environment Archives

Four Ways (in One App) to Help NASA Study the Earth

December 10, 2021December 8, 2021 SciStartercitizen science projects, climate change, environment

Would you like to help scientists study the Earth and the ways in which our planet is changing? There’s an app for that.

Meltwater rivers gushing on top of the ice layers in Greenland

Climate Change Environment

Greenland Ice Sheets Losing Ability to Absorb Meltwater

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021 Science Connectedarctic, climate change, ecology, environment, global warming

The Greenland ice sheets are losing their ability to retain meltwater, resulting in faster runoff of meltwater into the ocean.

food waste and our problem with ugly produce

Psychology Sustainable Living

Food Waste: The Psychology of Ugly Produce

March 1, 2021March 3, 2021 Science Connecteddining, environment, food

Food waste is a big problem in the United States, where each household discards an average of one third of the food people buy.

Environment

The environmental impact of pet food

November 18, 2020September 30, 2021 Science Connectedcats, dogs, environment, food, pets

What is the environmental paw print of pet food? Larger than you may think! It takes an area twice the size of the UK to produce dry food for cats and dogs.

Sunlight May Be The Solution To Water Shortages

Engineering Environment New Technologies

Sunlight Solution To Water Shortages

November 11, 2020August 2, 2021 Science Connectedenvironment, ocean, Sun, water shortage

Water shortages could drop now that new technology combined with sunlight can make ocean water safe to drink in minutes.

Citizen Science New Technologies SciStarter Blog

Building DIY Air Quality Monitors

July 30, 2020April 7, 2021 SciStarterair pollution, air quality, environment

Colombian citizen scientists built cheap air quality monitors and deployed them across their city. Now they’re teaching others to build them, too.

Environment Science Debate Series Science Policy

Plastic Waste Necessitates Policies for Producers

September 5, 2019April 24, 2021 Science Connectedenvironment, microplastics, ocean, plastic pollution, science debate

By Neha Jain Countries around the world, both developed and developing, have been grappling with growing piles of plastic waste from overuse of packaging materials, such as those for food and beverages, and single-use plastic tableware. In 2015, 42 percent of all plastic produced was used for packaging, much of which is used only once and then tossed, according to a 2017 study published in Science Advances. The study estimates that from 1950 to 2015 about 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced globally. And of the 6.3 billion…

Environment

Microplastics Contaminate Snow from Alps to Arctic

September 3, 2019November 22, 2021 Science Connectedarctic, environment, microplastics, plastic pollution, pollution, snow

By Jacqueline Mattos Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that pollute the environment and can range from 0.05 to 5 millimeters in length. Bigger plastic items can be fragmented by the action of light, temperature fluctuations, ocean waves, or mechanical abrasion into smaller pieces that are widely dispersed, persistent in the environment, and sometimes accompanied by microorganisms. A recent article by Bergmann et al., published in the periodical Science Advances, assessed quantities of microplastics in the snow from the Alps and other northern European sites to the Arctic and found…