(Good News Network) Microbiologists have found a way to use bacteria to trap microplastics, removing them from the environment and making them easier to recycle.
environment
One Man Stops Drought And Brings Fortune to Village By Planting 11,000 Trees Over 24 Years
(Elias Marat) In the rural countryside of Indonesia, one elderly man is taking it upon himself to rehabilitate a landscape ravaged by mismanagement.
Claiming 3 Million Masks Used Globally Every Minute, Researchers Warn of Environmental Catastrophe
(Daniel Payne) Researchers are warning that heavy mask usage over the course of the coronavirus pandemic could be contributing to a looming environmental disaster, with millions of masks being used every minute and many of them polluting local ecosystems in the process.
Real-World Outdoor Experiment Destroys Global Warming Narrative: As CO2 Naturally Rises From 0.1% to 75%, Surface Temperatures Drop 10°C
(Kenneth Richard) At an outdoor test site in Italy CO2 concentrations vacillating between 1,000 and 750,000 ppm have no more or less an effect on local temperatures than a nearby site with stable, ambient (<400 ppm) CO2 concentrations.
Polluted Bodies: Researchers Find Shocking Levels of Microplastics in Children
(Prepare For Change) Scientists are still unsure about the health risks that microplastic ingestion poses to human health. But that’s starting to change thanks to recent studies.
Scientists Create ‘Super Enzyme’ That Eats Plastic Bottles Six Times Faster than Previous Enzymes
(Andy Corbley) Enzymes produced in the stomachs of certain bacteria found during several high-profile discoveries have been combined by English scientists to create a super enzyme, reducing the time it takes for these chemicals to depolymerize, or breakdown plastic from weeks into mere hours.
Watch Now: The Environmental Film Focused Solely On Solutions
(Collective Evolution) Can we feed the world without destroying the planet? Yes, but we’ll have to change the way we do many things. Currently, our focus in society is about maintaining outdated systems and practices that are only making our lives and environment worse. Soil scientists estimate that at the rate we are depleting our farmland, we could have fewer than 60 years of soil left on Earth. How then will we feed everyone? GMOs? God no.
Nearly One Billion Genetically Modified Mosquitoes To Be Released In Florida & Texas
(Arjun Walia) A couple of months ago, British-based biotechnology company, Oxitec, received approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to release approximately one billion genetically modified male mosquitoes in Florida and Texas, the decision took a step closer to reality after state regulators then approved the idea, despite the objection of many environmentalists and scientists.
Study Suggests Ocean Creatures Have Been Protecting Humanity From Viruses
(John Vibes) According to a new study conducted by a team of researchers from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), creatures in the ocean have acted as a natural defense against viruses for the human population. In a series of lab experiments, a team led by marine ecologist Jennifer Welsh observed marine organisms to see how they interacted with viruses in their ecosystem. The study was published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.
Air Pollution Levels in London, Rome and Milan Cut in Half as Citizens Go Into Isolation
(Jade Small) A similar pattern has been seen in cities across the world.
In The Midst Of A Tragic Human Pandemic, The Environment Is Flourishing
(John Vibes) As we have highlighted in a few different reports since the COVID-19 coronavirus quarantines began, the extreme decrease in human activity has given the planet some space to breathe.
Madagascar Is Planting 60 Million Trees in Ambitious Drive Inspired by Its President
(Malavika Vyawahare) Madagascar has embarked on its most ambitious tree-planting drive yet, aiming to plant 60 million trees in the coming months. The island nation celebrates 60 years of independence this year, and the start of the planting campaign on Jan. 19 marked one year since the inauguration of President Andry Rajoelina, who has promised to restore Madagascar’s lost forests.
New Satellite Data Says Amazon Deforestation At Worst Levels In Ten Years
(John Vibes) According to new satellite data released by the Brazilian government this week, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is at the highest levels the area has seen in over a decade. The data was collected by the Satellite Legal Amazon Deforestation Monitoring Project (PRODES), and documented the rates of deforestation in nine states of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. The figures were published by The National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
Historical Data Confirms Dramatic Increase in West Texas Earthquakes Following Oil and Gas Development
(Natural Blaze) A new analysis of historical seismic data led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that earthquake activity in West Texas near the city of Pecos has increased dramatically since 2009.
Chemistry Technique Developed By Researchers That Turns Plastic Into Clean Fuel
(Mayukh Saha) This is one waste problem that could instead be turned into a boon for our energy-starved planet. We are drowning in plastic and have already produced 8.3 billion tons of plastics in just 65 years, equivalent in weight to 25,000 Empire State Buildings. This will take ages to decompose and will cause incalculable harm to wildlife and the environment. But researchers have come up with a new technique that can convert the pollutants into eco-friendly fuel.