Daily Science
Stories
Engineering plants to withstand drought and tolerate salinity
A genetic tweak gives cress plants the qualities of succulents, a trait that researchers are now looking to expand into other crops
A new desalination device with a dash of green
By reimagining brine as a resource rather than a waste, this technology could make desalination affordable and environmentally benign.
Think before you de-extinct
Being able to resurrect species would be exciting—but lessons from reintroduction biology help us imagine what could go wrong.
Electrify the ride-hailing fleet
An electric vehicle driven by an Uber or Lyft driver reduces emissions almost three times as much as the same vehicle used as a private car
A genetic tweak in crops could reduce excess fertilizer use
Researchers discover a gene that, when turned off, could enable plants to absorb more phosphorus from the soil
Lockdowns have cut carbon emissions, but also weakened clean energy investment
For now most investment in the low-carbon transition has come to a halt; a persistent economic recession would thwart clean energy innovation
As the climate changes, protecting more land will not necessarily preserve more biodiversity
But protecting currently underrepresented types of land might.
Avoiding general anesthesia could reduce the climate burden of surgery
Nitrous oxide has a climate warming effect 289 times that of carbon dioxide
Tapping into consumers’ green aspirations makes them buy more eco-friendly goods
Labelling such as “this product is for green shoppers” may work better than simply calling something eco-friendly
More rigid roads could reduce trucking carbon emissions
Ways to make roads stiffer are already available and could improve the gas mileage of heavy vehicles at little to no cost
