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Seaweed and concrete

August 29, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Modern civilization is pretty much made of concrete. People use more concrete than any other substance apart from water. But concrete is made from cement, and cement is the source of 10% of all carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.

Researchers at the University of Washington and Microsoft have developed a new kind of concrete made by mixing dried, powdered seaweed with cement. By fortifying cement with seaweed, the global warming potential of the concrete is reduced by 21% without weakening it.

This novel recipe for concrete was developed using machine learning models, arriving upon it in a fraction of the time it would have taken by traditional experimentation.

Producing cement leads to carbon emissions from the fossil fuels used to heat raw materials and from a chemical reaction called calcination that occurs during the production process. Seaweed is a carbon sink that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air and stores it while it grows. By replacing some of cement in concrete, the resultant product has a much smaller carbon footprint.

Machine learning was used to predict the ideal mixture of cement and seaweed to yield concrete with a reduced carbon footprint that still passed mechanical strength tests. Finding the right mixture would have taken 5 years ordinarily, but the machine learning process took only 28 days.

The researchers plan to generalize their work to different kinds of algae and even to food waste or other natural materials in order to create local, sustainable cement alternatives around the world.

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Seaweed-infused cement could cut concrete’s carbon footprint

Photo, posted June 29, 2009, courtesy of Peter Castleton via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Five amazing renewable energy projects

June 11, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Worldwide investment in renewable energy topped $2 trillion in 2024. For Climate Solutions Week, we wanted to highlight some amazing projects around the world that showcase innovative technology, ambitious scale, and the commitment to a cleaner and sustainable future.

In Morocco, the Noor Solar Power Station is a huge concentrated solar power facility that generates power for more than a million Moroccans. The facility stores some of the heat generated by the sun in molten salt so it can continue to produce power after sunset.

The Three Gorges Dam in China is the world’s largest power plant by installed capacity. The 32 turbines generate enough electricity to power millions of homes.

The Alta Wind Energy Center in California is one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world. The 600 turbines at the facility provide clean electricity for up to 450,000 homes.

The Yamakura Dam Floating Solar Project in Japan has more than 50,000 solar panels that provide electricity for about 5,000 households. The plant is located atop the surface of the Yamakura Dam reservoir and is one of the largest floating solar installations in the world.

The Hellisheiði Power Station in Iceland is one of the world’s most technologically advanced geothermal energy plants. It taps into Iceland’s volcanic geology and draws both high-pressure steam and hot water to provide both electricity and heat to thousands of local homes and businesses.

These five projects are just a sampling of the renewable energy development going on all over the world.

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Powering the Future: Innovative Renewable Energy Projects Around the World

Photo, posted December 1, 2019, courtesy of Richard Allaway via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The human impact on biodiversity

April 28, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Biodiversity is under threat. More and more plant and animal species are disappearing and humans are to blame. Humans cause biodiversity loss through habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, direct exploitation, and climate change, all of which are significantly influenced by human activities.

But until now, drawing broad conclusions about human impacts on biodiversity has been difficult because a clear, global overview of how human activity affects nature across all species did not exist. Most studies have focused on specific places, impacts, or time periods.

To fill these research gaps, a research team from the University of Zurich in Switzerland and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology conducted an unprecedented synthesis study. The researchers compiled data from around 2,100 studies that compared biodiversity at almost 50,000 sites affected by humans with similar places that hadn’t been affected by humans.

The synthesis study, which was recently published in the journal Nature, found humans are having a highly detrimental impact on biodiversity worldwide. In fact, not only is the number of species declining, but the composition of species communities is also changing. On average, the number of species at impacted sites was almost 20% lower than at unaffected sites.

The study, which is one of the largest ever conducted on this topic, highlights the widespread negative impact of human activities on nature, and emphasizes the need to consider all forms of life when assessing biodiversity loss.

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The Devastating Human Impact on Biodiversity

Photo, posted November 19, 2014, courtesy of Green Mountain Girls Farm via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The slow decline of coal

January 25, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Despite the fact that coal is the dirtiest and most climate-harmful energy source we have, the global demand for it hit a record high in 2023. The demand for coal grew by 1.4% worldwide, according to an analysis by the International Energy Agency.

Coal use grew by 5% in China and 8% in India. The two countries are the world’s largest producers and consumers of coal. Meanwhile, coal use in the U.S. and the European Union fell by 20%.

Despite this discouraging news, the IEA forecasts that coal use will decline over the next two years. There have been declines in coal demand a few times before, but they were driven by unusual events such as the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Covid-19 crisis. But the IEA says that the forthcoming decline is different. It will be driven by the formidable and sustained expansion of clean energy technologies.

According to the IEA, global coal demand will fall by 2.3% by 2026 even in the absence of new policies to curb coal use. Forces at play will be increased hydropower in China as it recovers from drought and puts new wind and solar projects online. China is responsible for more than half of global coal demand, but it is also responsible for more than half of the planned renewable power projects coming online over the next three years. Experts believe that with these forthcoming projects, Chinese emissions may have peaked in 2023.

The projected drop in coal demand is still far short of what is required for the world to avoid catastrophic warming. Much greater efforts are needed to meet international climate targets.

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After a Record 2023, Coal Headed for Decline, Analysts Say

Photo, posted August 25, 2015, courtesy of Jeremy Buckingham via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Rivers And Climate Change | Earth Wise

October 11, 2023 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Our planet is heating up. Scientists have concluded that the changing climate is primarily the result of increased greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Some of the effects of global climate change include thawing permafrost, rising seas, intensifying storms and wildfires, and warming oceans.

According to a new study led by researchers from Penn State University, rivers are warming and losing oxygen even faster than oceans. The study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change, found that warming occurred in 87% and oxygen loss occurred in 70% of the nearly 800 rivers studied.

The research team projects that within the next 70 years some river systems, especially those in the American South, will experience such low oxygen levels that the rivers could “induce acute death” for some fish species and threaten the aquatic diversity of river ecosystems.

The research team used artificial intelligence and deep learning to analyze water quality data from nearly 800 rivers across the U.S. and central Europe. The researchers found that rivers are warming up and deoxygenating faster than oceans, which could have serious implications for both aquatic life and humans.

While climate change has led to warming and oxygen loss in oceans and lakes around the world, the researchers did not expect to find warming and deoxygenation in shallower, flowing rivers. Since life in water depends on temperature and dissolved oxygen, the researchers hope this study serves as a wake up call. Warming and deoxygenating rivers have significant implications for water quality and the health of aquatic ecosystems worldwide.

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Rivers are rapidly warming, losing oxygen; aquatic life at risk

Photo, posted June 2, 2017, courtesy of Francisco Anzola via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A Hot Year In Europe | Earth Wise

January 5, 2023 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

This past summer was marked by some devastating heat waves in Europe. Through November, the UK, Germany, and France have experienced their hottest year on record.

The UK has experienced its warmest year since 1884 and, in fact, all the top ten warmest years on record have occurred since 2002.

In France, the average temperature for the year is a few tenths of a degree higher than the previous record, which was set in 2020.

In Germany, the first 11 months of the year saw a record for average temperature. Its previous record was also set in 2020.

All three countries saw a spike in heat-related mortality as result of the summer heatwaves. England and Wales reported 3,271 excess deaths during the summer. France reported 2,816 excess deaths during its three heat waves. In Germany, an estimated 4,500 people died as a result of extreme heat.

There are multiple effects of climate change which include more frequent heat waves in Europe. A recent study showed that European summers are warming twice as fast as the global average. In fact, summer temperatures across much of the European continent have already risen by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 2 degrees Celsius, which is the feared level of global climate increase that nations around the world are trying to stave off.

Worldwide, 2022 will rank among the top ten warmest years on record but will most likely not be the warmest. That being said, the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest years on record. The US will also see one of its ten warmest years, although not the warmest.

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UK, Germany, France on Pace for Their Hottest Year on Record

Photo, posted April 23, 2022, courtesy of Jose A. via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Turning Trash Into Treasure

December 12, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Every year, 380 million tons of plastic are created worldwide, and that number continues to grow. Furthermore, more than 75% of these materials are discarded after one use. Much of it ends up in oceans and waterways, harming wildlife and spreading toxins.

Recycling most plastics is difficult because while they can be melted and reprocessed, the resultant material is not as structurally strong as the original material. Thus, plastics are often down-cycled such as turning plastic bottles into molded park benches.

Researchers at Northwestern University, Argonne National Laboratory, and Ames Laboratory have developed a new method for upcycling abundant, seemingly low-value plastics into high-quality liquid products, such as motor oils, lubricants, detergents, and even cosmetics. The catalytic method could remove plastic pollution from the environment and contribute to a circular economy.

Plastics don’t degrade when disposed of because they have very strong carbon-carbon bonds. Instead they just break into smaller bits, known as microplastics. The researchers viewed these strong bonds as an opportunity rather than a problem.

The new technique actually recoups the high energy that holds these bonds together by catalytically converting polyethylene molecules into value-added commercial products. The catalyst consists of platinum nanoparticles deposited onto perovskite nanocubes. Under moderate pressure and temperature, the catalyst cleaves the carbon-carbon bonds in plastic to produce high-quality liquid hydrocarbons.

The researchers believe these findings could lead to a future in which we can continue to benefit from plastic materials but do so in a way that is sustainable and less harmful to the environment.

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Turning plastic trash into treasure

Photo, posted August 15, 2012, courtesy of Emilian Robert Vicol via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Mistaking Plastic For Food

September 27, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Green sea turtles are one of the world’s largest species of turtle, with some measuring close to four feet long and weighing up to nearly 300 pounds. Their range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with the largest nesting populations found in Costa Rica and Australia.

Green sea turtles get their name from the green layer of fat under their shell, as opposed to their shell itself, which can be brown, green, yellow, and/or black. Scientists believe the green coloring of their fat is a result of their diet. Unlike most other sea turtles, green sea turtles eat marine plants such as seaweed and seagrass.

But new research suggests that green sea turtles are also more likely to swallow plastic because it resembles their natural diet. The scientists from the University of Exeter and the Society for the Protection of Turtles who examined green sea turtles that washed up on beaches in Cyprus found they favored narrow lengths of plastic in natural colors (like green and black) as opposed to debris of other shapes and colors.

Researchers were able to examine the full gastrointestinal tract of 19 green sea turtles. They found pieces of plastic inside every one of them, with the number of pieces ranging from three to 183. Smaller turtles tended to contain more plastic, possibly because they are less experienced or because diet choices change with age and size.

Previous research has suggested that leatherback sea turtles also eat plastic that resembles their food: jellyfish.

Researchers hope these findings will help motivate us to continue to work on reducing our overall plastic consumption and pollution.

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Green turtles eat plastic that looks like their food

Photo, posted September, 2007, courtesy of Brock Roseberry via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Frogs Are In Big Trouble

May 22, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Scientists first noticed in the 1970s that some frog populations were declining rapidly. By the 1980s, some species appeared to be extinct. The loss of frog species was mysterious because many were actually living in pristine habitats that did not face pollution or deforestation.

By the late 1990s, researchers had identified that frogs in widely different places around the world were infected with a deadly fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis – or Bd for short. The fungus originated on the Korean peninsula, but the pathogen spread throughout the world, probably via the international trade in pet amphibians. By 2007, researchers speculated that Bd might be responsible for all known declines of frogs that had no other apparent cause – about 200 species.

Recently, a group of 41 scientists published the first worldwide analysis of the fungal outbreak and the devastation turns out to be far worse than anyone had previously realized. Populations of more than 500 species of amphibians have declined significantly because of the outbreak, including at least 90 species presumed to have gone extinct. These figures are more than twice as large as earlier estimates.

According to biologists, Bd is now considered to be the deadliest pathogen known to science. But the decimation of frogs peaked in the 1980s. Today, although 39% of the species that suffered population declines in the past are still declining, 12% are showing signs of recovery, possibly because natural selection is favoring resistant animals.

There is cautious optimism for the surviving amphibian species, but scientists worry that another strain of Bd or some different species of fungus altogether may prove even deadlier. The best we can do is not participate in moving pathogens around the world.

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