Earth observations show Europe’s natural wealth in steep decline

Satellite data can show environmental shifts in protected areas like the Camargue wetlands, where rising sea levels have a damaging impact.

by Frieda Klotz In March 2018, French scientists reported a steep decline in the country’s bird populations, primarily as a result of agricultural activity. Causes include the increase in monoculture, detrimental land-use policies and, perhaps most importantly, the growth in the use of powerful pesticides such as neonicotinoids, which, by killing off insects, reduces the bird … Read more

Eco detergents – for greener whites in the airing cupboard

Giving enzymes in detergents and fabric softeners a microencapsulation can make them reusable.

by Rob Coppinger ‘Clean’ and ‘soft’ are words strongly associated with washing products and fabric softeners, and soon they are set to be described as ‘green’ too with less chemical waste and longer-lasting action. Of all modern conveniences, the humble washing machine is perhaps the greatest labour-saving device. Hours of dunking, scrubbing and wringing wet … Read more

Sticky tape and simulations help assess microplastic risk

Microplastics are considered the most common form of marine litter.

by Natalie Grover Tiny pieces of plastic, now ubiquitous in the marine environment, have long been a cause of concern for their ability to absorb toxic substances and potentially penetrate the food chain. Now scientists are beginning to understand the level of threat posed to life, by gauging the extent of marine accumulation and tracking … Read more

Electric ferries and joined-up shipping to turn sea travel green

Digital communication between ships could help optimise shipping routes and reduce fuel consumption.

Electric ferries and digital communication between ships could help in the quest to decarbonise maritime transport, a sector which is often perceived as being the green option but could still do much to lower its environmental footprint. The global shipping industry currently emits around 1000 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, but according to … Read more

Fleets of compact e-vehicles could help battle air pollution

Quiet, narrow and low-emission electric vehicles could be used in conjunction with public transport in cities to ease congestion and pollution.

by Gareth Willmer Lightweight electric mini-cars could soon be a common sight on the streets of Europe’s cities thanks to longer-lasting batteries, tilting and stackable design, and modular components to bring down the cost of mass production. It’s part of a push towards environmentally friendly transport options in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions … Read more

Lab-grown tissues to improve reliability of safety tests for drugs, chemicals

This human liver organoid gives researchers hope that animal-based studies about drug safety will be a method of the past one day.

by Natalie Grover Testing the safety of medicines and chemicals on organ-like structures developed from various types of stem cells could reduce the reliance on animal testing and streamline chemical and drug development, according to scientists in the Netherlands who are in the early stages of developing such technology.  Tissues such as the intestine and … Read more