New Atlas

Environment Audio available

Quarter of West Antarctic glacier ice unstable, says 25-year satellite study

Michael Irving May 16, 2019

A new study has examined 25 years of satellite data to get a sense of the extent of ice loss across Antarctica. According to the findings, warming waters have destabilized as much as a quarter of the glacier ice in West Antarctica.

Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is one of the places hardest hit by ice loss

Environment Audio available

Giant cavity found eating away at Antarctic glacier from underneath

Michael Irving January 30, 2019

NASA’s ongoing Operation IceBridge has found a gigantic cavity underneath Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, which shows that the area has suffered even more drastic ice loss in recent years than previously thought – and it’s accelerating.

Environment Audio available

The inconvenient truth about the environmental impact of organic farming

Rich Haridy December 13, 2018

A new international study into the impact of agricultural land use on climate change has found organic food production is worse for the climate than conventional farming, due to the fact that it needs greater areas of land to grow produce.

New research suggests organic farming has a greater impact on carbon emissions and the climate than ...

Around The Home

Wynd's Halo and Home Purifier get serious about cleaning the air in your home

Rich Haridy December 9, 2018

Two new products from Wynd are suggested to be the ultimate in home air purification – Halo, an app-controlled sensor that can monitor specific pollutants in the air, and the Home Purifier, a massive air cleaner that can quickly clear contaminants from large spaces.

The Halo and Home Purifier can communicate with each other, via an app, and both monitor ...

Environment

NASA satellite shows direct evidence of ozone hole recovery

Michael Irving January 7, 2018

It’s long been known that the hole in the ozone layer is shrinking, but a new study has provided greater insight into the improving health of the ozone layer by analyzing the chemicals around the hole over the last decade or so.

A new study has found chemical evidence that the hole in the ozone layer is healing

Environment

Ocean Cleanup project completes Great Pacific Garbage Patch research expedition

Stu Robarts August 25, 2015

In May, the Ocean Cleanup project announced that its first deployment would be delivered in the Korea Strait next year. That will pave the way for its ultimate goal of cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. With that in mind, a research expedition at the Garbage Patch has just been completed.

The Ocean Cleanup project's "Mega Expedition" is said to have been the largest ocean research expedition ...

Science

Carnegie scientists use airborne observatory to map the chemistry of the Amazon

Chris Wood May 26, 2015

Researchers have used data collected by the Carnegie Airborne Observatory to uncover chemical variation in plant life across the lowland Peruvian Amazon. The study provides key information for understanding the rainforest, and assessing our future impact on it.

The maps represent the first time that such a large number of chemicals have been mapped ...

Health & Wellbeing

Environmental interdental: GoodFloss harps make flossing greener and easier

Stu Robarts April 30, 2015

According to environmentally-conscious mouthcare company Goodwell, there are two main problems with one-time flossing harps: they aren't designed to be portable and they're not eco-friendly. The firm says its new GoodFloss harps are both. What's more, they're designed to make flossing easier.

Goodwell has followed up its eco-friendly toothbrush with biodegradable flossing harps

Environment

Audi just created diesel fuel from air and water

Eric Mack April 26, 2015

Audi is making a new fuel for internal combustion engines that has the potential to make a big dent when it comes to climate change – that's because the synthetic diesel is made from just water and carbon dioxide.

The first diesel made from air and water (Photo: Audi)

Marine

New navigation module to help future freighters act as their own sails

David Szondy January 18, 2015

Researchers the Fraunhofer Institute's Center for Maritime Logistics and Services have developed an algorithm designed to optimize the use of wind power in the "hybrid" merchant shipping vessel designed by Lade AS.

The hull of the cargo ship Vindskip acts as a large wing sail (Image: Lade AS)