Climate change

[lenny]

After 120 years of conservation efforts, Yellowstone bison are a single breeding population, researchers discover

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-years-efforts-yellowstone-bison-population.html

"Troops also cracked down on poachers who “threatened to exterminate animals such as the bison,” according to the park website."

https://ftw-eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/outdoors/2025/03/04/trump-job-cuts-national-park-service-leases/81353711007/

 

[lenny]

So you think he can dance?
A study of YouTube star Snowball the cockatoo suggests humans may not be the only ones who can groove to a beat

Study of Snowball the cockatoo suggests humans aren't the only ones who can dance

Snowball the dancing cockatoo is the subject of a study by Radcliffe fellow and Tufts neuroscientist Ani Patel, who suggests the bird’s ability to move in time to music is connected to the way humans groove to a beat.

news.harvard.edu

 

[lenny]

Man's brain turned to glass by hot Vesuvius ash cloud

Man's brain turned to glass by Vesuvius volcano ash cloud

The pea-sized brain was found in the skull of a 20-year-old man killed in the volcanic eruption.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[lenny]

Harvesting the sun twice: Agrivoltaics shows promise for sustainable food, energy and water management in East Africa
Combining solar power production with agriculture can significantly boost crop yields, conserve water and generate low-carbon electricity for areas particularly vulnerable to climate change, a new study has shown.

Harvesting the sun twice: Agrivoltaics shows promise for sustainable food, energy and water management in East Africa

Combining solar power production with agriculture can significantly boost crop yields, conserve water and generate low-carbon electricity for areas particularly vulnerable to climate change, a new study has shown.

www.sheffield.ac.uk

 

[lenny]

Major test case for new geothermal technology launches in small German town
"Today the next generation of geothermal companies is trying to succeed where previous efforts failed. They don’t rely on hot water close to the surface, but instead use techniques developed in the oil and gas industry to drill deep and extract heat from dry, hot rock. One of them, Eavor, is starting up its first commercial power plant in Geretsried — turning the tiny town of about 26,000 people, south of Munich, into a proving ground for the future of geothermal energy."

Major test case for new geothermal technology launches in small German town

Residents in the German town of Geretsried have long wanted to run their buildings with clean heat and electricity from geothermal energy rather than fossil fuels.

apnews.com

 

[lenny]

Geothermal Power Is a Climate Moon Shot Beneath Our Feet

Geothermal Power Is a Climate Moon Shot Beneath Our Feet

The center of the Earth is so hot that it could satisfy the entire world’s energy needs. But can scientists safely tap into it?

www.newyorker.com

 

[lenny]

Half of world’s CO2 emissions come from 36 fossil fuel firms, study shows

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/05/half-of-worlds-co2-emissions-come-from-36-fossil-fuel-firms-study-shows

 

[lenny]

Drone captures narwhals using their tusks to explore, forage and play

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-drone-captures-narwhals-tusks-explore.html

 

[lenny]

NUS researchers develop new battery-free technology to power electronic devices using ambient radiofrequency signals
In a breakthrough for green energy, researchers demonstrated a novel technique to efficiently convert ambient radiofrequency signals into DC voltage that can power electronic devices and sensors, enabling battery-free operation.

NUS researchers develop new battery-free technology to power electronic devices using ambient radiofrequency signals

Ubiquitous wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 5G rely on radio frequency (RF) signals to send and receive data. A new prototype of an energy harvesting module – developed by a team led by scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) – can now convert ambient or...

news.nus.edu.sg

 

[lenny]

Ultrasonic deep drawing cuts friction by 20%, extends tool lifespan

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-02-ultrasonic-deep-friction-tool-lifespan.html

 

[lenny]

Chemists find greener path to making ethylene oxide, a key industrial chemical
"If industry does try this out and they find it to be useful and are able to commercialize it, the twin benefits are you can save a lot of CO2 and a lot of money at the same time,"

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-chemists-greener-path-ethylene-oxide.html

 

[lenny]

Researchers demonstrated a nutrient delivery system based on glass fertilizer beads
This breakthrough could significantly mitigate the environmental impact of agricultural fertilizers by reducing the application frequency and preventing the leaching of chemicals into waterways, which can lead to issues such as toxic algal blooms.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/01/citigroup-mistakenly-credited-a-customer-account-with-81-trillion.html

 

[lenny]

Woolly mice designed to engineer mammoth-like elephants
Genetically engineered woolly mice could one day help populate the Arctic with hairy, genetically modified elephants and help stop the planet warming.

Mice experiment as step to create mammoth-like elephants

Experiments on mice could see hairy, genetically modified elephants living in the Arctic, a US company claims.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[lenny]

The Rainham volcano: a waste dump is constantly on fire in east London. Why will no one stop it?
Under Arnolds Field, tonnes of illegally dumped waste have been burning for years, spewing pollution over the area. Locals fear for their health – and despair that no one seems willing to help

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/04/the-rainham-volcano-arnolds-field-toxic-fires-waste-dump

 

[lenny]

US supreme court weakens rules on discharge of raw sewage into water supplies

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/epa-ruling-sewage-water

 

[lenny]

Is America Losing the Ability to Grow Its Own Food?
As the egg shortage shows, the corporate world is a Soviet-ized mess, and everyone knows it. It's time to actually make our systems work again.

Is America Losing the Ability to Grow Its Own Food?

As the egg shortage shows, the corporate world is a Soviet-ized mess, and everyone knows it. It's time to actually make our systems work again.

www.thebignewsletter.com

 

[lenny]

China to build 'deep-sea space station' 6,000ft below surface

https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/china-to-build-deep-sea-space-station-6000-feet-below-surface/

 

[lenny]

Solar crushed 2024, but emissions were up as industry used more natural gas

Solar crushed 2024, but emissions were up as industry used more natural gas | TechCrunch

Solar and wind together now represent nearly a quarter of electricity demand and nearly 10% of all energy consumption in the U.S.

techcrunch.com

 

[lenny]

Supreme Court sides with San Francisco in its fight over EPA clean water rules

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/supreme-court-epa-sf-20201732.php

 

[lenny]

First beavers from Scotland released in England

Watch: First-ever beavers from Scotland released in England

Beavers captured from Scotland are released into the wild in England for the first time.

www.bbc.co.uk