Environment

All of NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the World Meteorological Organization and the UK Met Office have determined 2019 to be the second warmest year on record, with the last decade confirmed to be the hottest of all.

The microfibers shed by loads of laundry are a big problem, as they can be ingested by aquatic life upon entering waterways. New research indicates that short, cool washing cycles minimize the generation of those fibers – and keep clothes colorful.

One of the most difficult challenges for artificial intelligence systems is predicting the weather – with an almost infinite number of variables to assess and model. But Google says its AI is making progress in the accuracy of its "nowcasts."

Scientists have come up with a new way to break apart key components from old care tire material for re-use. While currently expensive, with further work it could provide the basis for new and improved tire recycling methods.

A new study has laid bare the alarming reality of the impact of climate change on the oceans, with the analysis revealing the world's oceans were warmer in 2019 than any other time in recorded human history.

Scientists in the UK have conducted an analysis of satellite data and uncovered a trend of new vegetation growth at high altitudes in the Himalayas, with the expanding coverage of plant life in-line with climate change modeling.

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a sort of “solar umbrella” which could radically reduce the amount of land needed for industrial evaporation ponds.

Australia is currently in one of the worst bushfires on record, and it’s not hard to see why. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has released a climate statement for 2019, and found that last year was the hottest and driest on record for the continent.

Recycling almost all your shower water and half of what you use in your washing machine, Hydraloop lets you re-use about 85% of your domestic water, significantly dropping your water usage for a unit cost of around US$4,000.

While it's nice to own multiple styles of shoes, each one of the things has a rubber sole that will ultimately end up in the landfill. Made2Share shoes are different – they incorporate a single set of soles that accommodate various zip-on uppers.

Although we've seen several materials that are designed to remove oil from water, many of these become saturated, and have to be discarded. A new reusable membrane gets around this problem, however, by repelling oil instead of just soaking it up.

Back in 2015, scientists from Stanford University announced that mealworms could be used to break down Styrofoam waste – by eating it. Now, they've additionally discovered that a toxic substance in that foam is not concentrated in the worms.