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Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists investigate little-known side effect of next-gen power plants: 'So important'
In a study from the University of California, Davis published in Nature Water, scientists explained how floating solar projects impact birds and other wildlife, as explained in a summary published on Since 71% of the Earth is covered by water, placing solar panels on bodies of water is becoming a popular way to increase affordable energy projects without displacing land use. However, few studies have been done about how solar panels on water, or floating photovoltaics, affect aquatic wildlife. According to the National Audubon Society, more than 33% of bird populations in the U.S. are at high or moderate conservation concern. "Habitat loss due to agricultural intensification and urbanization is arguably the biggest threat to birds, along with climate change," said Virginia Tech associate professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment Ashley Dayer in a school press release. "That's why it's so important to understand how waterbirds are going to respond to floating solar and if there is the possibility for conservation concessions at new floating solar facilities," said Elliott Steele, a UC Davis Wild Energy Center postdoctoral scholar who co-authored the study, per the summary. "We want to advance clean energy while promoting healthy, functional environments," Steele continued. "Achieving this balance requires that we rigorously study and understand how wildlife responds to floating solar so we can ensure that negative impacts are avoided and potential ecological benefits are realized." In the study, UC Davis scientists investigated how floating photovoltaic projects could impact birds. They documented a wide diversity of birds and their interactions with floating solar panels, as well as human interactions with wildlife on solar panels, sometimes trying to deter them. "We immediately knew this was a very important interaction, especially given the precipitous decline in waterbird numbers globally," said UC Davis professor Rebecca R. Hernandez in the summary. "We leveraged our team's expertise in ecology and energy system science to identify risks and solution pathways such that waterbirds and floating PV can coexist." "While we're at this critical threshold of renewable energy development, we want to put more thought into the design that can benefit birds and other wildlife as we go forward," said UC Davis Ph.D. candidate Emma Forester, per The scientists concluded that more research needs to be done to further explore how waterbirds interact with floating solar panels, as well as the effects they have on each other. What's the biggest obstacle stopping your organization from using solar panels? They're too expensive Don't know where to start They're an eyesore We already use solar panels Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. According to the summary, the authors have continued studying this in the field, noticing "black-crowned night herons resting on a floating solar structure before dawn, double-breasted cormorants jockeying for a favorable site, black phoebes nesting under panels, and more." Solar panels can help decrease harmful planet-warming pollution from other energy sources, like coal and natural gas, which contribute to loss of habitat for waterbirds. However, solar panels do take up land. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it would take up to 0.8% of the entire area of the United States to meet our energy needs. With floating solar panels, scientists could create solar systems that don't destroy habitats. Incorporating solar panels onto bodies of water or in farm systems could have added benefits, including water retention and space savings. Fortunately, scientists have noticed positive interaction with water birds and floating solar panels so far. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
A death that spotlights irrigation problems
On March 13, 2025, Kailash Arjun Nagare, a 2020 Young Farmer Award recipient, from Maharashtra, died by suicide, citing unaddressed irrigation demands. While India reports the highest water usage in agriculture globally, access to water for irrigation remains a contentious issue. Nagare's death points towards the inequity in distribution, with social inequalities, water governance mechanisms, and policies determining the contours of allocation. The problem of water scarcity in India is thus multifaceted, indicating the co-existence of actual physical shortage with economic scarcity due to inequitable access and management. Untenable expansion The agricultural sector accounts for almost 80% of the water withdrawal in India. Every year, 688 billion cubic metres of water is consumed by the farm sector, the highest in the world. Irrigation is an inevitable input for increasing agricultural production. However, its expansion has been highly untenable. The majority of the area under water-guzzling crops such as rice, wheat, and sugarcane is currently in the water-scarce north-west and sub-tropical belts of the country. According to a study published in Nature Water (2024), India alone accounted for 36% of global unsustainable irrigation expansion that happened between 2000 and 2015, with environmental and socio-economic implications. Even as irrigation has been proven to drive economic prosperity, various studies have reported that uneven progress has reinforced existing inequalities, between and within States. Considering that ground water is the dominant water source for irrigation in India, property rights, energy pricing policy, and the existence of well-functioning water markets have remained critical in determining water access to farms. Accordingly, while inequity has declined in canal, tank, and well irrigated systems, it has increased in the tube well irrigated system. Marginalised groups, especially women, are also disproportionately affected by increasing deprivation and decline of water tables with climate change intensifying disparities. The environmental and financial consequences of aggressive groundwater extraction have also been profound. Due to over extraction, almost 17% of India's groundwater assessment units are deemed 'over-exploited' while 3.9% are in a 'critical' state. Intensive pumping has also resulted in massive energy consumption resulting in excessive carbon emissions. As per the latest data, 45.3–62.3 MMT of annual carbon emissions is attributed to groundwater irrigation, which constitutes 8-11% of India's total carbon emissions. The operating efficiency and water use efficiency has also remained sub-optimal in Indian agriculture. While irrigation systems in India report an operating efficiency of 38%, in developed countries it is 55%. Coupled with misaligned cropping patterns and inefficient water use practices, irrigation water productivity (IWP) has also remained low in the major irrigation belts of the country. For example, Punjab, which claims the highest land productivity in rice, has one of the lowest IWPs for the crop. Similarly, in sugar cane, Tamil Nadu records the highest land productivity with IWP being dismally low. Besides water wastage, the adoption of non-optimal water management practices have been causing other negative externalities such as high GHG emissions as well. For example, with continuous flooding of rice as the major water management practice, paddy rice is the biggest contributor to global cropland emissions. Considering the over-exploitation of ground water resources, impending water scarcity and environmental externalities, further attempts to improve the irrigation system of the country should be built on efficient water-saving technologies, improved irrigation efficiency, and alternative sources of irrigation. The way forward While change in cropping patterns and ground water usage regulations through policy decisions should also be aimed at in the medium and long term, advancing irrigation technologies and practices based on sustainable intensification should be prioritised. Better irrigation efficiency may be aimed through the improvement of conveyance and application efficiency of irrigation systems. In geographies where water withdrawals and GHG emissions have been highest, alternative water management technologies such as alternate wetting and drying, which can result in significant water saving and reduced emissions, may be popularised. Similarly, micro-irrigation systems such as drip irrigation, with minimal application losses, may be popularised in crops such as sugar cane. Promoting solar-powered irrigation and/or bundling solar pumps with micro-irrigation systems is another promising option. However, with the marginal cost of pumping being zero, this should not result in increased groundwater depletion and should be regulated through initiatives such as assured grid connection offering economic incentives for efficient utilisation. Rain water harvesting structures and tail water storage pits may be popularised as supplementary irrigation sources. Since traditional supply-based mechanisms do not necessarily promote equitable distribution of irrigation water, initiating demand-driven allocation systems run by participatory irrigation management structures should be widely promoted. Lisa Mariam Varkey, Senior specialist, Socio-Economics, International Rice Research Institute
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Long-Term Drying Could Impact Water Availability, Study Finds
Scientists from Mississippi State and around the world are sounding the alarm when it comes to drought. This is not just temporary drought conditions, but rather long-term, intense drying known as aridification. Aridification is believed to now impact 2.3 billion people worldwide, which covers 40% of the planet's land. This is a significant concern for the world's breadbasket, which stretches from California's Central Valley to the Great Plains. New research that was recently published in Nature Water, highlights 'increasing aridification calls for urgent global adaptive solutions and policy action.' The findings from this study reveal the challenges and harsh realities that come from aridification. This long-term drying will greatly reduce water availability. This is causing farmers to have to rethink everything from what to plant, how to irrigate, and how to adapt to the future when the amount of water that is needed isn't a guarantee. 'This research has real implications for Mississippi,' said Pricope. 'When our lands dry out, it's not just farmers who suffer. Water becomes harder to manage, ecosystems get stressed, and rural communities—already stretched thin—face even greater challenges.' The scientists presented their findings to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, a global platform where science meets policy. Desertification is where normally fertile land becomes a desert. This typically occurs because of extreme drought, poor farming practices and deforestation. The scientists highlighted solutions for the U.S. to stay ahead of aridification. They are urging the U.S. and the world to start using smarter irrigation strategies, grow agriculture on more drought-tolerant land and restore degraded land to retain more water. These solutions offer hope of not only protecting our water supply and farms, but the food supply they provide. 'Aridification isn't just a global issue with little bearing for our lives in Mississippi and the USA,' Pricope said. 'We need to act now to protect our farms, forests and families.' Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Game Changer': Hot New Tech Turns Forever Chemicals Into Valuable Resource
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or 'forever chemicals', have spread almost everywhere on Earth, and are increasingly being linked to poor health. Now we might have a new and much-needed way of destroying them. These chemicals got their nickname because they stick around in the environment and are very difficult to get rid of, but a team led by researchers from Rice University in Texas found that extreme temperatures (exceeding 3,000 °C or 5,432 °F) could quickly break down PFAS. Not only that, but the method pioneered by the researchers produces graphene from granular activated carbon (GAC), the material that captures PFAS from a sample. The forever chemicals themselves are turned into inorganic fluoride salts. "Our method doesn't just destroy these hazardous chemicals; it turns waste into something of value," says chemist James Tour, from Rice University. "By upcycling the spent carbon into graphene, we've created a process that's not only environmentally beneficial but also economically viable, helping to offset the costs of remediation." GAC has previously been used as a way of removing PFAS from water, but it then becomes a hazardous material itself. By using this sudden and sharp heating process, known as flash joule heating (FJH), the material actually gets upcycled. Not only is that kinder to the environment, it gets back some of the cost of the cleanup. The researchers were able to show that their method removed 99.98 percent of perfluorooctanoic acid – one of the most common PFAS – from the GAC. Via computer simulations in addition to their lab experiments, the team was able to figure out that the extreme heat helps snap apart the bonds inside PFAS molecules, with sodium and calcium salts acting as mineralizing agents. "This dual-purpose approach is a game changer," says materials scientist Phelecia Scotland, from Rice University. "It transforms waste into a resource while providing a scalable, cost-effective solution to an urgent environmental issue." The methods outlined here are quick and cheap, and use a relatively low amount of energy compared to other PFAS removal processes. The researchers are confident that they can be scaled up to be used more widely, and with other forever chemicals. Part of the reason these chemicals have become so ubiquitous is they're very useful, and essential to numerous modern-day products: they're used in manufacturing to make materials resistant to heat, water, and oil, and there are now over 9,000 types of PFAS in total. Finding ways to remove them from the environment safely and quickly could be a more practical approach than stopping their use altogether – especially as scientists discover more about how potentially toxic they can be for humans, wildlife, and ecosystems. "As concerns over PFAS contamination continue to grow, this breakthrough offers hope for safeguarding water quality and protecting public health worldwide," says Scotland. The research has been published in Nature Water. 'Bad Omen': Ancient Pyramid in Mexico Collapsed Into A Pile of Rubble Pet Dogs Are Great For Our Health But They Have a Dark Side Too Sleep And Anxiety Medication Is Having a Curious Effect on Salmon Behavior
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Experts call out disturbing tactics of major sewage corporations: 'A playbook of denial [and] deflection'
A new study from the journal Nature Water exposed that the nine major water and sewage companies in England were using deceptive greenwashing tactics to minimize how serious their environmental impact truly was. Researchers from the University of Manchester, the University of Portsmouth, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, and an independent scientist said the water industry was using "22 greenwashing tactics frequently used by tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuel, and chemical companies." These methods allegedly included "downplaying environmental harm, misrepresenting information, undermining scientific research, shifting blame, and delaying action." While the researchers said the companies claimed that the effects of sewage spills were "minimal" or "temporary," the study reported that "12.7 million hours of untreated wastewater" was discharged into English waterways between 2019 and 2023. Do you think governments should ban gas stoves? Heck yes! Only in new buildings Only in restaurants Heck no! Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. As well as this, corporations tried to blame consumer use of wet wipes as the major cause for water pollution (though those remain a concern in their own right), while diminishing the issues with the aging water and sewage infrastructure in the United Kingdom. "These companies have adopted a playbook of denial, deflection, and distraction, similar to other major polluting industries, to protect profits at the expense of the environment and public health," said professor Alex Ford from the University of Portsmouth. English water and sewage corporations are no strangers to criticism; only as far back as 2023 did the country face a scandal with reports that raw sewage was illegally dumped in protected waterways. However, unless these corporations seriously reduce their environmental impact, European countries could face water scarcity. Reports such as the one in Nature Water are vital so that citizens can hold big companies to account until they are honest about their environmental impact. The UK Government Environmental Agency publishes an annual report on the environmental performance of water and sewerage companies in England. Companies found to be polluting the environment can be forced to pay an unlimited financial penalty. In 2024, three major water companies had to pay a total of £168 million ($209 million) in fines because of their environmental damage. When these corporations are held accountable, it's much harder for them to muddy the waters, so to speak, and deters not only the fined companies but others from trying to get away with similar circumventions of the law. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
