How have plants adapted over centuries or millennia to survive and recover from human interference? David Moreno-Mateos and his team are analysing tree species in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest to find out, and to help inform and improve future restoration practice.
News
Why ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves are a Trojan horse to hide humanity’s destruction of nature
In a thought-provoking feature for The Conversation, Dr Rich Grenyer, Associate Professor in Biodiversity and Biogeography, examines the ethical and ecological concerns surrounding de-extinction, arguing that the allure of reviving species like dire wolves risks diverting attention from the ongoing human-driven destruction of the natural world.
Dust storms are becoming ‘more frequent and severe’ – so are we prepared?
As a haze from the Sahara envelops Athens, Professor David Thomas, speaks to The Telegraph to explain why dust storms are becoming a worrying global trend.
IN THE MEDIA
Don’t blame Dubai’s freak rain on cloud seeding – the storm was far too big to be human-made
Parts of the Arabian Peninsula received 18 months of rainfall in 24 hours on the 16 April. In an article for The Conversation, Professor Richard Washington, Professor of Climate Science, explains why Dubai's recent unprecedented rainfall was not caused by cloud seeding.
IN THE MEDIA
New study on Amazonia's fire crises urges action ahead of the next burning season
In response to the escalating fire crises in the Amazon, a timely study has revealed alarming shortcomings in the emergency fire bans implemented by the Brazilian Government. Initially seen as a promising solution in 2019, these bans have consistently fallen short in subsequent years, revealing a pressing need for strategies that address the underlying causes of each type of fire.
IN THE MEDIA
Why camel milk could soon become the world’s most essential drink
The future of food and drink could have a few humps in the road. Dr Ariell Ahearn comments on an article in BBC Sciencea bout the rise in popularity of camel milk.
IN THE MEDIA
How the NHS and the whole of society must act on social determinants of health for a healthier future
In a new BMJ Commission report, Dr Lucinda Hiam and colleagues describe how health is deteriorating from the cradle to the grave in all four nations of the UK, linked to over a decade of austerity and a failure of government to provide enough money for people to live healthily, and provides solutions on how to address it.
NEWS
Scotland is ditching its flagship 2030 climate goal – why legally binding targets really matter
Sam Fankhauser writes in The Conversation on Scotland’s decision to abandon its 2030 climate ambition. "It has always been clear that legally binding carbon targets on their own are no guarantee for climate action," he writes. "They matter, but the key to climate protection is a genuine commitment to implementation."
IN THE MEDIA
Fair Water? exhibition reaches out to schools
What I love about working with the REACH programme team is their commitment both to education and to using research to address some of the most challenging problems faced by people around the world. These two aspects came together perfectly when the team had the opportunity to share what they are working on with secondary school students at the Fair Water? Exhibition Schools Day last month.
NEWS
Turning camels into cows: megafarms are being set up to produce camel milk on industrial scales
Dr Ariell Ahearn highlights the shift towards industrialized camel farming due to climate change and increased demand for camel milk. Despite camels' resilience to climate challenges, they are now confined to large dairy farms, posing environmental and cultural risks.
IN THE MEDIA
Sensitive interventions to catalyse China’s net-zero transition in energy and transport
The global energy transition could happen sooner than anticipated if sensitive intervention points are used to deliver China’s carbon neutrality policy at the city-level, researchers from the University of Oxford and The Chinese University of Hong Kong have outlined today.
IN THE MEDIA
I’ve studied sand dunes for 40 years – here’s what people find most surprising
The Dune films remind us of just how beautiful, mysterious, expansive and changeable sand dunes can be. For centuries these wonderful landforms have filled humans with awe – and in some cases fear and foreboding – because of the apparent remoteness and risks associated with the deserts they are synonymous with. That's what first attracted Professor David Thomas to research deserts and dunes more than 40 years ago, and he has been investigating them ever since. In an article for The Conversation, Prof. Thomas shares five things he has learned that may surprise you about dunes.
IN THE MEDIA
