Sustainable Consumption Stories
An ingenious ultrathin film keeps crops warm at night and slashes food waste. No energy required.
The almost invisibly thin film—many microns thinner than a human hair—might not only replace plastic sheeting and heaters in agriculture, but also protect telephone lines and electric cables.
Waste management hasn’t been thought of as a climate change solution. No longer.
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers calculated how shovel-ready waste-handling technologies could quickly hit the brakes on global warming.
People drive EVs less than gas-powered cars, and that’s a problem
We may be overestimating the emissions savings from EVs and under-utilizing them to reap benefits, a new study finds.
Will climate worries lead people to have fewer babies?
The first systematic study of the question finds the answer is more complicated than you might think.
Parking garages are a huge wasted heat source
Waste heat from over 5,000 underground parking lots in Berlin could meet the demand of of 14,660 average German households, scientists found, while helping improve groundwater quality and biodiversity
Researchers fine-tune fermentation to impart meat and dairy flavors to plant-based foods
In total, they developed 13 fungi-food combinations that produced meaty scents; the meatiest combination came from onions mixed with Polyporus umbellatus.
The climate impact of cotton depends on how often you wash it and how long you wear it
In a new study, researchers assess impacts from the cultivation, manufacturing, and use of textiles made of the world’s most common natural fiber
Researchers sketch out a manifesto for tackling farm plastic
12 million tonnes of plastic go into agriculture each year, some straight into the soil. Can we loosen plastic’s grip on farming?
In a first, researchers have engineered marine bacteria to destroy plastics in seawater
By combining key traits of two bacterial species, the team created a novel bug that can break down plastics in salty conditions—at room temperature.
Working from home 1 day a week cuts carbon by 2%. 2-4 days up to 29%. Full-time 54%.
An unusually comprehensive study shows remote work is better for the climate, but mainly in large doses