news 2023

Rewilding, organic farming and the so-called -nature friendly farming- measures included in some government conservation policies may accelerate global biodiversity loss, say two leading researchers. These -Green- farming policies risk worsening the global biodiversity crisis by reducing how much food is produced in a region, driving up food imports and increasing environmental damage overseas.

Researchers have demonstrated how carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial processes - or even directly from the air - and transformed into clean, sustainable fuels using just the energy from the sun. We are not just interested in decarbonisation, but de-fossilisation - we need to completely eliminate fossil fuels in order to create a truly circular economy Erwin Reisner The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, developed a solar-powered reactor that converts captured CO2 and plastic waste into sustainable fuels and other valuable chemical products.

Areas of the ocean that are rich in marine life are having a bigger impact on our ecosystems and the climate than previously thought, new research suggests. Observations made by scientists at The University of Manchester found that the primary source of urea - a nitrogen-rich compound, vital for the growth and development of living organisms - comes from the ocean.

Tropical butterflies with bigger, longer and narrower wings are better able to stay cool when temperatures get too hot. We showed that changes in size and wing shape are important for coping with temperature change. Benita Laird-Hopkins In fact, tropical species- ability to keep cool at higher air temperatures mean they are more able to -thermoregulate- and keep a balanced body temperature compared to their evolutionary cousins in milder climates.

An international team of researchers who discovered a vast network of stone walls along the River Nile in Egypt and Sudan say these massive 'river groynes' reveal an exceptionally long-lived form of hydraulic engineering in the Nile Valley, and shed light on connections between ancient Nubia and Egypt.

Deep ocean water in Antarctica is warming and shrinking at an alarming rate with significant consequences for the global climate and the world's oceans, according to new research involving the University of Southampton. Antarctic Bottom Water is the coldest, densest water mass on the planet, and it plays a crucial role in regulating the ocean's ability to store heat and capture carbon; 90 per cent of human-induced global heating and almost a third of the extra carbon released since the start of the industrial revolution has been absorbed by the ocean.

Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From research into using sandstones to calculate ancient river flood events , to a project on the design principles of plant leaf structures , here is some quick-read news from across the College. How floods formed Welsh sandstones Researchers in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering have shown how it is possible to calculate the magnitudes and durations of ancient river flood events, using Welsh sandstones formed 300 million years ago.

Weather projections for the year 2080 highlight the stark reality of likely future heatwaves UK and China research team creates detailed hour-by-hour, week-long example weather forecasts for the year 2080 The realistic, sophisticated predictions show that life threatening heatwaves will become common The week-long predictions are designed to aid preparedness of buildings and infrastructure, but also present a new tool for illustrating climate ch

Eco-distress is rising around the world, but a new article in the journal Nature by psychologists suggests this could be a positive catalyst for action. More and more people are experiencing -eco-distress existential fears about the future of the planet in view of increased extreme weather events and ecological loss.

A new form of low-cost, 3D-printed water pollution sensor could make a splash in the world of environmental monitoring, its developers say. A team of researchers from universities in Scotland, Portugal and Germany developed the sensor, which can help detect the presence of very low concentrations of pesticides in water samples.

Professor Richard Gregory (UCL Biosciences) explains that pesticides and fertilisers are the single biggest cause of birds shocking decline across Europe and suggests how best to respond, writing in The Conversation. A trickle of studies warning that the enormous variety of living things on Earth is diminishing has turned into a flood.

The majority of fish populations in the sea are responding to global warming by relocating towards colder waters nearer the north and south poles, according to the latest research on the impact of climate change on our oceans. Analysing the breadth of current world-wide data on marine fish changes in recent years, researchers from the University of Glasgow have revealed how fish populations across the Earth's oceans are responding to rising sea temperatures.

How easily birds can fly between suitable areas strongly determines whether a particular species can survive habitat fragmentation. A new study shows why tropical birds are likely to be more vulnerable to forest fragmentation, and suggests conservation policies need to take into account the role of climate in determining the ability of animals to move across fragmented landscapes.

Tunnels deep underground in North Yorkshire are providing a unique opportunity to study how humans might be able to live and operate on the Moon or on Mars. Researchers at the University of Birmingham have launched the Bio-SPHERE project in a unique research facility located 1.1 km below the surface, in one of the deepest mine sites in the UK.

Researchers have developed a solar-powered technology that converts carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels that can be added directly to a car-s engine as drop-in fuel. Shining sunlight on the artificial leaves and getting liquid fuel from carbon dioxide and water is an amazing bit of chemistry Motiar Rahaman The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert CO2, water and sunlight into multicarbon fuels - ethanol and propanol - in a single step.

Climate change is likely to abruptly push species over tipping points as their geographic ranges reach unforeseen temperatures, finds a new study led by a UCL researcher. The new Nature Ecology & Evolution study predicts when and where climate change is likely to expose species across the globe to potentially dangerous temperatures.

A study by an international team of researchers, led by the University of Southampton, has given an intriguing glimpse of the hunting habits and diets of Neanderthals and other humans living in western Europe. The scientists examined chemical properties locked inside tooth enamel to piece together how pre-historic people lived off the land around the Almonda Cave system, near Torres Novas in central Portugal almost 100 thousand years ago.

Life in the ocean's "twilight zone" could decline dramatically due to climate change, new research suggests. The twilight zone (200m to 1,000m deep) gets very little light but is home to a wide variety of organisms and billions of tonnes of organic matter. The new study warns that climate change could cause a 20-40% reduction in twilight zone life by the end of the century.

Life in the ocean's "twilight zone" could decline dramatically due to climate change, suggests a new study involving UCL researchers. The twilight zone (200m to 1,000m deep) gets very little light but is home to a wide variety of organisms and billions of tonnes of organic matter. The new study, published in the journal Nature Communications , warns that climate change could cause a 20-40% reduction in twilight zone life by the end of the century.

New research involving Cambridge University has found evidence - locked into an ancient stalagmite from a cave in the Himalayas - of a series of severe and lengthy droughts which may have upturned the Bronze Age Indus Civilization.