Sarah DeWeerdt

Seattle

Science Journalist at Freelance

Descendant of Doggerlanders. Freelance science writer on biology, medicine, environment. Officially obsessed with whales.

Articles

Move over trees. Engineers turn manure into high-grade cellulose.

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

Poor cows. They get smeared with blame for causing an unseemly amount of climate-warming methane emissions. The waste they create is a growing pollution problem too. Farms produce more manure than they can use as fertilizer, and the biological matter often ends up contaminating groundwater. Researchers have now come up with a technique to turn cow manure into industrial-grade cellulose fibers, which are woven today to produce paper, textiles, and food packaging.
Moss could provide a soft landing for tens of thousands of defunct oil wells

1 week ago | anthropocenemagazine.org | Sarah DeWeerdt

Tens of thousands of oil wells are scattered across the peatlands of western Canada. When these wells eventually run dry, simple techniques could enable the restoration of natural peatland ecosystems there, a new study suggests. Peatlands are vital to storing water and making it available across the broader landscape. They also sequester carbon and provide habitat for caribou and other wildlife species. In the past, trees or grasses have generally been planted on decommissioned well sites.
A surprising group of greenwashing victims: corporate purchasing managers

1 week ago | anthropocenemagazine.org | Sarah DeWeerdt

Corporate purchasing managers have trouble distinguishing vague sustainability claims from certified eco-friendly products, according to a new study. Researchers found that these trained professionals were willing to pay an equal premium for “greenwashed” products as for certified ones.
New research on the surprising disconnect between green habits and green voting patterns

1 week ago | anthropocenemagazine.org | Sarah DeWeerdt

People who express pro-environmental attitudes in their everyday life nevertheless may not support environmental political parties, according to a new study. The analysis leverages a large European public opinion survey and machine learning techniques to describe the interconnections—and discrepancies—between people’s attitudes and political choices when it comes to the environment. Fighting climate change requires stronger environmental policies.
Clever new technique turns falling rain into renewable energy

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

Solar panels don’t generate electricity when it is raining. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on renewable electricity. Researchers have now found a way to generate clean power from rain drops. The new device, reported in the journal ACS Central Science, generates electricity by harnessing the energy of rain water as it moves through tiny tubes. The method could power up 12 LED lights in tests.
Sponge made from food scraps produces clean water from thin air

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

A sponge-like gel made from food scraps and other natural materials can draw moisture from air even in dry conditions. The system, reported in the journal Advanced Materials, provides a sustainable way to produce drinkable water for low cost to address global water scarcity. Water has become a precious commodity in many parts of the world, a problem getting exacerbated by a warmer world and rising population.
Parkinson’s gut-microbiota links raise treatment possibilities

3 weeks ago | nature.com | Sarah DeWeerdt

Throughout 2021 and 2022, researchers at Ghent University Hospital in Belgium watched with cautious optimism as nearly 50 people with early stage Parkinson’s disease visited the clinic as part of a trial of a potential treatment1. Everyday tasks had become difficult for these participants, who had been experiencing tremors, stiffness and difficulty walking. But over time, some of them seemed to be returning for follow-up appointments with a new lease of life.
Clearly cool: A transparent paper-based material could replace single-use plastics

4 weeks 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.
For most countries, there’s a clear smart move to achieve energy security and reduce trade risks

1 month 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.
What if we turned the food waste problem on its head—and made it a climate solution?

1 month 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?