Environment

Geosciences

Landslide scars and shallower rivers increase Rio Grande do Sul’s vulnerability to rainfall

Millions of tons of sediment were carried from the state’s hills into its waterways

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Cover

Cuts to US science budgets threaten global climate research

Discontinuation of NASA and NOAA projects monitoring the atmosphere and oceans for decades poses a major risk

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Cover

Brazil’s carbon footprint determined by deforestation and agriculture

The two sectors account for 70% of the country’s greenhouse gases emissions

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Retrospect

RadamBrasil project celebrates 50 years

Radar mapping has uncovered natural riches, trained hundreds of specialists, and is used in research on relief, geology, soils, climate, and vegetation

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Sustainability

Research center and company create method for recycling LED lamps

Method based on physical processing of material could reduce waste generation and stimulate circular economy

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Paleoecology

The Atlantic Forest in layers

Research on microalgae in southern São Paulo reveals how an old lake transformed into a swamp

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Interview

Regina Macedo: Biologist reformulates view on bird behavior

São Paulo native from UnB who helped revise concepts about sexual selection in the tropics and cooperative breeding has dedicated herself to another passion since last year: painting

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Climate change

Heatwaves, high acidification, and chlorophyll scarcity devastate the South Atlantic

Simultaneous occurrence of three types of extreme event has become more frequent in the south of the ocean since 2009

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Interview

Christiane Taubira: An Amazonian with global reach

After serving as a member of parliament and minister in France, the French-Guyanese economist is preparing to contribute to COP30 with a study on the diversity of local populations

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Mining

Where does the gold come from?

Chemical elements help trace the origin of gold and uncover illegal mining

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Climate

Fragile defense against climate disasters

Lack of municipal infrastructure worsens landslides and floods

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Environment

Ice sheet thickness averages 2,000 km

New map reveals Antarctica’s ice sheet is thicker and more voluminous than previously thought

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Global warming amplifies heat waves, which could affect Brazilian cities up to 15 times a year

This type of extreme event has become more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting in recent decades

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Environment

Harvesting fog in Atacama

Chilean researchers discover innovative way to harvest water from fog in the Atacama Desert

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Climate change

1.5 billion m3 of rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul

1.5 billion m³ of rain fell in Porto Alegre and the surrounding region in May 2024

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Environment

Rondônia in flames 43,000 years ago

Macrocharcoal reveals forest fires in Rondônia 43,000 years ago

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Zoology

Climate caused megafauna extinction

Lack of rain accelerated extinction of megafauna in Northeast Brazil

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cover

The high energy demands of the cryptocurrency market

The digital currency industry’s electricity consumption is equivalent to that of an average European country

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COVER

How to make data centers more sustainable

Renewable energy sources and more efficient distribution of computing tasks could reduce the impacts of these facilities

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COVER

The environmental impacts of computing

The energy- and water-intensive sector is responsible for 1.7% of atmospheric carbon emissions; a new area of research has emerged to address the problem

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ENVIRONMENT

Artificial intelligence identifies areas most vulnerable to landslides

Study compares the effectiveness of five machine-learning models at predicting this type of disaster in São Sebastião

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CLIMATE CHANGE

2024 was the first year with global warming above 1.5 °C

All continents broke their average temperature record except for Oceania and Antarctica

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Climate

Trees cool the environment, but they also heat it up

Urban trees have a greater cooling effect in hot, dry cities

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Policy

US withdraws from Paris Agreement and WHO

US President signs executive orders withdrawing the country from Paris Agreement and WHO

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Environment

How to harness methane

US institute develops catalyst capable of converting methane into useful compounds

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ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY

Gas in the Amazon rainforest accelerates cloud formation

Trees emit isoprene, which reacts with other molecules and increases the production of cloud condensation nuclei 100-fold

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INTERVIEW

Anacláudia Rossbach: The quest for more resilient cities

Brazilian director of United Nations program says cities play an important role in the process of adapting to and mitigating climate change

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ENVIRONMENT

Aquifer depletion threatens forests and rivers

Over-exploitation and climate change are damaging environments that depend on underground water reserves

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ECOLOGY

Drought and wildfires reduce forest biodiversity

Although the populations of some plant and animal species are able to recover when rains return, the effects of drought and wildfires can last years

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COVER

Life immersed in microplastics

Microscopic particles, which have already been found in various organs and tissues of the human body, have now been identified in the brain

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