This is a guest blog post by Daniel Tamberg, Potsdam, co-founder and director of SCIARA GmbH. The non-profit organisation SCIARA is developing and operating a flexible software platform for scientific simulation games that allows thousands of players to explore, design and understand possible climate futures together. Decision-makers in politics, business, society can use these games ..read more

Using Japan’s most powerful supercomputer, researchers reproduced cases of clear air turbulence around Tokyo. They simulated the fine vortices responsible for this dangerous phenomenon. The usefulness of the simulation in predicting turbulence was confirmed by comparing simulation data with data from aircraft recordings. This research should improve the forecasting of turbulence ..read more

Humans began altering environments long before records were kept of the things that lived in them, making it difficult for scientists to determine what healthy ecosystems should look like. Researchers show the recent fossil record preserves a reliable snapshot of marine environments as they existed before humans ..read more

Source: Science Daily A new study has evaluated the contribution of various emission sectors and fuels to PM2.5 mass for 29 states in India and six surrounding countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230711194437.htm ..read more

Source: Science Daily In 2020, Tufts Wildlife Clinic Director Maureen Murray, V03, published a study that showed 100% of red-tailed hawks tested at the clinic were positive for exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs). Such exposure occurs when these chemicals are used to kill mice or rats, which eat the poison, and the birds eat the poisoned prey. Now, another type of rodenticide — a neurotoxicant called bromethalin — also can bioaccumulate in birds of prey. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230711133304.htm ..read more

Source: Science Daily Algorithms can predict what movies or songs you might like, but they can also predict which species a predator would most likely eat. Researchers have been using machine learning to identify species interactions, and can predict which species are most likely to go extinct, so that intervention can be planned before this happens. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230711133240.htm ..read more

Source: Science Daily Researchers have studied the global trade in highly hazardous chemicals subject to a global treaty — the Rotterdam Convention. The results are sobering: Nearly half of the total trade volume of these chemicals crosses national borders illegally, calling for strong international and national action. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230711133230.htm ..read more

Source: Science Daily According to a new study, internet searches indicate a growing prevalence of various biophobias across the world. Countries with larger urban populations show interest in a broader range of nature-related phobias, supporting the idea that urban living may be linked with fear and disgust towards nature. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230711133203.htm ..read more

Source: Science Daily New research has found that the design of biodegradable fishing gear needs to improve if it is to help address the environmental and economic impacts of ‘ghost fishing’. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230711133150.htm ..read more

Source: Science Daily Not all carbon emissions are made for the same reason — they range from more essential purposes like heating a home to nonessential ‘luxury’ activities like leisure travel. However, proposals for the implementations of carbon taxes tend to apply to all emissions at an equal rate. This can give rise to and exacerbate inequalities. A new analysis suggests taxing luxury carbon emissions at a higher rate instead; if all 88 countries analyzed in this study adopted the luxury-focused policy, this would achieve 75% of the emissions reduction needed to reach the Paris Agreem ..read more