The development of generative artificial intelligence, and in particular of large language models, could generate between 1.2 and 5 million tonnes of accumulated electronic waste between 2020 and 2030, according to a study published in Nature Computational Science. The study estimates the mass of waste generated by hardware elements such as processing units, storage units and power supply systems.
A review published in the journal Science Advances examines how the expansion of marine aquaculture - the farming of aquatic organisms in the ocean - can lead to risks, such as degradation of the marine environment. The study is part of a special issue of the journal dedicated to this growing industry.
Burying woody biomass in wooden vaults would allow carbon to be extracted and stored from the atmosphere, according to a study published in Science. The authors were inspired by an eastern red cedar log preserved underground for more than 3,700 years in Canada. The team proposes burying wood from sustainable sources in a domed wooden structure designed to extend the duration of carbon storage. The authors estimate that up to 10 gigatonnes of CO2 could be sequestered annually using this technique.
Lithium, a material widely used for battery production, is typically extracted from rocks and concentrated brines, but these reserves are expected to run out by 2080. The alternative is to evaporate more diluted brines (such as seawater), but the traditional process is inefficient, polluting, and consumes large amounts of water. Two new studies published in Science propose two more viable and environmentally friendly alternative methods: the first uses a membrane that filters lithium through a transpiration system similar to that of plants, requiring only solar energy. The second combines electrodes to mimic a battery and move lithium from the brine (cathode) to fresh water (anode).
Analysis of 1,500 climate policies implemented in 41 countries over the last two decades - between 1998 and 2022 - shows that a small proportion - 63 of them - achieved a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The study, published in Science, indicates that a significant decrease in these emissions was recorded in the transport sector in Spain. According to the authors, the combination of several policy instruments is often more effective than the use of single measures.
Researchers have developed a new method to produce a heat-resistant plastic from renewable plant materials. They also claim that it is easily recyclable, decomposing into methanol, which would allow it to enter the circular economy. The research is published in the journal Science.
Switching some of the world's red meat consumption to forage fish - such as sardines, herring or anchovies - would reduce the number of deaths by between 500,000 and 750,000 by 2050, according to a study published in BMJ Global Health. The authors used data projections for that year for both red meat consumption and forage fish catches in 137 countries, substituting one for the other without exceeding the supply limit for the latter. The research estimates that sardines, herring and anchovies could replace 8% of the world's red meat, which would also serve to reduce the prevalence of diet-related diseases.
A study published in Science Advances analyses population data for great ape species in mining areas in 17 African countries and shows that their habitats overlap, endangering the apes' survival. The study also reveals a considerable information gap: 97% of the mining areas contain no population data for these animals.
Eighty-two percent of EU farm subsidies articulated through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) financed high-emission livestock production in 2013, according to a study published in Nature Food. The analysis, which is based on data from 1986 to 2013 - the latest year for which records are available - highlights that 82% went to animal products in the following proportions: 38% directly and 44% for feed production. The authors note that food of animal origin is associated with 84 % of the greenhouse gases emitted by EU food production.
Capping the consumption of European households who consume most energy - those with the highest incomes and education levels - could achieve "considerable emissions reductions", according to a UK research team. This benefit could also be achieved by simultaneously increasing the consumption of the poorest and most vulnerable users. The analysis, published in Nature Energy, estimates that limiting the energy use of the top 20 % of consumers in 27 countries in Europe would reduce emissions from domestic energy consumption by 11.4 %, 16.8 % from transport, and 9.7 % from total energy consumption. The article states that the association between high income and high energy consumption is particularly strong in countries such as Spain, where income inequality is relatively high.