Tag: climate change
Drilling for knowledge: A collaborative approach to ocean drilling in the Arctic
The Arctic contains important records of tectonic and geological oceanic history, yet is a vastly under-sampled area. However, a better knowledge of the past climate and tectonic history of this region is crucial to understanding contemporary climate change and modern geological hazards. This is what makes the research of Dr Lindsay Worthington at the University of New Mexico and fellow […]
Measure what you treasure How Global Footprint Network is using data to show people how to protect our planet
There is only one Earth, but humans are consuming biological resources as if there were more Earths available. Last year, Global Footprint Network marked ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ on 1st August; humanity had used our budget of resources for the year five months early. For over a decade, Global Footprint Network has been striving to reduce this ecological deficit through education […]
Going with the flow: Water quality and community health in Costa Rica
Water quality is one of the most pressing issues facing the world, with solutions to combat poor water quality remaining elusive. This is what makes the work of Dr Shahady and fellow researchers at the University of Lynchburg and the University of Georgia Costa Rica so important. Their pioneering work in promoting community engagement with a macroinvertebrate index to ensure […]
Technological leapfrogging the global energy crisis: How can changing the role of science in developing countries help with an oncoming climate catastrophe?
In 1975, the Brazilian government launched the National Alcohol Program (NAP) with the sole aim of relieving the country’s crushing dependence on fossil fuels with a move to cleaner ethyl-alcohol based fuels – and, thanks to researchers like Professor José Goldemberg, of the University of São Paulo, the program was an overwhelming success. Combining the country’s own natural resources with technological leapfrogging – […]
One ocean, many minds: collaborative science in the Arctic
The Arctic Ocean is undergoing a period of significant change. In collaboration with an international, multidisciplinary team of scientists, Professor Igor Polyakov from the University of Alaska Fairbanks is the lead scientist of an observational programme monitoring climatic changes in the Arctic Ocean. The data he and his team have collected is proving instrumental in understanding the on-going and fundamental […]
Extinct giants, a new wolf and the key to understanding climate change
After its last excavation in the 1970s, a group of palaeontologists, genetics experts and cavers led by vertebrate palaeontologist and mammalian carnivore specialist Dr Julie Meachen of Des Moines University, have re-opened excavations at Natural Trap Cave (NTC) in North America. During this project, Dr Meachen hopes to uncover the secrets of the mass extinction of the last ice age […]
How to promote gender equity in the green economy
The realities of climate change have prompted many nations to strive for greener industries. This includes the development of new technologies which are less carbon-intensive, and the overhaul of sectors such as energy and transportation where women are traditionally poorly represented in the workforce. As the green economy develops, thousands of jobs will be created, but it is unlikely that […]
Fossilising fossil fuels with green alternatives
Green Biologics are a renewable chemicals company who are not only changing the face of renewable chemicals, but are changing the world while they are at it. Dr Liz Jenkinson is one of the lead researchers at the company, and it is her work that is providing the answer to the question: is there an alternative to fossil fuels? Her […]
Development of immunity in basal metazoans
Dr Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty from Florida International University (FIU), is currently conducting research that focuses on immunological priming in corals and anemones, a process by which an animal can resist pathogens through repeated, non-lethal exposure. As corals are at risk due to climate change, this is an important project to help further our understanding of their immunology. The project also includes […]
Peatlands’ past suggests fast-changing future
Minimising and mitigating the effects of global climate change rely on accurate predictions of future climate, vegetation changes, and feedbacks between the Earth and its atmosphere. Prof Sara Hotchkiss, of the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and Prof Robert Booth, of Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, have investigated the effects of climate change on an overlooked landscape, the kettle hole ecosystems of […]