Read the full story in Nonprofit Quarterly.
The tree is everywhere in Ohio: dotting the sides of highways, lining the streets of residential neighborhoods. It spreads fast, its leaves full. In the spring, its white blossoms overwhelm the landscape. It’s the Bradford pear—and it’s illegal.
by Jean-Christophe Nebel, Kingston University and Farzana Rahman, Kingston University
Clean air is a fundamental right. However, every day, 100 children under the age of five tragically lose their lives in east Asia and the Pacific due to a silent killer – air pollution.
In response to this crisis, huge investments have been made in outdoor air pollution monitoring systems. These fridge-sized monitoring stations are expensive costing at least £10,000 each, so scaling this up everywhere isn’t financially viable.
Now, a new generation of small, roaming air sensors could better inform people about pollution levels in their local area. Currently, these sensors just aren’t precise enough. Our recent research shows that AI could enhance their accuracy by up to 46%.
These compact devices are the size of a thick mobile phone and cost just a few thousand pounds. They can easily be attached to vehicles such as buses, courier vans and bin lorries that already cruise through our streets. By gathering data wherever people live, work or play, these roaming sensors can build a real-time air quality map that reflects the local environment much more accurately.
The main contributor to air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels – this also produces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Alarmingly, air pollution is responsible for 7 million deaths every year. Children are especially vulnerable due to their developing lungs, weaker immune system, and faster breathing rate.
Last summer, we spent 12 weeks collecting air pollution data from both inexpensive gas sensors and reference instruments at a UK national facility, the Weybourne Atmospheric Observatory in Norfolk.
Every minute, the roaming air sensors transmit pollutant levels to a data centre – that includes particulate matter (such as fine particles of soot), carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. But we found inconsistencies between data from sensors and data from the national reference instruments.
Before this tech can be scaled up, the accuracy of readings from these air sensors needs improving. We have been studying how the problem-solving ability of AI can be used to improve air pollution monitoring. With a clearer understanding of the complex relationships between different gases, pollutants and environmental conditions, AI can correct any measurement errors.
Currently, measurements are influenced by the presence of other pollutants and environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity. Understanding how a dozen parameters simultaneously affect a specific gas measurement is a real jigsaw puzzle. Even the manufacturers of these sensors have not managed to crack it yet.
During our experiments, we identified the main causes of measurement inaccuracies for each gas sensor. With this information, our AI-driven solution slashed errors by up to 46%. Data science turned flawed, yet promising, sensors into precision tools that can help people seeking cleaner air. With breakthroughs like this, air quality insights could be more quickly scaled up.
Better monitoring will improve our understanding of local air pollution sources, their effects on residents, and help pinpoint the sources responsible, plus lead to more tailored warning systems.
In February 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency committed US$83 million (£64.5 million) to expand and upgrade its air pollution monitoring network. This tech can be used to better understand the threat, shape policies and shape emergency measures. But monitoring stations are expensive, typically £10,000 to £30,000 per unit – and that’s without considering installation and maintenance charges.
Bangladesh, one of the hardest-hit countries in terms of air pollution, has only 11 monitoring stations. Even a wealthy city like London has fewer than one station per 100,000 residents. This is inadequate because pollution levels may significantly vary between neighbouring streets.
Remote sensors offer a more affordable and practical solution, if they can be sufficiently accurate. To be commercially feasible, AI mustn’t make these sensors more expensive. Transparency about how this system makes decisions is also critical. We used simple AI technology that operates on a microcontroller — a tiny computer within the device — to keep the additional cost of incorporating AI to under a few pounds and minimise its energy cost.
Imagine joggers checking local readings before choosing a route, or parents scanning the latest updates to find the safest playground for their children. Suddenly, air quality becomes more than a distant worry: it’s a practical guide to better health.
Gone is the guesswork, replaced by knowledge that helps people make healthier choices. When every breath matters, this tech ensures people no longer have to gamble with their health based on where they live.
Jean-Christophe Nebel, Professor of Computer Science, Kingston University and Farzana Rahman, Senior Lecturer, MSc Data Science Course Leader, Kingston University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Listen to the full story from NPR.
Six months ago, Southern Appalachia was devastated by Hurricane Helene.
Now, after a dry spell and a windy March — the region faces wildfires that are feeding on the downed trees and vegetation that the hurricane knocked to the forest floor.
The North Carolina Forest Service has declared one of them “the highest priority fire in the U.S.”
And due to climate change and population growth, the Carolinas must anticipate a future with more fire danger.
Experts and first responders explain the current situation — and the way forward.
Read the full story from Nonprofit Quarterly.
Over five months ago, Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. Seemingly overnight, the region went from being viewed as a climate haven to experiencing the “deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina.” In North Carolina alone, over 100 people lost their lives as a result of the storm, many from drowning or the result of complications from environmental exposure. In the aftermath, the region was left with significantly fewer tress, making it more vulnerable to future natural disasters.
Though the region hadn’t experienced a disaster of this magnitude since Asheville’s “Great Flood” of 1916—which was described as “one of the worst natural disasters in the recorded history of western North Carolina”—BeLoved Asheville, a nonprofit focusing on combating systemic racism and food and housing insecurity, was able to hit the ground running. Thanks, in part, to years of organizing efforts leading up to the storm, the nonprofit offered community members the support that they needed.
Read the full story at Food Navigator USA.
Startups should carefully consider regenerative agriculture certifications and how to use sustainable messaging to enhance their core value proposition
Read the full story at Grist.
In the summer of 2023, a dozen people willingly walked into a steel chamber at the University of Ottawa designed to test the limits of human survival. Outfitted with heart rate monitors and temperature probes, they waited in temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius, or 107 degrees Fahrenheit, while the humidity steadily climbed, coating their bodies in sweat and condensation. After several hours, their internal body temperatures began ratcheting upward, as the heat cooked them from the outside in.
“Few people on the planet have actually experienced temperatures like this,” said Robert Meade, a postdoctoral researcher in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health who led the study. “Imagine moisture condensing on the skin like a glass of water on a hot day. That’s how hot it was, compared to skin temperature.”Their experiment tested the body’s ability to cope with extreme heat by exposing participants to temperatures at which they could no longer cool themselves. Their study, published last week in the science journal PNAS, confirmed that this dangerous threshold is much lower than scientists had previously thought: a so-called wet-bulb temperature, which accounts for heat and humidity, of 26 to 31 degrees C.
Read the full story at Manufacturing Dive.
Chemical manufacturers have the opportunity to help reform the Toxic Substances Control Act during the law’s 10-year review next year, panelists said at the GlobalChem conference earlier this month.
Chemical companies have been frustrated with the chemical safety amendment enacted in 2016 under TSCA, known as the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. The amendment authorized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to test and review new chemicals or new uses of existing substances submitted to the agency, measuring their impact on public health and natural resources.
Miles, M., Schindel, A., Haq, K., & Aziz, T. (2025). Advancing environmental justice education: A critical review of research and practice. Environmental Education Research, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2483443
Environmental issues disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color, fueling grassroots movements for environmental justice. Despite this, K-16 education curricula often neglect environmental justice topics, failing to expose the unique hazards associated with environmental harms and the health risks faced by minoritized communities. To assess the landscape of environmental justice education in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education settings, we reviewed literature to examine the educational dimensions of environmental justice. Our critical analysis examines how empirical research defines environmental justice and how researchers operationalize EJE curricula and pedagogies. Based upon our findings, we propose practical implications for implementing environmental justice education, emphasizing critical conceptions of environmental justice within pedagogical practice. By integrating local environmental justice issues into the curriculum, EJE can empower students to address environmental disparities in their communities, fostering a more equitable and sustainable future.
Read the brief from the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Commercial and climate imperatives for integrating carbon removal activities into existing industrial processes and value chains are becoming ever more apparent. Opportunities to integrate carbon removal can help businesses grow and diversify, increase operational efficiencies, and adhere to evolving regulations. Simultaneously, climate stabilization demands rapid, large-scale carbon removal, positioning industries as vital contributors. Forward-thinking industry leaders are beginning to strategically invest in a variety of carbon removal methods that align with their operational capabilities.
This series explores the economic and environmental incentives for integrating carbon removal into the wider industrial landscape. Focusing on specific industries, the reports identify synergies with existing processes, along with the challenges, potential scale, and critical needs to advance opportunities. This report assesses the use of building products produced from residue biomass for carbon removal.
Kumari, S., Samuel, J., Mishra, A. K., & Nagpal, S. (2025). Exploring Innovations in Microplastics Detection: A Comprehensive Methodological Review. Chemistry Africa. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-025-01263-7
This review highlights the latest advancements in microplastic (MP) detection techniques with focus on cutting-edge methods that enhance the precision, accuracy and efficiency of identifying MPs across diverse environments. The paper goes beyond prior studies that concentrate on singular techniques by offering a comparative evaluation of emerging MP detection methodologies, highlighting their cross-disciplinary applications and potential influence on regulatory policies. Improved detection methodologies contribute to more effective pollution monitoring and better enforcement of plastic waste regulations, thus enhancing public health initiatives by providing accurate data on MP contamination. Technological developments not only improve scientific understanding but also aid in shaping policy decisions by providing a strong foundation for policymakers to design evidence-based interventions that help in curbing MP pollution at local, national and global levels.
The paper examines a range of analytical techniques for MPs detection including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis and highlights advanced methods like hyperspectral imaging (HSI), nano-thermal analysis (Nano-TA) and Atomic Force Microscopy-Infrared Spectroscopy (AFM-IR), discussing their efficacy and limitations in identifying MPs across different environmental matrices.
The review highlights the significant improvements these advanced techniques offer over traditional methods. AFM-IR and correlative SEM-Raman microscopy provide nanoscale imaging and detailed chemical analysis, while HSI and Nano-TA enable rapid, non-destructive assessment of MPs in situ. Despite these advancements, high operational costs, need for specialized expertise and challenges in analyzing complex samples persist.
The integration of these advanced techniques marks a significant step forward in MP detection, offering enhanced capabilities for accurate and efficient analysis. However, further development is needed to address existing limitations, to standardize methods, improving the sensitivity and specificity of current techniques. Continued innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration are essential for advancing MP management strategies and mitigating their environmental and health impacts.
Read the full story at The Hill.
Federal corn crop insurers could see a 22 percent spike in claims filed by 2030 and a nearly 29 percent jump by midcentury, thanks to the impacts of climate change, a new study has found.
Both U.S. corn growers and their insurers are poised to face a future with mounting economic uncertainty, according to the research, published on Friday in the Journal of Data Science, Statistics, and Visualisation.
Read the full story at ProPublica.
A new wave of “reasoning” systems from companies like OpenAI is producing incorrect information more often. Even the companies don’t know why.
Dogra, K., Kumar, M., Singh, S., & Bahukhandi, K. D. (2025). Decoding the interactions between microplastics, polyfluoroalkyl substances, and endocrine disruptors: Sorption kinetics and toxicity. Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering, 48, 101126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coche.2025.101126
Microplastics (MPs) present a direct threat to aquatic organisms while functioning as vectors for the mobilization of organic contaminants within aquatic environments. Furthermore, due to their extensive usage, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have emerged as significant global concerns due to their pervasive presence and substantial accumulation in aquatic ecosystems. Research to date has primarily focused on these contaminants in isolation, leaving the interactions and cumulative effects among MPs, PFAS, and EDCs (trifecta) relatively unexamined. We elucidate the probable interaction mechanisms among these three categories of contaminants and to analyze their combined toxicity, as well as the existing regulatory frameworks and policies applicable to them. Our findings indicate that the sorption of EDCs and PFAS onto MPs is predominantly governed by hydrophobic and electrostatic forces and is sensitive to various environmental parameters, including pH, salinity, temperature, and dissolved organic matter. The interactions among these contaminants are intricate, encompassing mechanisms such as cation-π bonding and biofilm formation, all of which influence the dynamics of sorption. The synergistic effects of MPs in conjunction with co-contaminants, such as PFAS and EDCs, exacerbate toxicity, promote bioaccumulation, and elevate health risks for both aquatic organisms and mammals, typically contingent upon factors such as exposure duration, dosage, and environmental conditions. In conclusion, we underscore that while significant advancements have been achieved, considerable efforts are still required to address regulatory deficiencies and to advance legislation aimed at mitigating the impact of persistent pollutants.
Read the full story at Utility Dive.
Global solar companies’ total corporate funding, including venture capital, public market and debt financing, declined 41% year over year during the first quarter of 2025, while energy storage companies’ funding fell 81%, according to Mercom Capital Group, a consulting firm.
Uncertainty — primarily around the fate of the Inflation Reduction Act and renewable energy tax credits, but also around tariffs and supply chain concerns — has prevented many financing deals from moving forward because the negotiating parties can’t reliably calculate potential returns, said Raj Prabhu, CEO and co-founder of Mercom Capital Group.
If Congress does not soon signal a consensus on the IRA’s fate, the renewable energy industry could end up snared in something like a sector-specific recession “in the sense that activity is going to stall because of the uncertainty,” Prabhu said.
The first few months of the Trump administration have been marked by deep cuts to funding and staffing for scientific research. Among them: two major government reports that would have offered a pulse check for nature and climate in the country, and how changes could impact people and the economy.
Now, scientists are resurrecting these efforts—without the government’s help.
Less than a week after volunteer researchers who were working on the congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment were dismissed from compiling it, the American Geophysical Union and American Meteorological Society pledged to offer a new home for the work. Meanwhile, scientists who were compiling the first-ever government National Nature Assessment have banded together to finish it.
Similar efforts are happening across the country to fill in the gaps left by federal research rollbacks. But experts say taxpayers are entitled to climate research that can help them make more informed decisions as mounting disasters upend daily life.
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