New Atlas

Environment Audio available

Can tropical tectonic activity trigger ice ages?

Michael Irving March 14, 2019

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a major driver of shifts in the Earth’s climate, and in the past too little CO2 has been associated with triggering ice ages. Now a team of scientists has found a surprising new mechanism that could lead to ice ages: Tropical tectonic activity.

Tropical tectonic activity, such as that occurring in Indonesia today, may have triggered ice ages in ...

Environment Audio available

Cove launches biodegradable alternative to plastic water bottles

Paul Ridden March 11, 2019

Most water in stores today comes in bottles made from petroleum-based plastic. After drinking the contents, too many of these bottles become a pollution problem. Cove is looking to change that with the launch of its biopolymer-based water bottles.

Spring water in Cove biodegradable PHA bottles will be available to Californians from May, 2019

Environment Audio available

DNA study shows bacteria mixing and matching genes to survive

Michael Irving March 7, 2019

You can check the health of an environment by taking a census of the microorganisms that call it home. Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed a new way to get a larger snapshot of what’s going on, looking specifically at the genes bacteria pass around to help each other adapt to a changing world

Researchers have found a new way to study the genes that bacteria swap to give each ...

Environment Audio available

Record-breaking device uses sunlight to produce hydrogen at 15% efficiency

Dario Borghino March 5, 2019

After a decade of research, scientists at KU Leuven in Belgium have developed a device that can uses sunlight to produce a record-breaking 250 liters (66 gal) of hydrogen a day.

The panel generates a record 250 liters (66 gal) of hydrogen per day and could be ...

Environment Audio available

Arctic Ocean may be ice-free within 20 years

Anthony Wood February 28, 2019

The Arctic Ocean could experience an ice-free summer at some time in the next 20 years, according to a newly-published study. The thawing is due to a combination of a natural warming phase, coupled with the effects of human-induced climate change.

The Arctic could have an ice-free summer by the middle of the century

Environment Audio available

Scientists use liquid metals to turn carbon dioxide gas back into coal

Michael Irving February 26, 2019

Capturing carbon from the air and sequestering it is emerging as a viable strategy, and now scientists have developed a new method to turn CO2 gas back into solid coal, that can then be buried, or even used for electronic components.

Researchers have developed a new way to turn captured carbon dioxide gas into solid "coal"

Environment

New process converts unrecyclable glass into saleable product

Ben Coxworth February 22, 2019

Although glass IS recyclable, the recycling process is generally limited to large pieces that can be easily sorted by color. Because it's not worth the effort to sort smaller fragments, they tend to simply be discarded. A new process, however, can convert them into a useful substance.

The recycling process can be used on mixed glass fragments of various colors

Environment Audio available

Recycled tires may help concrete take the heat

Ben Coxworth February 20, 2019

Although concrete doesn't burn, it can "spall" when subjected to extreme heat – this means that surface layers of the material break off, potentially causing structures made of it to collapse. According to a new study, however, fibers obtained from discarded tires can help keep that from happening.

Along with using polymer fibers from tires to help release moisture from hot concrete, the scientists ...

Environment

New research links rising global temperatures to more powerful summer storms, reduced air quality

Anthony Wood February 18, 2019

A new study out of MIT suggests rising temperatures are causing energy shifts in Earth's atmosphere that are strengthening midlatitude storms, while weakening other important weather systems over North America, Europe and Asia.

Rising global temperatures are causing energy shifts in Earth's atmosphere that are strengthening midlatitude storms and ...

Environment Audio available

MIT tech could let desalination plants use their own brine waste

Ben Coxworth February 15, 2019

When salt is removed from seawater in desalination plants, the byproduct is a lot of highly-salty brine. Ordinarily, this is just dumped back into the sea, which can harm the environment. Thanks to a new treatment process, however, that brine could actually be used to desalinate more water.

An existing desalination plant in Hamburg, Germany