Bio-tar, once seen as a toxic waste, can be transformed into bio-carbon with applications in clean energy and environmental protection. This innovation could reduce emissions, create profits, and solve a major bioenergy industry problem.
Read moreElectrons flow underground in ways far more extensive than once believed, forming networks that link distant chemical zones. Minerals, organic molecules, and specialized bacteria can act as bridges, creating long-distance electron highways. These discoveries hold promise for pollution cleanup strategies, remote remediation, and protecting ecosystems. Scientists now see the subsurface as an interconnected redox system with exciting practical potential.
Read moreA team at RMIT University has created a cement-free construction material using only cardboard, soil, and water. Strong enough for low-rise buildings, it reduces emissions, costs, and waste compared to concrete. The lightweight, on-site process makes it ideal for remote areas, while its thermal properties naturally cool buildings. Researchers see it as a key step toward greener, more resilient architecture.
Read moreUniversity of Maine researchers developed a new process to make HBL, a key ingredient in many medicines, from renewable glucose instead of petroleum. The approach not only lowers drug production costs but also reduces emissions.
Read moreWildfires are no longer a seasonal nuisance but a deadly, nationwide health crisis. Fueled by climate change, smoke is spreading farther and lingering longer, with new research warning of tens of thousands of additional deaths annually by mid-century. The health costs alone could surpass all other climate damages combined, revealing wildfire smoke as one of the most underestimated threats of our warming world.
Read moreWarming Arctic permafrost is unlocking toxic metals, turning Alaska’s once-clear rivers into orange, acid-laced streams. The shift, eerily similar to mine pollution but entirely natural, threatens fish, ecosystems, and communities that depend on them—with no way to stop the process once it starts.
Read moreAmerica already mines all the critical minerals it needs for energy, defense, and technology, but most are being wasted as mine tailings. Researchers discovered that minerals like cobalt, germanium, and rare earths are discarded in massive amounts, even though recovering just a fraction could eliminate U.S. dependence on imports.
Read moreNew research describes the mechanism behind catalysis that neutralizes air-polluting NOx from power plant emissions. Researchers used a High Field (HF) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer in conjunction with reaction studies to test three theories around titania-supported vanadium oxide. They found that tungsten oxide changes the structure of vanadium oxide from a less active form to a highly active form.
Read moreProduction of hazardous waste during drug manufacturing is a serious concern for the pharmaceutical industry. Typically, large amounts of flammable solvents are used during these processes, which usually require several steps to make structurally complex drugs. Researchers now report a method to produce pharmaceutically relevant compounds in just two or three steps, with water as the only waste product, using renewable woodchips as starting material.
Read moreResearchers have developed a new catalyst that can cleave plastic's strong carbon-carbon, converting it into higher value products.
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