Sarah DeWeerdt

1 week ago | anthropocenemagazine.org | Sarah DeWeerdt |Emma Bryce

Close to 2 million metric tons of plastic enters the oceans every year from beaches and waterways, according to The Ocean Cleanup Project. Much of that plastic is single-use beverage bottles, cups, and straws. Researchers in Japan have now made a new paper-based material that could be an ideal replacement for those single-use plastics. The millimeter-thick paperboard reported in the journal Science Advances behaves like plastic, but only when needed.

1 week ago | anthropocenemagazine.org | Sarah DeWeerdt |Warren Cornwall

Most countries around the world could improve their energy security and reduce trade risks by shifting away from fossil fuels, according to a new study. The analysis suggests that achieving net-zero carbon emissions at a global scale would result in decreased trade risks for nearly 85% of the global population.

1 week ago | anthropocenemagazine.org | Emma Bryce |Warren Cornwall |Sarah DeWeerdt

One-third of all food produced for humans annually is lost to waste. The decomposing matter produces half of all the emissions generated by the global agrifood system. What if, instead of focusing solely on how to curb and avoid food waste, we turned the challenge on its head—and looked at what we can make with all that discarded food?

2 weeks ago | anthropocenemagazine.org | Sarah DeWeerdt |Emma Bryce

Wrinkles on elephants make the gentle beasts look wise. But they also serve an important purpose: the crevices and the porous skin hold water and help keep the pachiderms cool by storing water and expelling heat via evaporation. Researchers have now turned to elephant skin as an unusual source of inspiration for tiles that provide energy-free cooling for buildings and homes. They have used mycelium, the root network of fungi, to make wall tiles that have a bumpy, elephant skin-like texture.

2 weeks ago | anthropocenemagazine.org | Sarah DeWeerdt

Changing the timing of electricity use in buildings reduces peak demands on the grid, according to a new analysis focused on Norway and its connection with the broader European power system. Ultimately, this strategy could save money by reducing the need for costly new power infrastructure. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are becoming more important in the European power grid. At the same time, more aspects of daily life such as cars and building heating systems are going electric.