The analysis recovered DNA from more than 180 different plants, fungi, insects, mammals, birds, amphibians, and other groups. Filters at thousands of ambient air quality monitoring stations around the world have been inadvertently collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) for decades, concealing an untapped bonanza for research into all kinds of species. The study was reported in Current Biology on 5 June by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory. The accelerating loss of biodiversity and increasing rate of species extinction is a major threat to ecosystems around the globe. Quantifying tho ..read more

Regions like the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), located between Hawaii and Mexico, are a focus of commercial plans, and are estimated to hold reserves of minerals like manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt (pictured). Explore recycling and terrestrial resources first, says the European Academies of Science Advisory Council (EASAC) Rising global hunger for rare minerals is driving commercial interest in deep-sea mining and its potential exploitation on a massive scale. In just a few weeks, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) could give the green light for wholesale industrial development ..read more

Dr Rosa Busquets is Associate Professor in Analytical Chemistry and Forensics at Kingston University What are microplastics, why are they such a problem and what can be done to reduce the pollution they cause? Dr Rosa Busquets explores these questions, in a tie-in with World Ocean Day (8 June). Microplastics are plastic particles which are less than five millimetres in length and can be as small as the thickness of a single hair, even a bit smaller. We most commonly find them in water from our washing machines, as a result of synthetic fibres shed from clothing and the inability of wastewater ..read more

Under the terms of such a scheme, people would pay for the collection of waste containers like wheelie bins, each of which would be equipped with RFID or a similar system. Governments should consider introducing a combination of incentives and penalties, such as pay-as-you-throw (PAYT), if they are serious about lowering the volume of waste sent to landfill, argues Chris Williams of ISB Global, a UK-based software and solutions provider for the global waste management and recycling sector. His views are presented here in an article authored by the firm. Already introduced in parts of the Neth ..read more

Wind Turbine at Hatston Pier, Kirkwall. Future projects which aim to help communities reach net-zero could take valuable lessons from efforts to decarbonise the Orkney Islands, researchers say. The ReFLEX Orkney project, led by the European Marine Energy Centre, was launched in 2019 with £28.5m in funding from UKRI and private investment. Its aim was to create a Smart Local Energy System, or SLES, by interlinking local electricity, transport, and heat networks into a single virtual energy system capable of real-time control of sustainable energy services for the community. The ambitious proje ..read more

A new briefing from think tank organisation the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) argues that the clean energy transition can be delivered on time and at an affordable cost if supply chain risks are minimised by policy and industry action. Rapidly scaling sustainable, diversified, and resilient clean energy supply chains is key to achieving net-zero targets on-time and at as low a cost as possible, according to the ETC. This latest briefing, “Better, Faster, Cleaner: Securing clean energy technology supply chains”, makes the case that global supply of key materials and components is suffic ..read more

A previous Recolight workshop. Delegate feedback from the event: “Simon delivered a superb CPD workshop explaining and unravelling the complexities of the circular economy from the perspective of designers and manufacturers. Interactive and informative; this is knowledge sharing at its finest.” Jago Wickers of LUMINO. A new series of workshops on how to calculate circular and carbon metrics for lighting products has been announced by circular lighting expert Recolight. The educational event explores the latest guidelines, standards, and legislation, Life Cycle Assessments and associated metri ..read more

Air purification expert Blueair writes Feeling sniffly and getting dry eyes recently? You may be experiencing hay fever symptoms. While many of us associate hay fever with summer, pollen season can actually start much earlier than that. And this year, February was one of the mildest and driest on record according to the Met Office, meaning pollen season has already begun in many parts of the UK. The culprits affecting early sufferers are tree pollen coming from species such as hazel, poplar and alder. These will be followed by cypress, oak and birch as it gets warmer. It’s easy to track thes ..read more

Technology from WCS Environmental Engineering has been selected by United Utilities to deliver biological treatment at a new wastewater treatment works. The UK utility is investing £8.2 million in the new facility in the village of Chipping in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, a capital project designed to manage the area’s recent and future population growth. Due to complete in summer 2024, the new works will also improve water quality in Chipping Brook, a tributary of the River Ribble, which flows through the Yorkshire Dales National Park. WCSEE has provided eight Hybrid-SAF – submerged aerat ..read more

Protect Dunsfold campaigners celebrating outside the Royal Courts of Justice in March, after winning permission for their judicial review. A scheme to allow a drilling project on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Surrey is being challenged in the High Court (Royal Courts of Justice) this Thursday (8th June). Good Law Project is supporting the action being brought by the local council and campaign group, Protect Dunsfold, against the Government which gave the project the green light. The energy company, UK Oil and Gas (UKOG), was given the go ahead to carry out drilli ..read more