The increasing proliferation of plant life in the Arctic may not be a massive difference-maker in the battle against global warming, new research reveals.
Climate Change Has Shifted the Axis of the Earth
New research says that the redistribution of water thanks to glacial melting driven by climate change has been causing the Earth to shift on its axis.
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The catastrophic effects of climate change on our planet cannot be overstated. But, new research shows that these effects could be even more fundamental than we previously knew.
The melting of glaciers brought about by global warming could have actually been causing shifts in the Earth’s axis of rotation. That is the conclusion of a new study that finds glacial melting has been the cause of movement in the Earth’s poles since the 1990s.
Built in Enzymes Could Solve the Plastic Pollution Problem
A polymer-eating enzyme integrated into plastic could help solve significant pollution problems by fully composting PLAs.
A polymer-eating enzyme integrated into plastic could help solve significant pollution problems by fully composting PLAs.
Image Credit: Peter is Shaw 1991/Shutterstock.com
Whilst biodegradable plastics are often hailed as a solution to Earth’s growing plastic pollution crisis, these materials come with significant disadvantages such as the fact that they do not break down completely and can often contaminate other plastics.
These qualities represent significant issues for recycling and mean that compostable plastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) commonly found in plastic bags, plastic utensils, and container lids usually end up sitting in landfills. This means these compostables hang around the environment just like non-biodegradable plastics and thus represent as much as a threat to
3D Printed Robotic ‘Elephant Trunk’ is Guided by Machine Learning
Taking their inspiration from nature, researchers have designed a low-cost robotic arm that mimics the strength and flexibility of an elephant’s trunk.
Image Credit: Villiers Steyn/Shutterstock.com
In terms of design, the elephant s trunk is one of evolution’s foremost triumphs. The appendage an extension of the animal’s nose and its upper lip is both strong and flexible with a level of dexterity that is unmatched, even by our own arms.
In fact, containing an immense 40,000 muscles, an elephant’s trunk contains considerably more muscles than a human’s entire body.
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To commemorate Earth Day 2021, AZoCleantech looks at coral reef damage and if restoration projects are enough to save our underwater ecosystems.
Earth’s coral reefs are in danger, with climate change and environmental damage already responsible for the ongoing destruction of the world’s reefs. Restoration attempts are underway, but are they enough to halt the death of these important living ecosystems?
Coral reefs rank amongst the most diverse ecosystems on the face of planet Earth, playing host to thousands of different species of animals.
These reefs are now dying at an alarming rate as they have been exposed to a wide range of stressors, such as rising ocean temperatures, increasing pollution, and over-fishing. These factors are causing bleaching events that result in mass coral deaths.