Earth & Environment
Peatlogy in tropical peatland: A new transdisciplinary science
The Earth Anomaly – climate change, global warming, and ecological and environmental (E&E) degradation of land – presents a complex existential crisis for mankind. Based on field studies in tropical peatlands, Professor Mitsuru Osaki and his collaborators have developed an innovative transdisciplinary peatland science – Peatlogy – to address this complexity. Peatlogy in tropical peatland offers a holistic approach that […]
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SARS-CoV-2 in water: A surveillance tool for infected populations
The presence of land-derived bacteria in the marine environment is an indicator of wastewater contamination and of human health at a population level. However, the survival of human viral pathogens in the marine environment and their use as indicators is poorly understood. Dr Helena Galvão of the University of Algarve, Portugal, investigated the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental waters and […]
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Embracing Indigenous knowledge for sustainable urban transformation
Mainstream governance structures are rooted in Eurocentric approaches. At the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, Dr Rita Dionisio studies culturally reflective, place-based approaches to improving and measuring socio-ecological wellbeing in the face of climate change and declining socio-economic conditions. Dionisio argues that Indigenous-led philosophies and practices offer the opportunity to decolonise urban governance and embrace collaborative planning and partnerships […]
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CO2 conversion for a circular carbon economy
A circular carbon economy – where carbon released from the Earth is captured and repurposed – is a promising concept, and CO2 conversion to sustainable products has been at the forefront of research. Dr Gary Grim at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA, has been working on quantifying the feasibility of CO2 conversion. He provides a detailed comparison of available […]
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Circular economy for a sustainable planet: Quantifying the effects of circularity
Managing our planet’s resources carefully is becoming an emergency. A committed focus on environmental management and sustainability is urgent, as is our pressing obligation to address climate change. Dr Simone Bastianoni from the University of Siena, Italy, along with his colleagues, is working to improve data-driven approaches to underpin key decisions and strategies for moving to a circular economy (CE). […]
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Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink: Political stagnation and water fragility in South Africa’s Free State
After 30 years of post-Apartheid single-party rule, corruption and ineffective governance are widespread in South Africa. In the Free State Province, the situation with respect to water and sanitation provision is so dire that it amounts to a human rights crisis. Reinstating water rights and addressing Free State water fragility will require a paradigm shift in the political landscape, not […]
The EUB SuperHub Online Platform: Towards a smart and sustainable construction future
Imagine how much easier life would be with an online repository containing all relevant information about a building over its lifecycle while also connecting all stakeholders, from developers and contractors to tenants and maintenance teams. Moving from imagination to reality, Ahmed Khoja, senior researcher at Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and Dr Marina Malinovec Puček, lead consultant at the […]
Environmentally friendly ammonia-free preservation and stabilisation of natural rubber liquid latex
Natural latex is the raw material that supplies about half of the rubber production worldwide. Latex is a fragile liquid which quickly decomposes in air shortly after its extraction from trees. Traditional means to avoid decomposition involve the use of additives, including ammonia, that are harmful to the environment and the people handling the material. A team at AFLatex Technologies […]
New approaches to high-resolution geological simulations
Geological and reservoir modelling are critical for geological exploration, resource extraction, and geoengineering projects. Current workflows and datasets record geological variations on metre or decimetre scales. However, many relevant geological structures exist at sub-centimetre scales. Dr Achyut Mishra and Professor Ralf Haese at the University of Melbourne, Australia – part of the international research consortium GeoCquest – have developed a […]
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The science of dishwashing: Changing habits for a greener world
By making small changes to our domestic habits, we can make a big difference to global energy use and resource consumption. That’s the message from a new review report, which shows how rethinking the everyday task of washing up can help private households to become significantly more resource efficient. Led by Dr Lotta Schencking and Professor Rainer Stamminger from the […]
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