Research News
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Mobile, low-cost arsenic detection tool for safe water
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur have developed a new low-cost mobile tool to detect arsenic contamination in water sources, addressing a critical threat to human health and the environment. Published in IOP Publishing’s academic journal Nanotechnology the new tool offers a low-cost, onsite solution for monitoring water quality, especially useful in […]
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Cornstarch sanitary pads cheap enough to avoid tonnes of ocean plastics
A new lifecycle study published in IOP Publishing’s journal Sustainability Science and Technology has discovered a promising alternative to plastic sanitary products, potentially leading to far reduced sanitary waste. Sanitary pads made with cornstarch are 17 times more environmentally friendly compared to plastic equivalents. The high concentration of plastic in disposable products is a direct […]
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Gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon has done more damage to peatlands in the last two years than in the previous three decades
New research published in the academic journal Environmental Research Letters reveals that artisan gold mining in the southern Peruvian Amazon has caused more destruction to carbon-rich peatlands in the past two years than in the previous three decades combined, posing a serious threat to the environment and climate. For decades, small-scale gold mining has thrived […]
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Study: Countries across the world use more land for golf courses than wind or solar energy
Countries across the world use more land for golf courses than wind or solar energy, according to a new study published in the academic journal Environmental Research Communications. While the land requirements of renewable energy projects are often criticized in public debates, this study highlights a striking contrast: vast areas are allocated to golf courses, […]
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Clean energy tax credit safeguards could save taxpayers $1 trillion
A new study published today in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research: Energy shows why new safeguards adopted by the U.S. Treasury Department are necessary to avoid substantial climate impacts and wasted taxpayer resources from a generous hydrogen production tax credit. The new study illustrates how, absent safeguards, hydrogen producers could potentially claim the highest level […]
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AI predicts that most of the world will see temperatures rise to 3C much faster than previously expected
Three leading climate scientists have combined insights from 10 global climate models and, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), conclude that regional warming thresholds are likely to be reached faster than previously estimated. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters by IOP Publishing, projects that most land regions as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel […]
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7-year study reveals plastic fragments from all over the globe are rising rapidly in the North Pacific Garbage Patch
A study published today in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research Letters reveals that centimetre-sized plastic fragments are increasing much faster than larger floating plastics in the North Pacific Garbage Patch [NPGP], threatening the local ecosystem and potentially the global carbon cycle. The research, which draws from not-for-profit The Ocean Cleanup’s systematic surveys of the NPGP […]
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$79 billion - the hidden climate costs of U.S. materials production
A study published today in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research Letters, has revealed a staggering $79 billion in annual climate-related costs from the production of common materials in the United States. These costs, which stem from greenhouse gas emissions, are not reflected in current market prices, effectively creating a massive subsidy for carbon-intensive industries. “High […]
