Environmental
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Penguin colonies resemble liquids, physicists find
Penguins and physicists do not often cross paths, but a new physics study has found king penguin breeding colonies organise and move in a similar way to liquids. “In this study, we aimed to uncover the structural order in a king penguin colony during the early stage of the breeding cycle, when most of the […]
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‘Dieselgate’ impacted climate as well as human health
Improved diesel technology, combined with generally better fuel economy, has led to the widespread belief that diesel vehicles are more environmentally friendly than their petrol counterparts. But a new study shows diesel cars with ‘defeat devices’ may have no environmental benefit over petrol cars. The research looked at the on-road driving impact of Volkswagen (VW) […]
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USA flood risk is vastly underestimated, study shows
Current flood risk models for the contiguous United States vastly underestimate the amount of people, land, and assets at risk from severe flooding, according to new research. In the first study of its kind, a team led by researchers at the University of Bristol, UK, in collaboration with scientists at Fathom, The Nature Conservancy and […]
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Reports of coal’s terminal decline are premature
Rapid expansion of coal power plants in Turkey, Indonesia and Vietnam – Climate targets need active policy While fewer new coal-fired power plants are now being built in China and India, the planned expansion in the use of coal in fast-growing emerging economies, such as Turkey, Indonesia and Vietnam, will in part cancel out the […]
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California’s water saving brings bonus effects
Water-saving measures in California have also led to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and electricity consumption in the state. That is the conclusion of new research from the University of California, Davis, published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters. Measures to cut water use by 25 per cent across California were implemented […]
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Action needed now to save forest area the size of India
An area of forest the size of India will be lost by 2050 unless carbon pricing and anti-deforestation policies are put in place. That is the primary finding of a new study carried out by researchers from the Center for Global Development, Washington, DC, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, published today in Environmental Research Letters. […]
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More ambitious climate targets could save coastal ecosystems
The difference between the Paris climate agreement’s two alternative temperature targets – 1.5°C (2.7°F) and 2.0°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels – may be the difference between life and death for some coastal ecosystems threatened by sea-level rise. That is a key finding of new research from Tufts University, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and the Potsdam Institute […]
