Hacker News with Generative AI: Environmental Science

A 2k-year-old battle ended in fire, and a tree species never recovered (arstechnica.com)
The buried roots and stumps of an ancient forest in southern China are the charred remains of an ancient war and the burning of a capital city, according to a recent study from researchers who carbon-dated the stumps and measured charcoal and pollen in the layers of peat surrounding them.

Ancient History, Archaeology, Climate Change, Environmental Science

6 points by pseudolus 19 hours ago | 0 comments

Remineralizing soils? The agricultural usage of silicate rock powders: A review (sciencedirect.com)
Soil nutrient depletion threatens global food security and has been seriously underestimated for potassium (K) and several micronutrients.

Agriculture, Soil Science, Environmental Science, Food Security, Sustainability

9 points by mooreds 1 day ago | 0 comments

The California grizzly bear, gone for 100 years, could thrive if brought back (latimes.com)
The last grizzly bear seen in California was 101 years ago.A new study found that reintroducing the mammal into the state’s mountainous wilderness is feasible.California could potentially host over 1,000 grizzlies — but it’s up to residents and policymakers to decide if that’s a good idea.

Wildlife Conservation, Environmental Science, California, Endangered Species

6 points by PaulHoule 3 days ago | 2 comments

Inactive components in agricultural runoff may contribute drinking water hazard (phys.org)
Inactive ingredients in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and other common products have typically been excluded from consideration as potential contaminants in drinking water.

Water Contamination, Environmental Science, Agriculture

6 points by PaulHoule 4 days ago | 1 comments

Scientists make water-repellent replacement for toxic 'forever chemicals' (phys.org)
A team of international scientists has invented a substitute for synthetic chemicals, called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances), which are widely used in everyday products despite being hazardous to health and the environment.

Science, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Materials Science, Sustainability

10 points by PaulHoule 8 days ago | 0 comments

Systematic assessment of emission reductions of carbon crediting projects (nature.com)
Carbon markets play an important role in firms’ and governments’ climate strategies.

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Markets

8 points by georgecmu 9 days ago | 0 comments

Dead trees keep surprisingly large amounts of carbon out of atmosphere (phys.org)
Living trees absorb carbon, aiding climate change mitigation. But what role do dead trees play in carbon storage? UVM researchers found that large, downed trees in streams tie up tremendous stores of carbon—and this pool of carbon storage is growing over time. Moreover, large trees in streamside forests proved important for recruiting carbon into streams over time—reflecting the environmental value of big, old trees.

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Carbon Sequestration, Forest Ecology

91 points by PaulHoule 12 days ago | 86 comments

Six decades of plankton decline sparks call to protect the marine food web (phys.org)
The decline in plankton abundance in the North East Atlantic over the past six decades should serve as a red flag to policy makers about the need to protect some of the planet's most critical forms of life, a new study has warned.

Marine Biology, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Ecology

6 points by andyjohnson0 13 days ago | 0 comments

Dust in the wind: How cities alter natural airborne particles (phys.org)
Airborne dust pollution is a growing problem for residents of Utah and other Western states, especially with the exposed lakebed of Great Salt Lake potentially becoming more hazardous as the lake dries.

Environmental Science, Air Pollution, Utah

46 points by lentoutcry 17 days ago | 1 comments

Where does air pollution come from? (ourworldindata.org)
Millions of people die prematurely from air pollution every year. This problem has existed since humans started burning materials for fuel — first wood and biomass, then fossil fuels.

Air Pollution, Environmental Science, Public Health

233 points by kamaraju 24 days ago | 136 comments

Plastic-like materials that dissolve in the sea (riken.jp)
Microplastics—small fragments of plastics less than 5mm across—now infiltrate every corner of our planet, from remote regions of the deep ocean and the Arctic, to the very air we breathe.

Environmental Science, Microplastics, Pollution, Materials Science

5 points by geox 29 days ago | 0 comments

Microbes can capture carbon and degrade plastic – why aren't we using them more? (nature.com)
Microorganisms have shaped Earth for almost four billion years.

Microbiology, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Bioremediation, Pollution

8 points by GavCo 32 days ago | 2 comments

Carbon Dioxide Levels Highest in 800,000 Years (e360.yale.edu)
Temperatures and carbon dioxide levels hit new highs last year, according to a U.N. report detailing the dire state of the global climate.

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Global Warming

14 points by belter 33 days ago | 1 comments

Scientists break down plastic using a simple, inexpensive catalyst and air (phys.org)
Harnessing moisture from air, Northwestern University chemists have developed a simple new method for breaking down plastic waste.

Chemistry, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Plastic Waste

186 points by PaulHoule 36 days ago | 109 comments

Microplastics boost antibiotic resistance in E. coli, lab study suggests (thenewlede.org)
Co-mingling of tiny pieces of plastic with certain harmful bacteria can make the bacteria harder to fight with several common antibiotics, according to a new study that adds to global concerns about antibiotic resistance.

Science, Antibiotic Resistance, Environmental Science, Microbiology

7 points by PaulHoule 37 days ago | 0 comments

Methane Abatement Costs in the Oil and Gas Industry: Survey and Synthesis (ssrn.com)
There is growing recognition of the relative importance of anthropogenic emissions of methane as a contributor to global climate change.

Methane, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Economics

4 points by jonwachob91 40 days ago | 0 comments

Extracting DNA from the air – DNA evidence of human occupancy in indoor premises (nature.com)
Humans constantly shed deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into the surrounding environment. This DNA may either remain suspended in the air or it settles onto surfaces as indoor dust. In this study, we explored the potential use of human DNA recovered from air and dust to investigate crimes where there are no visible traces available—for example, from a recently vacated drugs factory where multiple workers had been present.

Forensic Science, DNA, Environmental Science

248 points by punnerud 42 days ago | 93 comments

Butterfly population in US shrinking by 22% over last 20 years, study shows (theguardian.com)
Butterflies may be among the most beloved of all creatures, routinely deified in art and verse, but they are in alarming decline in the United States with populations plummeting by a fifth in just the past two decades, according to the most comprehensive study yet of their fortunes.

Environmental Science, Wildlife, Entomology, Climate Change, Conservation

6 points by PaulHoule 43 days ago | 0 comments

Hyperion (Tree) (wikipedia.org)
Hyperion is a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in California that is the world's tallest known living tree, measured at 116.07 metres (380.8 ft) tall in 2019.[1][3]

Trees, Nature, California, Environmental Science, World Records

28 points by carabiner 43 days ago | 17 comments

Czech scientists study trees' ability to absorb traffic noise (radio.cz)
Trees do not only improve air quality by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They can also significantly reduce noise levels by absorbing and refracting sound waves. Scientists from Brno are currently investigating how trees could be used as sound barriers against traffic noise.

Environmental Science, Noise Pollution, Urban Planning, Acoustics

27 points by mooreds 43 days ago | 1 comments

Microplastics Are Messing with Photosynthesis in Plants (scientificamerican.com)
Microplastics are now a ubiquitous part of our daily physical reality.

Environmental Science, Pollution, Plants, Microplastics

5 points by Brajeshwar 46 days ago | 0 comments

Greenhouse gases reduce the satellite carrying capacity of low Earth orbit (nature.com)
Anthropogenic contributions of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere have been observed to cause cooling and contraction in the thermosphere, which is projected to continue for many decades.

Climate Change, Space Exploration, Science, Environmental Science

22 points by croes 46 days ago | 0 comments

Microplastics Are Messing with Photosynthesis in Plants (scientificamerican.com)
Microplastics are now a ubiquitous part of our daily physical reality.

Science, Environmental Science, Pollution, Biology, Plants

17 points by twiddling 46 days ago | 3 comments

300 years of sclerosponge thermometry shows global warming has exceeded 1.5 °C (nature.com)
Anthropogenic emissions drive global-scale warming yet the temperature increase relative to pre-industrial levels is uncertain.

Climate Change, Science, Global Warming, Research, Environmental Science

8 points by CharlesW 48 days ago | 0 comments

Bird study finds larger volumes of toxic PFAS chemicals than previously reported (phys.org)
Researchers studying birds and the food they eat are now finding much larger volumes of the toxic PFAS chemicals than before.

Environmental Science, Chemistry, Wildlife, Pollution, PFAS

6 points by PaulHoule 51 days ago | 0 comments

Study: The ozone hole is healing, thanks to global reduction of CFCs (news.mit.edu)
A new MIT-led study confirms that the Antarctic ozone layer is healing, as a direct result of global efforts to reduce ozone-depleting substances.

Environmental Science, Climate Change, Ozone Layer, Global Policy

136 points by gnabgib 52 days ago | 52 comments

Departing Words from a Terminated US Federal Worker (atmos.earth)
Five months ago, I packed my bags, loaded my truck, and trekked nearly 4,000 miles across the country from North Carolina to Juneau, Alaska. The move cost me thousands of dollars and meant leaving behind the life I had built on the East Coast—but I knew it would be worth it. After 18 years in wildlife biology, I finally landed my dream job as a biologist with the National Park Service.

Federal Government, Career Change, Relocation, Environmental Science

12 points by senortumnus 58 days ago | 1 comments

A Black Fungus Might Be Healing Chernobyl by Drinking Radiation (makerfairerome.eu)
In the ruins of Chernobyl, scientists have discovered a black fungus feeding on deadly gamma radiation, slowly growing toward the reactor core

Chernobyl, Nuclear Energy, Biology, Science, Environmental Science

14 points by thunderbong 62 days ago | 10 comments

Fish-delousing underwater laser (2018) [video] (youtube.com)

Robotics, Aquaculture, Technology, Environmental Science

43 points by walterbell 62 days ago | 33 comments

Scented products cause indoor air pollution on par with car exhaust (newatlas.com)
Using scented products indoors changes the chemistry of the air, producing as much air pollution as car exhaust does outside, according to a new study.

Environmental Science, Health, Pollution, Chemistry

383 points by clumsysmurf 65 days ago | 197 comments