Your Houseplants Really Can Impact Indoor Air Quality, Depending on The Pollutant

Indoor air quality can be significantly improved by houseplants, new research has shown – specifically in terms of removing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from the air, a pollutant created from fuel burning that’s been linked to respiratory disease.   Potted plants are simple to install, affordable to buy, and potentially a genuinely effective option when it … Read more

Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Reported to Have Lost Electricity. Here’s What That Means

Chernobyl’s nuclear power plant and all the facilities in the Chernobyl exclusion zone have been completely disconnected and are now without electricity, Ukraine’s state energy company has announced.    Russian forces attacked the defunct nuclear facility on the very first day of the invasion (Feb. 24), seizing it after heavy fighting and taking its roughly 210 staff hostage, Live Science … Read more

Net zero: The UK is building its last big gas power plant

By Adam Vaughan The Keadby 2 gas power station in Lincolnshire, UK david soulsby/Alamy Climb the stairs to the roof of the cooling tower at Keadby 2, a new gas power plant in the east of England, and you are rewarded with a story of the UK’s energy past, present and possible future. Straight ahead … Read more

Russian Capture of Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Threatens Future Research

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. Shortly after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine, both governments said that the Russian military had taken over the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster. In a tweet, the Ukrainian Ministry of … Read more

Eating More Bugs Could Help The Environment Even More Than We Thought

Insects have been touted as a food of the future, not least because of the sustainability benefits. An excellent protein source, they take up significantly fewer resources to produce when compared to traditional farming. Give your farm of mealworms around 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of food and you’ll get a kilogram of edible protein; with beef, … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Will Russia’s attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant cause a meltdown?

Shelling at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has injured two people and caused a fire, but it is unlikely to release radiation unless the situation gets significantly worse Physics 4 March 2022 By Matthew Sparkes A fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following a Russian attack on 4 March Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant/Anadolu Agency … Read more

Russian Capture of Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Threatens Future Research

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. Shortly after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine, both governments said that the Russian military had taken over the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster. In a tweet, the Ukrainian Ministry of … Read more

Chernobyl’s Radiation Spiked 20 Times Above Usual Levels as Russian Forces Arrive

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant and its surrounding area are showing increased radiation levels after heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the region, Ukrainian officials said Friday (Feb. 25)   Online data from the Chernobyl exclusion zone’s automated radiation-monitoring system shows that gamma radiation has increased 20 times above usual levels at multiple observation points, which … Read more

Chernobyl Power Plant Captured by Russia, Leading to Fears of Radioactive Waste Spread

Russian troops have captured Chernobyl‘s former nuclear power after heavy fighting near the Chernobyl exclusion zone, according to an advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office.   Ukrainian troops fought with Russian forces, which invaded the region from Belarus and have seized control of the now-defunct power plant, according to Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to the … Read more

Superfoods: Genetically modified purple tomato could go on sale soon in the US

A small company has applied for approval in the US to sell a genetically modified tomato that is rich in the beneficial pigments found in blueberries Health 23 February 2022 By Michael Le Page Purple tomatoes contain higher levels of antioxidant pigments Eugenio Butelli/Andrew Davis A purple tomato genetically modified to make it rich in … Read more