BBC Science Focus - 10.2019

DISCOVERIES

GET T Y

IMAGES

X5

BANANA WOES

Banana farmers in some of the world’s

biggest producing countries could be hit

hard by climate change. The changing

climate has made conditions more

favourable for bananas in recent decades,

according to research published in Nature

Climate Change. But these gains could

disappear by 2050 if climate change

DISCOVERIES

GRUB’S UP

Pet food made from insect protein

could be more environmentally friendly

than using meat, according to Dutch pet

food firm Protix, which claims to run the

world’s largest insect farm.

IT IS

EASY

BEING

GREEN

R E U S E A N D R E C Y C L E

OLD GADGETS

As many as 40 million

electronic devices are siing

unused in drawers in the

UK, according to research

by Ipsos MORI for the Royal

Society. These old gadgets

are oen hoarded in our

homes, yet they contain

rare metals that could run

out in the next 100 years

and are needed for green

technologies.To help, you

can hold o upgrading your

phone for another year or

pass your old phone to a

relative, the Royal Society

said. If your device is no

longer usable, don’t just toss

it in a drawer. Instead, look

up recycling options in your

area at recyclenow.com.

STAR SEAWEED

Seaweed farming has “huge

potential” to help climate

change through its ability to

absorb carbon, according to a

University of California study.

“Initial estimates

come out, and there’s

only one direction

they ever go from

there: they always

go down”

SCOOTER POLLUTER

E-scooters are less green

than cycling or taking the

bus – although they’re still

greener than cars, according

to research by North Carolina

State University.

NO PHOTOS, PLEASE

Wildlife selfies are harming

animals, experts warned at a

penguin conference in New

Zealand. There is increasing

concern the practice is

a￿ecting animal behaviour.

INSPIRED

EXPIRED

“Initial estimates come out,

and there’s only one direction

they ever go from there: they

always go down. It’s not bad

science, it’s what they have

available at the time to do the

estimates,” Evensen said.

Here in the UK, the

government argues that shale

gas could be an important

new domestic energy source.

It recently indicated it may be

willing to rethink its rules on the

tremors caused by fracking for

shale, which have stunted

the industry.

Polls of the general public

have long shown that opposition

to fracking is far higher than

support. In the latest survey,

opposition sat at 35 per cent,

compared to 15 per cent support.

Such ‘above ground factors’ are

actually likely to determine if

and how the UK ends up using

any shale gas resources, said

Laurence Williams, a research

fellow in environmental

politics from the University of

Sussex, who studies the public

perceptions of fracking.

“That would be things like

government policy, public

attitudes, but also some stuff

in terms of the relationship

between shale gas and climate

change and whether that is

reconcilable,” he said.

DISCOVERIES

continues at its expected rate, the study

found. Ten major banana exporters could

be negatively a￿ected, including India,

the world’s biggest producer. The impacts

of climate change on bananas have

been largely ignored so far, said study

co-author Daniel Bebbe. “There will be

winners and losers in coming years.”

predicted supply could actually

amount to less than 10 years’

worth. This is in contrast to an

earlier 2013 BGS study that found

Bowland shale could meet current

gas demand for up to 50 years.

6JGPGYPFKPIUYKNNJGNRVQ

improve people’s understanding

and government decisions on the

future role of shale gas in the UK’s

energy demand, as the country

moves towards carbon neutrality

by 2050, said study co-author Prof

Colin Snape.

But the authors were keen to

stress there is still a large degree of

uncertainty in all shale estimates.

A “truly foolproof” assessment can

only come from widespread test

drilling, they say.

“To be honest, I wasn’t surprised

at all,” said Darrick Evensen, a

lecturer in environmental politics

at the University of Edinburgh.

The downward revision follows

a similar trend seen in the US.

GET T Y IMAGES X5

BANANA WOES

Banana farmers in some of the world’s

biggest producing countries could be hit

hard by climate change. The changing

climate has made conditions more

favourable for bananas in recent decades,

according to research published in Nature

Climate Change. But these gains could

disappear by 2050 if climate change

GRUB’S UP

Pet food made from insect protein

could be more environmentally friendly

than using meat, according to Dutch pet

food firm Protix, which claims to run the

world’s largest insect farm.

IT IS

EASY

BEING

GREEN

R E U S E A N D R E C Y C L E

OLD GADGETS

As many as 40 million

electronic devices are siing

unused in drawers in the

UK, according to research

by Ipsos MORI for the Royal

Society. These old gadgets

are oen hoarded in our

homes, yet they contain

rare metals that could run

out in the next 100 years

and are needed for green

technologies.To help, you

can hold o upgrading your

phone for another year or

pass your old phone to a

relative, the Royal Society

said. If your device is no

longer usable, don’t just toss

it in a drawer. Instead, look

up recycling options in your

area at recyclenow.com.

STAR SEAWEED

Seaweed farming has “huge

potential” to help climate

change through its ability to

absorb carbon, according to a

University of California study.

“Initial estimates

come out, and there’s

only one direction

they ever go from

there: they always

go down”

SCOOTER POLLUTER

E-scooters are less green

than cycling or taking the

bus – although they’re still

greener than cars, according

to research by North Carolina

State University.

NO PHOTOS, PLEASE

Wildlife selfies are harming

animals, experts warned at a

penguin conference in New

Zealand. There is increasing

concern the practice is

a￿ecting animal behaviour.

INSPIRED

EXPIRED

“Initial estimates come out,

and there’s only one direction

they ever go from there: they

always go down. It’s not bad

science, it’s what they have

available at the time to do the

estimates,” Evensen said.

Here in the UK, the

government argues that shale

gas could be an important

new domestic energy source.

It recently indicated it may be

willing to rethink its rules on the

tremors caused by fracking for

shale, which have stunted

the industry.

Polls of the general public

have long shown that opposition

to fracking is far higher than

support. In the latest survey,

opposition sat at 35 per cent,

compared to 15 per cent support.

Such ‘above ground factors’ are

actually likely to determine if

and how the UK ends up using

any shale gas resources, said

Laurence Williams, a research

fellow in environmental

politics from the University of

Sussex, who studies the public

perceptions of fracking.

“That would be things like

government policy, public

attitudes, but also some stuff

in terms of the relationship

between shale gas and climate

change and whether that is

reconcilable,” he said.

DISCOVERIES

continues at its expected rate, the study

found. Ten major banana exporters could

be negatively a￿ected, including India,

the world’s biggest producer. The impacts

of climate change on bananas have

been largely ignored so far, said study

co-author Daniel Bebbe. “There will be

winners and losers in coming years.”

predicted supply could actually

amount to less than 10 years’

worth. This is in contrast to an

earlier 2013 BGS study that found

Bowland shale could meet current

gas demand for up to 50 years.

6JGPGYPFKPIUYKNNJGNRVQ

improve people’s understanding

and government decisions on the

future role of shale gas in the UK’s

energy demand, as the country

moves towards carbon neutrality

by 2050, said study co-author Prof

Colin Snape.

But the authors were keen to

stress there is still a large degree of

uncertainty in all shale estimates.

A “truly foolproof” assessment can

only come from widespread test

drilling, they say.

“To be honest, I wasn’t surprised

at all,” said Darrick Evensen, a

lecturer in environmental politics

at the University of Edinburgh.

The downward revision follows

a similar trend seen in the US.