Environment https://refractor.io/environment/ Environment en-AU Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:20:52 GMT Pig-boar hybrids in Fukushima evacuation zone rewrite wild genomes https://refractor.io/environment/pig-boar-hybrids-fukushima-wild-genomes/ Pig-boar hybrids, like the one pictured above, are not unusual but the Fukushima environment offered scientists a unique natural experiment - watching hybrid populations breed at hyperspeed.

When escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar after the Fukushima evacuation, researchers gained a rare chance to observe large-scale hybridization. New findings show that maternally inherited rapid breeding accelerated genetic turnover, quickly diluting pig ancestry in the wild population. The result offers a novel lens on how fast-breeding traits can quietly reshape wildlife genetics.

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]]> Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:20:52 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/pig-boar-hybrids-fukushima-wild-genomes/ Chelsea Haney Google says its upcoming data center will cool itself without water https://refractor.io/environment/google-data-center-texas-water-cooling/ Google claims its upcoming data center in Texas will tackle one of the biggest issues this type of facility causes - water shortages. Pictured above is its existing Ellis County, Texas campus

Among the many problems posed by the rapid proliferation of data centers around the world is the strain on local water supplies. These facilities need plenty of water for cooling the vast arrays of servers and other computing equipment, which slow down when they run too hot.

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]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:33:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/google-data-center-texas-water-cooling/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal Video: Fire tornado cleans up oil spills https://refractor.io/environment/fire-whirl-oil-spills/ The fire whirl was created inside a chamber of 16-foot high walls

Oil spills in oceans can spell disaster for ecosystems, but options for mitigating them are limited and can come with their own environmental challenges. A new "fire tornado" from Texas A&M University might soon be able to come to the rescue.

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]]> Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:29:44 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/fire-whirl-oil-spills/ Michael Franco Wood polymer gives thermal paper an eco-friendly makeover https://refractor.io/environment/liginin-eco-friendly-thermal-paper/ Woodchip feedstock, alongside

Scientists have already learned how to make helmets, batteries, and even sports cars from wood, so applying it to something like thermal paper might not sound that exciting. Yet it could actually affect our lives far more than we realize.

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]]> Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/liginin-eco-friendly-thermal-paper/ Maryna Holovnova CERN supercollider gets sustainable side hustle heating local homes https://refractor.io/environment/cern-supercollider-waste-heat-homes/ Diagram of the CERN LHC

Okay, CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) might have uncovered the Higgs boson and helped redefine our concept of physical reality, but what has it done for us lately? How about a side hustle heating several thousand homes in the neighborhood?

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]]> Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/cern-supercollider-waste-heat-homes/ David Szondy You can now make fish-free omega-3s from whisky waste https://refractor.io/environment/mialgae-omega-3-whisky-waste/ Spent barley grains from nearby distilleries are used to feed omega-3-rich micro-algae in MiAlgae's fermentation tanks

Omega-3 fatty acids sourced from wild-caught fish stocks are valued for their studied health benefits such as healthy skin, joints, heart and brain function along with enhanced immunity, but this has resulted in a reduction in fish stocks globally. A Scottish firm is working on a solution, in the form of omega-3s made from whisky waste.

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]]> Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:26:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/mialgae-omega-3-whisky-waste/ Shirl Leigh Undersea earthquakes are supercharging the Southern Ocean https://refractor.io/environment/undersea-earthquakes-phytoplankton-southern-ocean/ Increased earthquake activity leads to more minerals being released into the ocean, feeding phytoplankton

Each year, vast blooms of phytoplankton spread across the Southern Ocean, drawing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fueling Antarctica’s marine food web. For decades, scientists have attributed these pulses of life to familiar forces – sunlight, winds, and ocean circulation. But new research suggests another, far less visible driver may be at work: earthquakes beneath the seafloor, whose activity may be influencing ocean surface conditions.

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]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:27:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/undersea-earthquakes-phytoplankton-southern-ocean/ Chelsea Haney Forestry-waste pine bark could be used to pull antibiotics out of wastewater https://refractor.io/environment/pine-bark-antibiotics-wastewater/ In this lab setup, wastewater passes through columns of the pine-bark-based purification material

It's a sad fact that antibiotics are constantly entering the environment through the wastewater stream, boosting the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. There could soon be a cheap new way of removing those antibiotics from the water, however, using plentiful pine bark.

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]]> Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:00:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/pine-bark-antibiotics-wastewater/ Ben Coxworth Earth built a nuclear reactor two billion years before we did https://refractor.io/environment/ancient-nuclear-reactor-oklo/ Samples of deposits from Oklo donated to Vienna’s Natural History Museum

Two billion years before we made history and split the atom, the Earth had already accomplished it and was running its own nuclear reactors. And they operated for hundreds of thousands of years, as the first signs of multicellular life emerged.

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]]> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 05:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/ancient-nuclear-reactor-oklo/ Bronwyn Thompson Extreme drilling unearths secrets of disappearing ice dome https://refractor.io/environment/greenland-ice-dome/ The Prudhoe Ice Sheet rises gradually over hundreds of miles

In northwestern Greenland, researchers working on the GreenDrill project have cored through a 500-meter-thick ice dome. They found something startling: the dome completely disappeared 7,000 years ago. And it might do it again.

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]]> Wed, 07 Jan 2026 17:39:49 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/greenland-ice-dome/ Michael Franco The mystery of Japan’s underwater 'crop circles' has a romantic twist https://refractor.io/environment/giant-aquatic-crop-circles-japan/ These circles take up to nine days to build

In 1995, divers first noticed a group of bizarre sandy "crop circles" on the seabed around Amami Oshima Island, southwest Japan. But it took decades for scientists to identify the marine artists behind them – and why they were building such geometrically precise structures every year.

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]]> Sat, 03 Jan 2026 13:13:37 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/giant-aquatic-crop-circles-japan/ Bronwyn Thompson The 'Hell-Plant' of Death Valley offers hope to a hotter world https://refractor.io/environment/tidestromia-oblongifolia-plant-death-valley/ Prof. Seung Yon “Sue” Rhee holds a potted Tidestromia oblongifolia, a plant that actually grows better under extreme heat

We humans are a delicate bunch. We don’t have bark, boney exo-plates, or lush fur to protect us from hostile environments, so we have to steal what other creatures produce just to survive in regions around the only planet that supports us. A few naked days in Earth’s hottest deserts would be more than enough to kill nearly all of us.

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]]> Mon, 29 Dec 2025 17:30:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/tidestromia-oblongifolia-plant-death-valley/ Malcolm Azania Bio-mimicry? Try 'beaver-mimicry' dams to offset climate chaos https://refractor.io/environment/artificial-beaver-dams-climate-change/ Artificial beaver dams, meant to replicate the ecological benefits of the structures built by the rodents themselves, are becoming more common in the US Pacific Northwest

The descendants of black-bear-sized giants who could haul massive rocks with their mouths, modern Castor canadensis once numbered as many as 400 million in North America. Felling mighty trees with their orange, iron-infused, nearly invincible incisors, they created their terraforming, hydro-engineering, half-submerged eco-homes based on blueprints stored in their DNA. Now, thanks to merciless fur-hunting by humans, their population has plummeted by 97.5%.

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]]> Sun, 28 Dec 2025 18:00:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/artificial-beaver-dams-climate-change/ Malcolm Azania Ancient coffins clinging to cliffs are no longer a mystery https://refractor.io/environment/hanging-coffins-asia/ Hanging Coffins at Sagada attest to the 2,000-year-old Igorot burial traditions, where pinewood coffins deferred with original wires and ropes along limestone cliffs act as vessels to heaven

High on the sheer limestone cliffs in southwest China, ancient wooden coffins remain wedged into rock faces hundreds of feet above the ground. Long treated as archaeological curiosities, these dramatic burials are now being re-examined using ancient DNA, and they point to a broader practice where separate cultures across Asia all paid their respects to the dead at similar "sky graveyards."

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]]> Sun, 28 Dec 2025 06:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/hanging-coffins-asia/ Bronwyn Thompson Watch: World's biggest snowman dwarfs city in northeastern China https://refractor.io/environment/worlds-biggest-snowman/ The snowman took 64 sculptors and 100 construction workers 11 days to build

If you're chionoandrophobic, we recommend looking away now. Standing about 62 ft (19 m) tall, measuring roughly 46 ft (14 m) long and 36 ft (11 m) wide, 2025's largest snowman has been erected in northeast China. The smiling icy monster required some 124,000 cubic feet (3,500 cubic meters) of snow, and has already become a big tourist attraction in the city of Harbin.

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]]> Thu, 25 Dec 2025 03:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/worlds-biggest-snowman/ Bronwyn Thompson Record-breaking drilling expedition solves massive earthquake mystery https://refractor.io/environment/japan-earthquake-drilling/ Researchers on the deck of Chikyū, Japan's ultra-advanced drilling ship

Since 2011, scientists have been puzzled about the force resulting from a gigantic earthquake and tsunami that destroyed, among other things, Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Now, a Guinness World Record drilling expedition has solved the puzzle.

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]]> Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:44:14 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/japan-earthquake-drilling/ Michael Franco 5,200 holes carved into a Peruvian mountain left by an ancient economy https://refractor.io/environment/5-200-holes-peruvian-mountain/ The stretch of thousands of holes earned the site its name, Mont Sierpe (

For nearly a century, a strange band of thousands of holes carved into a Peruvian hillside has defied explanation. Stretching for nearly a mile (1.5 km) along the edge of the Pisco Valley, Monte Sierpe – "serpent mountain" appears to be a deliberate, repetitive and almost mathematical feature – but its real purpose has so far eluded scientists.

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]]> Sun, 21 Dec 2025 17:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/5-200-holes-peruvian-mountain/ Bronwyn Thompson Discarded mussel shells may be diverted from landfills – to sandblast jeans https://refractor.io/environment/discarded-mussel-shells-sandblast-jeans/ According to scientists from the University of the Basque Country, 1.5 million tonnes of waste mussel shells are produced worldwide annually, and they're

The tons of discarded mussel shells generated by the seafood industry may be organic, but they're still very slow to biodegrade in landfills. They may soon find new life, however, sandblasting jeans in the textile industry.

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]]> Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:28:33 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/discarded-mussel-shells-sandblast-jeans/ Ben Coxworth Most radioactive site in US is moving on from the Manhattan Project https://refractor.io/environment/manhattan-project-toxic-legacy/ The Hanford D and DR Reactors circa 1955, next to the Columbia River

A nuclear production facility in Washington state, called the Hanford site, once forged the plutonium that reshaped the world. Now it’s forging glass; a quiet act of undoing at one of Earth’s most contaminated sites.

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]]> Sun, 14 Dec 2025 14:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/manhattan-project-toxic-legacy/ Chelsea Haney Anchovy-inspired appliance could keep microplastics from leaving your laundry https://refractor.io/environment/anchovy-inspired-microplastics-filter/ Open wide – a peek down an anchovy's plankton-gathering mouth

The water leaving your washing machine may soon be a lot more eco-friendly, thanks to the anchovy. A filter inspired by the tiny fish could remove microplastics from the outgoing water, keeping them from entering local waterways.

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]]> Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:24:48 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/anchovy-inspired-microplastics-filter/ Ben Coxworth World's first biodegradable coffin made of mushrooms https://refractor.io/environment/loop-living-cocoon-mushroom-coffin/ The Loop Living Cocoon casket comes in one size that should fit 95% of adults

The business of paying respect to the dead can be an eco-unfriendly matter, whether opting for a wooden coffin that contributes to deforestation, or a cremation service that produces carbon emissions. Instead, Dutch firm Loop Biotech has found a way to save forests and reduce CO2 emissions with the Loop Living Cocoon, the world’s first mushroom-based casket.

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]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:30:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/loop-living-cocoon-mushroom-coffin/ Shirl Leigh Bacteria used to make and dye fiber for clothing in the same vat https://refractor.io/environment/bacteria-make-dye-clothing-fiber-same-vat/ Along with giving you a nasty case of food poisoning, E. coli bacteria are also adept at producing pigments for dyeing cellulose fibers produced by other bacteria

Who doesn’t love beautifully hued clothing? Well, how about Mother Nature? But can you blame her? Industrial dyes are absolute poison.

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]]> Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:04:50 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/bacteria-make-dye-clothing-fiber-same-vat/ Malcolm Azania Simple solvent makes polycotton fabric completely recyclable https://refractor.io/environment/solvent-recycles-polyester-cotton-fabric/ Nika Depope, a PhD student at the Vienna University of Technology's Institute of Chemical Technology, works with the solvent and a textile sample

What we think of as polyester fabric is most often actually a blend of polyester and cotton, which has proven very difficult to recycle. A new solvent, however, breaks the blend down into its two components, leaving both almost completely reusable.

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]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2025 19:57:04 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/solvent-recycles-polyester-cotton-fabric/ Ben Coxworth TreeSoil earthen shelter nurtures young trees in harsh conditions https://refractor.io/environment/treesoil-mtrl/ A new vision for design: buildings that don’t dominate nature, but kneel beside it; protecting life as it learns to stand tall

Blending ancient land-shaping traditions with cutting-edge fabrication, a new project called TreeSoil is reimagining how architecture can support vulnerable environments. Conceived through a partnership between two research groups, the Technion Institute’s Material Topology Research Lab (MTRL) and the Tree Lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, the project proposes a small but radical idea: build structures not for people, but to protect saplings struggling to survive in degraded landscapes.

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]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2025 21:00:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/treesoil-mtrl/ Bridget Borgobello Global emissions peak again – but dozens of nations are cutting carbon https://refractor.io/environment/global-emissions-peak-nations-cutting-carbon/ Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are expected to rise by 1.1% in 2025 – an unfortunate record high

A climate report projects that the world's carbon emissions are on track to hit an all-time high this year, despite major advances in green tech and adoption of measures to curb pollution from the use of fossil fuels.

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]]> Fri, 14 Nov 2025 19:00:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/global-emissions-peak-nations-cutting-carbon/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal A surprising discovery under Arctic ice could boost marine life https://refractor.io/environment/discovery-under-arctic-ice-boost-marine-life/ Researchers discovered this previously undiscovered phenomenon by taking measurements at 13 different locations in the Arctic Ocean across two separate research trips.

As the Arctic Ocean loses its sea ice due to climate change, sunlight penetrates deeper into the water and encourages the growth of tiny plant-like organisms (phytoplankton). But to thrive, they need nitrogen, a key nutrient. Think of it like fertilizer for ocean life.

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]]> Sat, 08 Nov 2025 03:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/discovery-under-arctic-ice-boost-marine-life/ Pranjal Malewar Using aerosols to block sunlight? Maybe not such a good idea https://refractor.io/environment/columbia-climate-school-stratospheric-aerosol-injection-report/ A proposed method of mitigating climate change, stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) would involve releasing large quantities of tiny particles into the stratosphere in order to block incoming sunlight

Holy sun-repellant spray, Batman! Could injecting billions of kilograms of sunlight-dimming aerosols into the atmosphere save the planet from industrial climate destruction? Or is that just Joker-level insanity? A new Columbia Climate School report definitely suggests that caution is warranted.

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]]> Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:31:30 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/columbia-climate-school-stratospheric-aerosol-injection-report/ Malcolm Azania It takes EVs just 2 years on the road to beat gas cars on emissions https://refractor.io/environment/ev-beat-gas-cars-emissions/ After just two years on the road, electric vehicles (EV) actually start reducing their total carbon footprint compared to gas cars

A new study has looked into whether electric cars are really better for the environment than gas-powered cars. It turns out that this is indeed the case: after two years of use, EVs start reducing their total carbon footprint compared to gas cars.

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]]> Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/ev-beat-gas-cars-emissions/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal Rocket launches are blasting a new hole in our ozone layer https://refractor.io/environment/rocket-launch-hole-ozone-layer/ Private space travel is flourishing but scientists are learning rocket launches may not be helping maintain the integrity of our ozone layer

As private companies race to make spaceflight routine, Earth’s upper atmosphere has become an unintended testing ground. Each launch is a triumph of human ingenuity, but behind that brilliance lies a quieter equation. One where exhaust and propellant residues react with ozone, thinning the layer that shields life below. It’s a problem scientists are just beginning to quantify, and one that’s rising as fast as the rockets themselves.

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]]> Sat, 25 Oct 2025 13:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/rocket-launch-hole-ozone-layer/ Chelsea Haney Green herbicide may reside in the leaves of walnut trees https://refractor.io/environment/green-herbicide-walnut-tree-leaves/ There's allelochemicals in the leaves of that thar Manchurian walnut tree

Harsh, eco-unfriendly synthetic herbicides are definitely one of those things that you shouldn't be using if you don't have to. Japanese researchers are thus now developing a green alternative, derived from the leaves of a humble walnut tree.

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]]> Mon, 20 Oct 2025 21:05:21 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/green-herbicide-walnut-tree-leaves/ Ben Coxworth Ocean carbon in, biodegradable plastic out https://refractor.io/environment/ocean-co2-sustainable-plastic-doc/ The researchers' DOC method produces succinic acid, a precursor to biodegradable plastics like PBS

Not-so-fun fact: our oceans hold 150 times more carbon dioxide than the Earth's atmosphere. Adding to that causes ocean acidification, which can disrupt marine food chains and reduce biodiversity.

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]]> Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:01:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/ocean-co2-sustainable-plastic-doc/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal Massive expanding chasms are eating cities alive from below https://refractor.io/environment/urban-gullies-development/ For the first time, scientists have documented the extent of the urban gully crisis

Nearly 3,000 growing chasms have opened up in dozens of towns, swallowing up roads and houses in their path. Known as urban gullies, these destructive forces of nature are increasing rapidly and now threaten to displace more than 3.2 million people.

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]]> Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/urban-gullies-development/ Bronwyn Thompson Prehistoric 'road signs' guided ancient humans to rare desert water https://refractor.io/environment/12-000-year-old-road-signs/ One of the impressive camel paintings, believed to indicate to passing humans that water was nearby

Large rock-face murals scattered across the desert in northern Saudi Arabia represent one of the most ambitious – and perilous – creative feats of ancient humans, with researchers arguing that the massive carvings acted as visual beacons, guiding people toward crucial water sources.

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]]> Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:00:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/12-000-year-old-road-signs/ Bronwyn Thompson Ice dissolves iron faster than just plain water https://refractor.io/environment/ice-iron-rivers/ Orange rivers like this one in Alaska's Brooks Range are growing more common thanks to the release of large quantities of iron

New research flips a long-held belief that frozen environments slow down chemical reactions and helps explain why Arctic rivers are turning orange. It turns out that ice is actually better than liquid water at releasing iron from common minerals.

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]]> Sun, 28 Sep 2025 22:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/ice-iron-rivers/ Michael Franco Mushrooms make the difference in first-of-its-kind super-composting toilet https://refractor.io/environment/mycotoilet-mushroom-composting-toilet/ The MycoToilet is set up in the UBC Botanical Garden

Composting toilets are a great idea, but no one likes to think of the waste just sitting there and slowly … fermenting. A new eco-friendly toilet gets around that problem by using mushrooms to facilitate the composting process, plus it requires no water or electricity to do the job.

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]]> Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:24:49 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/mycotoilet-mushroom-composting-toilet/ Ben Coxworth Dumped World War munitions and sunken ships serve a wild new purpose https://refractor.io/environment/dumped-world-war-munitions-ships/ Along the Potomac River in Maryland, more than 100 abandoned World War I steamships make up the Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

Old Nazi warheads and US warships have been reclaimed by a new army of diverse marine life, as scientists uncover how nature has made use of the munitions and fleets that ended up dumped in waterways during the two world conflicts.

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]]> Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:01:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/dumped-world-war-munitions-ships/ Bronwyn Thompson Rivers get heatwaves too, and they're coming on strong https://refractor.io/environment/rivers-heatwaves-acceleration/ While air-based heatwaves are obvious, the hidden heatwaves in our rivers have now been uncovered thanks to a new Penn State study

A study examining nearly 1,500 river sites in the US between 1980 and 2022 has shown that river heatwaves are happening up to four times faster than air heatwaves and lasting nearly twice as long. The finding has major implications for aquatic life.

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]]> Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:11:29 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/rivers-heatwaves-acceleration/ Michael Franco Siberia’s mysterious exploding craters have a deep, violent origin story https://refractor.io/environment/siberias-exploding-craters-gas/ Eight of these craters have so far been identified

On the remote Yamal and Gydan peninsulas of western Siberia, the landscape is marked by massive craters that look as though the Earth has blown holes in itself. While the origin story of these gas-emission craters (GECs) has remained somewhat of a mystery since the first one was discovered back in 2014, scientists now believe they know what's causing them.

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]]> Sun, 21 Sep 2025 14:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/siberias-exploding-craters-gas/ Bronwyn Thompson The ozone layer is steadily recovering – all thanks to global treaties https://refractor.io/environment/ozone-layer-recovering-treaties/ The ozone layer in our stratosphere protects the Earth by absorbing much of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation

And now for a spot of good news: the protective layer of ozone continues to heal, with the hole in our stratospheric shield having shrunk to a smaller size in 2024 than in the period between 2020-2023.

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]]> Sat, 20 Sep 2025 22:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/ozone-layer-recovering-treaties/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal 'Green Lantern' bacteria light up invisible microplastic particles https://refractor.io/environment/green-glowing-bacteria-microplastic-particles/ Two waterborne microplastic particles, made nice and visible by green-fluorescing Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria

One of the problems with microplastics pollution lies in the fact that the plastic particles can be so small, we don't even know they're present in water in the first place. A new type of engineered bacteria could help, by causing those microparticles to glow green.

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]]> Fri, 12 Sep 2025 23:30:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/green-glowing-bacteria-microplastic-particles/ Ben Coxworth Cheap catalyst cracks the code for recycling unsorted plastic waste https://refractor.io/environment/recycling-plastic-sorting-catalyst/ Most single-use disposable packaging requires sorting before it can be recycled – but a new catalyst might let us skip that entirely and get straight into processing

One of the biggest challenges in recycling plastic is that there are several kinds of plastic that end up in our bins – and those variations in composition necessitate sorting out waste before processing it. Sorting is expensive and time-consuming, even with tech involved, and it greatly reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of recycling programs.

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]]> Sun, 07 Sep 2025 18:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/recycling-plastic-sorting-catalyst/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal Pollen finds use in coral-friendly sunscreen https://refractor.io/environment/plant-pollen-coral-friendly-sunscreen/ The camellia-pollen-based microgel applied to a test subject's hand (left), alongside its natural source

Minerals such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are very effective sunscreen ingredients, but they can harm coral reefs if used in their non-nanoparticle form. An experimental new sunscreen forgoes the minerals altogether, replacing them with "just-as-effective" plant pollen.

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]]> Sun, 07 Sep 2025 01:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/plant-pollen-coral-friendly-sunscreen/ Ben Coxworth Coastal seaweed a major methane source, challenging current views https://refractor.io/environment/sandy-coastline-methanogenic-archaea-challenges-science/ Seaweed rotting on the coast produces far more methane than first thought

Seaweed washing onto sandy shores does more than rot. A new study found that it fuels oxygen-tolerant microorganisms that pump methane into the air, overturning a long-held scientific assumption about coastal ecosystems and their climate role.

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]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/sandy-coastline-methanogenic-archaea-challenges-science/ Paul McClure Subsea desalination plant will turn Pacific Ocean into tap water https://refractor.io/environment/subsea-desalination-pacific/ Water, water everywhere and — soon — plenty of it to drink for Californians

Dozens of water-harvesting pods are set to be deployed along the sea floor off the coast of California as the United States ramps up its first subsea desalination project. The effort is expected to produce 60 million gallons (227 million liters) of fresh water per day.

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]]> Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/subsea-desalination-pacific/ Michael Franco Stark warning for US as hurricane 'traffic jams' 10x more likely to form https://refractor.io/environment/us-hurricane-clusters/ Clustered storms, like in 2017 when Harvey, Irma and Maria hit in quick succession, have the potential to cause more extensive damage than a single hurricane

The North Atlantic has claimed a new title as the global hotspot for hurricane clusters, with the likelihood of these forming increasing tenfold in the past 46 years. A new study provides the first robust quantification of how the Earth's warming patterns are shifting where these multiple-storm events happen, as scientists warn that the US East Coast should be prepared.

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]]> Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:57:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/us-hurricane-clusters/ Bronwyn Thompson Dinosaur teeth reveal prehistoric air quality was pretty awful https://refractor.io/environment/dinosaur-teeth-fossils-prehistoric-air-quality/ Who knew that the enamel on fossilized dinosaur teeth contained secrets – like ancient isotropic traces of oxygen?

Fossilized dinosaur teeth can reveal a lot more than just how these creatures ate and who they were related to – they can also tell us what the air was like in prehistoric times. As it turns out, humans might have found it hard to breathe if we were around the same time as dinosaurs, because there was a lot more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than you'd expect.

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]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:26:25 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/dinosaur-teeth-fossils-prehistoric-air-quality/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal Electron beam solves Teflon trash problem with super-efficient zaps https://refractor.io/environment/electron-beam-solves-teflon-problem-super-efficient-zaps/ Dramatic illustration of recycling Teflon with an electron beam

Ever wonder what happens to those old Teflon-coated frying pans? Not a lot. Most get chucked into landfills. However, a new recycling technique developed by Japan's National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) promises 100% effectiveness.

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]]> Sat, 02 Aug 2025 17:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/electron-beam-solves-teflon-problem-super-efficient-zaps/ David Szondy 515-mile "megaflash" lightning sets terrifying new world record https://refractor.io/environment/megaflash-lightning-record/ This epic lightning strike traveled around the same distance as Chicago to Nashville

A lightning bolt stretching 515 miles (829 km) from eastern Texas to near Kansas City has set a terrifying new record as the longest single lightning flash ever recorded. There are only two places on the entire planet where this kind of "megaflash" is likely to occur.

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]]> Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/megaflash-lightning-record/ Bronwyn Thompson You're inhaling 68,000 bits of microplastic at home every single day https://refractor.io/environment/inhaling-68000-microplastics-home-car-daily/ Microplastics break off from a wide range of plastic objects in the home with day-to-day use, as well as from synthetic materials in our cars

Research out of the University of Toulouse, France, has revealed that we're probably harming our lungs a lot more than we knew. Every day, we're inhaling teeny tiny bits of plastic that are smaller than a speck of dust without even leaving the house – and the findings show the amount is 100 times greater than previously estimated.

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]]> Thu, 31 Jul 2025 10:57:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/inhaling-68000-microplastics-home-car-daily/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal Spent cigarette butts may find use in longer-lasting roads https://refractor.io/environment/cigarette-butts-recycled-asphalt-roads/ A piece of cigarette-butt-enhanced asphalt gets strength-tested

While we're used to seeing cigarette butts littering public roads, such butts may soon be making their way into those roads, strengthening them in the process. It's all part of a new recycling effort, which should also reduce the need for road repairs.

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]]> Thu, 24 Jul 2025 19:34:23 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/cigarette-butts-recycled-asphalt-roads/ Ben Coxworth Ocean shipping has a surprising hidden methane problem https://refractor.io/environment/ocean-shipping-methane-problem/ Ships passing through shallow waters can stir up high concentrations of dissolved methane – who knew?

Methane is awful for the environment: it's the second most abundant greenhouse gas in the air after carbon dioxide, and is about 28 times as powerful as CO2 in terms of trapping heat in the atmosphere. It's a major byproduct of coal production and livestock fermentation, and it also comes from surprising sources like cow burps, and – as researchers in Sweden have now found – ships passing through shallow waters.

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]]> Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:13:26 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/ocean-shipping-methane-problem/ Abhimanyu Ghoshal More than 200 new giruses discovered in the ocean https://refractor.io/environment/more-than-200-new-giant-viruses-discovered-in-our-marine-ecosystems/ A giant virus infection of the unicellular algae Florenciella. The giant viruses can be seen bursting out of the Florenciella cell with their hexagon-shaped capsids that enclose their genetic material

Within the complex hierarchy of marine ecosystems, giant viruses are now being recognized as novel drivers of both ecological balance and carbon cycling. A new study published in Nature npj Viruses, by researchers at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School, broadens our understanding of these viral giants, revealing 230 new genomes and hundreds of previously unidentified proteins.

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]]> Sat, 12 Jul 2025 11:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/more-than-200-new-giant-viruses-discovered-in-our-marine-ecosystems/ Chelsea Haney Are thawing glaciers about to wake up dormant volcanoes around the globe? https://refractor.io/environment/are-thawing-glaciers-about-to-wake-up-dormant-volcanoes-around-the-globe/ Investigations into several regions in the Chilean Andes suggests melting glaciers can wake up dormant volcanoes.

For centuries, glaciers have sat like frosty crowns atop slumbering volcanoes, keeping Earth’s fury tucked safely beneath layers of ice. But now, as climate change accelerates and glaciers retreat, the lid may be lifting, and the heat rising.

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]]> Sat, 12 Jul 2025 04:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/are-thawing-glaciers-about-to-wake-up-dormant-volcanoes-around-the-globe/ Pranjal Malewar 1,000-pound wheels and robots now farming Dyson strawberries https://refractor.io/environment/farming-dyson-strawberries/ Is this the look of the farms of the future?

A new video takes you inside Dyson's impressive vertical farming operation, which is home to 1,225,000 strawberry plants and shows you how the company is applying its manufacturing knowledge to producing homegrown food for British consumers.

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]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2025 01:33:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/farming-dyson-strawberries/ Michael Franco Hurricane-killing particles could sabotage storms before they grow https://refractor.io/environment/hurricane-killing-tech/ Scientists hope to stop these destructive weather events before they make landfall

There have been some wildly ambitious schemes to knock the power out of hurricanes and cyclones over the years. Now, scientists believe they have come up with a way to successfully subdue these destructive storms, long before they have a chance to reach land.

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]]> Sun, 22 Jun 2025 14:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/hurricane-killing-tech/ Bronwyn Thompson Oceans are getting darker and marine life is under threat https://refractor.io/environment/oceans-are-getting-darker-and-marine-life-is-under-threat/ A map focused on the UK and North Atlantic Ocean; red areas indicate regions where the oceans are getting darker, while blues indicate regions where they are getting lighter

The oceans are losing their light – and with it, possibly their life. A new study reveals more than 20% of the Earth's oceans, an area larger than Asia, has darkened over the last two decades. These findings raise concerns about how this spreading shadow could reshape marine ecosystems that depend on sunlight and moonlight for survival.

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]]> Sun, 15 Jun 2025 04:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/oceans-are-getting-darker-and-marine-life-is-under-threat/ Jay Kakade "Door to Hell" starting to close after 54 years https://refractor.io/environment/darvaza-gas-crater-door-to-hell-closing/ The Door to Hell burns furiously in the night sky

There are no written Soviet records, no logs, no official drilling reports, and no confirmation that they'd lit it intentionally – but there's no disputing a ~100-foot-deep (~30-m), 226-foot-wide (69-m) pit of relentless fiery fury that's been burning for around 50 years in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan.

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]]> Sun, 08 Jun 2025 21:01:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/darvaza-gas-crater-door-to-hell-closing/ Joe Salas Microplastics could actually help us, by detecting sewage in waterways https://refractor.io/environment/microplastic-beads-sewage-detection-rivers/ Dr. Luke Woodford (left) and Prof. Richard Quilliam, with a basket full o' caged microbeads

One of the worries about microplastic particle pollution is the possibility that the particles may accumulate harmful bacteria in the environment, then pass those microbes on to us. Well, that germ-grabbing capability could soon put the particles to work as sewage monitors in rivers.

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]]> Tue, 27 May 2025 18:30:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/microplastic-beads-sewage-detection-rivers/ Ben Coxworth Larvae-attracting gel could help repopulate decimated coral reefs https://refractor.io/environment/coral-larvae-attracting-gel-reef-restoration/ The SNAP-X gel could help attract free-swimming planktonic coral larvae to decimated reefs, ultimately restoring those reefs to a healthy state

If you're hoping that reef-restoring coral larvae will settle down in damaged reefs, you can't just sit around and wait for it to happen. You have to get out there and entice the larvae, which is exactly what a new algae-based gel is designed to do.

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]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 11:03:00 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/coral-larvae-attracting-gel-reef-restoration/ Ben Coxworth Smart building shutters itself in inclement weather https://refractor.io/environment/flectoline-heat-regualting-building-facade/ The FlectoLine demonstrator all shut up for hot weather, with its photovioltaic

Nobody likes buildings that are too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. That's where the FlectoLine facade comes in, as it uses not just one but two bio-inspired mechanisms to automatically regulate how much solar thermal energy gets through a building's windows.

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]]> Fri, 23 May 2025 20:57:38 GMT https://refractor.io/environment/flectoline-heat-regualting-building-facade/ Ben Coxworth