Hacker News with Generative AI: Environmental Science

Across southeastern US, weedy rice steals herbicide resistance from crop rice (phys.org)
Weedy rice is a close relative of cultivated rice that infests rice fields worldwide and drastically reduces yields.

Agriculture, Genetics, Biology, Environmental Science, Invasive Species

7 points by PaulHoule 6 days ago | 3 comments

Scientists identify 11 genes affected by PFAS, shedding light on neurotoxicity (phys.org)
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) earn their "forever chemical" moniker by persisting in water, soil and even the human brain.

Science, Environmental Science, Health, Neurotoxicity, PFAS

5 points by thebeardisred 9 days ago | 0 comments

Nuclear waste is reusable. Why aren't we doing it? [video] (youtube.com)

Nuclear Waste, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Video

4 points by keepamovin 18 days ago | 0 comments

Saltwater to Widely Taint Coastal Groundwater by 2100 (nasa.gov)
Seawater will infiltrate underground freshwater supplies in about three of every four coastal areas around the world by the year 2100, according to a recent study led by researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

Climate Change, Water Resources, Environmental Science, Coastal Areas

37 points by geox 18 days ago | 1 comments

Remediation of PFAS by processed and amended clays and activated carbon in soil (sciencedirect.com)
Remediation methods for soil contaminated with poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are needed to prevent their leaching into drinking water sources and to protect living organisms in the surrounding environment.

Environmental Science, Soil Contamination, Remediation, PFAS

10 points by Jimmc414 18 days ago | 2 comments

Ocean Carbon Removal: Captura's marine carbon capture explained (ieee.org)
These companies are trying to make the oceans a better carbon sink

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Technology, Sustainability

65 points by geox 23 days ago | 67 comments

Ancient copper industry in King Solomon's mines did not pollute environment (eurekalert.org)
A new study from Tel Aviv University overturns prevailing scientific beliefs that King Solomon’s Mines not only harmed the health of workers in the ancient copper industry but also pose risks to the health of modern residents living near the site.

Archaeology, Environmental Science, History, Israel

18 points by instagraham 23 days ago | 4 comments

Huge math error corrected in black plastic study; authors say it doesn't matter (arstechnica.com)
Editors of the environmental chemistry journal Chemosphere have posted an eye-catching correction to a study reporting toxic flame retardants from electronics wind up in some household products made of black plastic, including kitchen utensils.

Science, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Consumer Products, Research

173 points by ars 32 days ago | 112 comments

Technical Report on Mirror Bacteria: Feasibility and Risks (purl.stanford.edu)
This report describes the technical feasibility of creating mirror bacteria and the potentially serious and wide-ranging risks that they could pose to humans, other animals, plants, and the environment.

Biotechnology, Microbiology, Risk Assessment, Environmental Science

20 points by Hooke 33 days ago | 1 comments

A controversial plan to refreeze the Arctic is seeing promising results (cnn.com)

Climate Change, Arctic, Environmental Science

7 points by joak 36 days ago | 0 comments

Forever chemicals found in bottled and tap water from around the world (phys.org)
Researchers found 10 'target' PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances)—chemicals which do not break down in nature—in tap and bottled water available for consumption in major cities in the UK and China.

Environmental Science, Water Quality, Chemistry, Public Health

6 points by akyuu 44 days ago | 1 comments

Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks (nature.com)
Capture of CO2 from the air offers a promising approach to addressing climate change and achieving carbon neutrality goals1,2.

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Carbon Capture, Chemistry

14 points by the-chitmonger 47 days ago | 60 comments

Bye-bye microplastics: new plastic is recyclable and ocean-degradable (riken.jp)
Researchers led by Takuzo Aida at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) have developed a durable plastic that won’t contribute to microplastic pollution in our oceans.

Plastic Pollution, Materials Science, Environmental Science, Recycling

7 points by JeanKage 52 days ago | 2 comments

Quantification of record-breaking subsidence in California's San Joaquin Valley (nature.com)
In California’s San Joaquin Valley, groundwater overdraft has caused dramatic and continued land subsidence during two main periods, 1925–1970 (“the historic period”) and post-2006.

Environmental Science, Geology, California, Water Resources

5 points by Stratoscope 53 days ago | 1 comments

China's emissions have now caused more global warming than EU – Carbon Brief (carbonbrief.org)
China’s historical emissions within its borders have now caused more global warming than the 27 member states of the EU combined, according to new Carbon Brief analysis.

Climate Change, Emissions, China, European Union, Environmental Science

10 points by loongloong 54 days ago | 5 comments

Meltwater from Greenland and the Arctic is weakening ocean circulation (theconversation.com)
A vast network of ocean currents nicknamed the “great global ocean conveyor belt” is slowing down. That’s a problem because this vital system redistributes heat around the world, influencing both temperatures and rainfall.

Climate Change, Oceanography, Global Warming, Environmental Science

22 points by Gedxx 57 days ago | 9 comments

Light-based photocatalytic system can break down PFAS at room temperature (phys.org)
Researchers at Colorado State University have found a new approach for breaking down PFAS—a group of human-made "forever" chemicals commonly used for their water-resistant properties that can carry health risks from long-term exposure.

Chemistry, Environmental Science, Water Contamination, Materials Science

21 points by kmckiern 58 days ago | 1 comments

Enormous cache of rare earth elements hidden inside coal ash waste (phys.org)

Mining, Environmental Science

11 points by defrost 59 days ago | 2 comments

Pioneer Species (wikipedia.org)
Pioneer species are resilient species that are the first to colonize barren environments, or to repopulate disrupted biodiverse steady-state ecosystems as part of ecological succession.

Ecology, Biology, Environmental Science, Succession, Resilience

19 points by skibz 61 days ago | 1 comments

Hiker discovers first trace of entire prehistoric ecosystem in Italian Alps (theguardian.com)
A hiker in the northern Italian Alps has stumbled across the first trace of what scientists believe to be an entire prehistoric ecosystem, including the well-preserved footprints of reptiles and amphibians, brought to light by the melting of snow and ice induced by the climate crisis.

Paleontology, Climate Change, Italy, Archaeology, Environmental Science

11 points by pseudolus 64 days ago | 0 comments

Microbial community structure in recovering forests of Mount St. Helens (frontiersin.org)
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens had devastating effects above and belowground in forested montane ecosystems, including the burial and destruction of soil microbes.

Environmental Science, Ecology, Microbiology, Volcanic Eruptions, Forest Regeneration

3 points by gnabgib 67 days ago | 0 comments

How gophers brought Mount St. Helens back to life in one day (phys.org)
When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, lava incinerated anything living for miles around. As an experiment, scientists later dropped gophers onto parts of the scorched mountain for only 24 hours. The benefits from that single day were undeniable—and still visible 40 years later.

Science, Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science

96 points by pseudolus 68 days ago | 55 comments

We discovered that the ocean's surface absorbs much more CO₂ than thought (theconversation.com)
The oceans play a pivotal role in drawing down atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) and have so far acted as a brake on the full impact of climate change.

Climate Change, Oceanography, Science, Environmental Science

6 points by zeristor 68 days ago | 0 comments

Railroad Ecology (wikipedia.org)
Railroad ecology or railway ecology is a term used to refer to the study of the ecological community growing along railroad or railway tracks and the effects of railroads on natural ecosystems.

Ecology, Biology, Transportation, Environmental Science

8 points by downboots 71 days ago | 1 comments

It's raining PFAS in South Florida – study (sciencedirect.com)
Atmospheric deposition plays a crucial role in the fate and transport of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), especially in areas far from production sites.

Environmental Science, Pollution, Chemistry, South Florida, PFAS

85 points by Jimmc414 73 days ago | 40 comments

Iceberg A-68: The story of how a mega-berg transformed the ocean (bbc.com)
The world's largest icebergs – which can be larger than entire countries in some cases – break off the Antarctic ice sheet. As they drift and melt in the Southern Ocean, they create a unique environment around them.

Climate Change, Oceanography, Antarctica, Environmental Science

46 points by otoolep 81 days ago | 0 comments

Global Catastrophe Looms as Key Ocean Current Nears Collapse, Experts Warn (gizmodo.com)
The collapse of one of the world’s most important ocean currents, a disaster that would wreak havoc on Earth’s ecosystems, is generally considered unlikely. But in a newly issued open letter, leading climate scientists warn that the threat has been underestimated and call for immediate action.

Climate Change, Oceanography, Environmental Science, Global Warming, Disaster

8 points by rntn 86 days ago | 4 comments

Trees and land absorbed almost no CO2 last year (theguardian.com)
The sudden collapse of carbon sinks was not factored into climate models – and could rapidly accelerate global heating

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Global Warming

13 points by luispa 89 days ago | 0 comments

Bumblebee queens choose to hibernate in pesticide-contaminated soil (phys.org)
An alarming discovery from University of Guelph researchers raises concerns for bumblebee health, survival and reproduction.

Pesticides, Environmental Science, Bees, Animal Behavior, Research

78 points by andai 90 days ago | 33 comments

Forever Chemicals found in bottled and tap water from around the world (birmingham.ac.uk)
Scientists have discovered toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ present in samples of drinking water from around the world, a new study reveals.

Environmental Science, Water Contamination, Chemistry, Public Health

3 points by geox 92 days ago | 0 comments