is likely to hit unprecedented levels.

Under warmer conditions, plants can take up more carbon dioxide by using carbon more efficiently for growth, shows a new study. Plants take in - or 'fix' - carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Some of the carbon is used for plant growth, and some of it is used in respiration, where the plant breaks down sugars to get energy.

The Earth is filled with diverse and remarkable plant forms from the tallest redwoods that pierce forest canopies, to the smallest mosses that blanket the ground underfoot. However, these striking forms came from much simpler origins. The ancestors of land plants were string-like (2D), aquatic green algae that looked very different from the three-dimensional (3D), upright stems and leaves of plants we are familiar with today.

Workers' rights should be at the heart of global sustainable development, says new report (17 July 2018) Workers' rights should be placed at the heart of global efforts to improve sustainable development, according to a new international study. The Unacceptable Forms of Work: Global Dialogue/Location Innovation report , led by Durham University, UK, came as the world's politicians met to review progress towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .

Preventing reservoir evaporation during droughts with floating balls may not help conserve water overall, due to the water needed to make the balls. During droughts, communities may rely on water stored in reservoirs. However, significant amounts of water can evaporate from the surface of the reservoir.

Palaeontologists face an important question, 'does the quality of fossil skeletons impact our understanding of biodiversity patterns in the past'. Palaeontologists rely on the fossil record to uncover the hidden pasts of long extinct animal groups. When fossil specimens are discovered, new species are often named, and over time, we begin to paint a picture of past biodiversity.

It is widely accepted that the human race originated from Africa - likely from a single ancestral population. However, a new Oxford University research collaboration has challenged this perception of evolution, suggesting that instead of one group growing from a specific region in Africa, our ancestors lived across the entire continent, and as a result, people were diverse both physically and culturally, from the very beginning.

Marshlands in the south east of England could start to disappear from the year 2040 due to rapid sea level rise, according to new research involving Durham University scientists. Using data from more than 800 sediment cores which record how salt marshes responded to variable rates of sea-level rise over the past 10,000 years, the researchers estimate that marshes in the south east of England could start to disappear from the year 2040, and across all of Great Britain by 2100.