http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/sustainability/ Sustainable development. Read current events articles on sustainable agriculture and sustainable living. How can sustainability be achieved? en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/sustainability/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094835.htm Finding alternative feed sources for chickens, pigs and other farm animals will significantly reduce pressure on the world's dwindling fisheries while contributing positively to climate change, according to researchers. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114648.htm A new species of chameleon has been discovered in a threatened forest in Tanzania. Researchers first spotted the animal while surveying monkeys in the Magombera Forest when they disturbed a twig snake eating one. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123114648.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120094745.htm Surplus biomass from the production of flax sheaves, and generated from Brassica carinata, a yellow-flowered plant related to those which engulf fields in spring, can be used to produce bioethanol. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120094745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124152803.htm Popular thinking about how to improve food systems often misses the point, according to the results of a three-year global study of salmon production systems. Rather than pushing for organic or land-based production, or worrying about simple metrics such as "food miles," the study finds that the world can achieve greater environmental benefits by focusing on improvements production and distribution. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124152803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106102954.htm In foods, soil samples or customs checks, plant fragments sometimes need to be quickly identified. The use of DNA "barcodes" to itemize plant biodiversity was proposed during the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Summit. Researchers have now tested this method in the tropical forest. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106102954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000437.htm Food production of modern human societies is mostly based on large-scale monoculture crops, but it now appears that advanced insect societies have the same practice. Our societies took just ten thousand years of (mainly cultural) evolution to adopt this habit and we are far from convinced that it is sustainable. Farming ants and termites had tens of millions of years to evolve their fungus farming systems and here monocultures are apparently evolutionary stable. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000437.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122522.htm New scientific discoveries are moving society toward the era of "personalized solar energy," in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123083702.htm Scientists have succeeded in producing the polymers used for everyday plastics through bioengineering, rather than through the use of fossil fuel based chemicals, heralding the creation of environmentally conscious plastics. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123083702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193816.htm Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143301.htm India may rank only a distant fourth in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, behind China, the United States and Russia, but its rapid economic growth rate coupled with aging and inefficient energy infrastructure suggest dire environmental consequences if "business as usual" continues. That's why experts have bee working to improve India's energy efficiency. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112419.htm Nine research challenges and four research initiatives that are poised to advance the study of how Earth's landscapes change were unveiled by the National Research Council. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112095042.htm In the quest to make hydrogen as a clean alternative fuel source, researchers have been stymied about how to create usable hydrogen that is clean and sustainable without relying on an intensive, high-energy process that outweighs the benefits of not using petroleum to power vehicles. New findings however, show that photosynthesis may function as that clean, sustainable source of hydrogen. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112095042.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171647.htm The American health-care sector accounts for 8 percent of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, according to a first-of-its-kind calculation of health care's carbon footprint. Researchers used expenditures from different parts of the health care sector to measure the industry's potential effect upon global warming through the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029160737.htm Sugarcane biomass, a significant waste product from sugar production, could be a renewable energy source for electricity production, according to researchers. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029160737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105172421.htm As global temperatures and energy costs continue to soar, renewable sources of energy will be key to a sustainable future. An attractive replacement for gasoline is biofuel, and in two new studies, scientists have analyzed the genome structures of bioethanol-producing microorganisms, uncovering genetic clues that will be critical in developing new technologies needed to implement production on a global scale. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105172421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132454.htm Scientists are making progress toward development of an "artificial leaf" that mimics a real leaf's chemical magic with photosynthesis -- but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143823.htm An innovative proposal by the Ecuadorian government to protect an untouched, oil rich region of Amazon rainforest is a precedent-setting and potentially economically viable approach, says a team of environmental researchers. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211534.htm North American car manufacturers have come bottom of the league in the largest ever international study of the global automobile sector's sustainability performance. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121854.htm South Africa is the 30th place in the world to have a detailed map of the country’s wind resources. The map shows the best locations for wind turbines and is a prerequisite for funding wind farms. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102204438.htm As African leaders prepare to present an ambitious proposal to industrialized countries for coping with climate change in the part of the world that is most vulnerable to its impacts, a new study points to where and how some of this money should be spent. The study projects that climate change will have highly variable impacts on East Africa's vital maize and bean harvests over the next two to four decades. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102204438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111911.htm A researcher said that developing bio-based adhesives to replace environmentally hazardous materials also could produce high-value products needed to sustain the biofuels economy. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134628.htm The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced a study that will investigate ways to reduce pollution that can run off paved surfaces and improve how water filters back into the ground. EPA is testing a variety of different permeable pavement materials and rain gardens in the parking lot at the agency's Edison, N.J. facility. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134633.htm An analysis of three and half decades of maize research in African farming communities finds big benefits. A multi-country study reports the significant role international maize research plays in reducing poverty. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027111451.htm Surveys have confirmed that the finest montane forests in Timor-Leste, and possibly the whole island of Timor, are to be found on the inaccessible Mount Mundo Perdido -- literally, "Lost World." With 22 of the restricted-range species of the Timor and Wetar Endemic Bird Area found so far, Mount Mundo Perdido has been recognized as Timor-Leste's seventeenth Important Bird Area. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027111451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026123944.htm For years, international policy on the environment and biodiversity has not just been the concern of governments. Countless other organizations and their mutual strategic alliances also play a significant role. Without them there would be no sustainable fish in the supermarket and no FSC wood at the DIY center. However, a Dutch researcher has discovered that only a small proportion of these 'partnerships' make a substantial contribution to biodiversity. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026123944.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100502.htm Britain's children and young people are potential agents of change for the development of more sustainable communities in the UK, according to new research. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122954.htm Wind, water and solar energy resources are sufficiently available to provide all the world's energy. Converting to electricity and hydrogen powered by these sources would reduce world power demand by 30 percent, thereby avoiding 13,000 coal power plants. Materials and costs are not limitations to these conversions, but politics may be, say researchers who have mapped out a blueprint for powering the world. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105631.htm Could sustainable architecture address pollution, climate change and resource depletion by helping us build self-sufficient, off-grid, housing from "waste," including vehicle tires and metal drinks containers? That's the question researchers in Australia are trying to answer. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224151.htm Consumers can have a major impact on the world's efforts to reduce global warming, a major report has concluded. The research estimates that if consumers are responsible for 75% of emissions and in the developed world reduce their emissions in line with government targets, their action could leverage major a 50% reductions in emissions within a few years by 2050. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224151.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081532.htm Coastal roads and harbors are traditionally protected from sea erosion by giant blocks of rock or geosynthetic bags filled with material, all locally sourced where possible. In the Arctic and other cold northern regions, where good quality material is often scarce, the prohibitive economic and environmental cost of importing suitable matter has led to a demand for solutions that make use of whatever low quality soil or other material is available. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008131858.htm Researchers are capitalizing on the environmental and financial benefits of "biofuels" by using nanotechnology to further improve the cellulosic ethanol processes. Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008131858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005123048.htm Can the idea of "green motorsport" actually work? Yes, according a U.K. researcher who led the research team which designed and built the world-first fully sustainable Formula 3 racing car, which runs on biofuel made from chocolate and animal fats. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005123048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008091241.htm After two years of design, experimentation, fund-raising and building, the University of Arizona's Solar Decathlon team has completed construction of its 800-square-foot solar-powered house on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008091241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005102710.htm For most women, their "time of the month" is seen as a hindrance to daily life. In impoverished and developing countries, however, monthly periods are a major cause for concern. The lack of affordable, quality sanitary pads results in females missing up to 50 days of school annually -- thereby compromising their educational and professional potential. Researchers are helping to combat the problem by designing affordable pads made from natural, available materials that will allow for local production and sale. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005102710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928131214.htm Plaster made from lime is environment-friendly, repairable and sustainable. Despite this, lime plaster on historic buildings has been replaced in modern times by plaster containing Portland cement -- which has caused severe damage. Experts, researchers, craftsmen, manufacturers and authorities from throughout the Nordic region are now assembling for a conference on lime and lime mortar, with the aim of promoting historic buildings, as well as new build access to traditional building materials. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928131214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929181810.htm Researchers and developers have established the first Bahamian project that employs on-site environmental scientists to guide the construction of a sustainable development called the Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club. This case study documents best practices and construction impacts, especially on the marine environment. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929181810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095335.htm Recent interest in "land grabs" or the international acquisition of land to produce rice is sparked by a looming threat of inadequate rice supplies. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917170912.htm Researchers are working to demonstrate that trees can be used to degrade or capture fuels that leak into soil and ground water. Through a process called phytoremediation -- literally a "green" technology -- plants and trees remove pollutants from the environment or render them harmless. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917170912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923143339.htm New approaches are needed to help humanity deal with climate change and other global environmental threats that lie ahead in the 21st century, according to a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923143339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160100.htm Everyone knows that frogs are in trouble. But a recent analysis of frog surveys done at eight Central American sites shows the situation is worse than thought. Under pressure from an invasive fungus, the frogs in this biodiversity hot spot are undergoing "a vast homogenization." "We're witnessing the McDonaldization of the frog communities," comments the lead author of the new study. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917135208.htm In the last ten years, scientists have set up a global observing system to monitor the world’s oceans. The observation system works by combining satellite observations with data from in-water recording devices such as buoys, tide gauges and an array of more than 3000 Argo robots. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917135208.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922123933.htm A new Web-based, computer-assisted tool may reduce halve the time currently required for agricultural terrace design, making it feasible, for the first time, to develop more than one design, so that contractors, landowners and resource conservation personnel can compare and select the most efficient and cost-effective layout options. The new tool is intended to facilitate terrace installation on complex fields, to satisfy conservation goals and make better use of federal and state cost-share dollars. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922123933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922112209.htm A geographer is researching how people define sustainability with the hope that this will later help civic and business leaders in rural communities make more informed decisions about sustainability. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922112209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921091833.htm A new report by leading food and sustainability scientists calls for Europe to take a new approach on food security, prioritizing health and sustainability in research and using a holistic view when making policy. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921091833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917111511.htm Scientists are calling for urgent research to understand the impact of renewable energy developments on marine life. The study highlights potential environmental benefits and threats resulting from marine renewable energy, such as off-shore wind farms and wave and tidal energy conversion devices. Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917111511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915101353.htm In Sweden alone, 52 million tons of carbon dioxide is emitted every year. To mitigate the negative impacts of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide sequestration has come to the fore as a hot new method. However, the process is hotly debated, and according to doctoral candidate Mårten Lind at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, it is of the utmost importance that energy companies not use the method as an excuse to delay conversion to more environmentally friendly energy forms. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915101353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910091333.htm In a development that holds much promise for the future of solar electricity and fuel, researchers used gold tips grown in solution to increase the electrical conductivity of cadmium-selenide nanorod crystals by 100,000 times. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910091333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911095437.htm Spain is one of the leading European countries, along with Sweden, in terms of wood production for paper paste, but this uses large amounts of energy. Spanish and Swedish scientists have compared the environmental load stemming from forestry operations, and have concluded that the Spanish sector uses more energy than the Swedish one. They are proposing improvements, such as the use of biofuels, in order to make forestry production more sustainable. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911095437.htm