Scientists discover bacteria that eats plastic
Researchers at Japan's Kyoto University have discovered a type of bacteria that uses only two enzymes to break down plastic, according to a study published in the journal Science.
Mar 12, 2016, 09:27 AM IST
Scientists use micro-organisms to produce 'green' plastic
In recent years, biorefineries which transform non-edible biomass into fuel, heat, power, chemicals and materials have received a great deal of attention as a sustainable alternative to decreasing the reliance on fossil fuels.
Mar 08, 2016, 15:41 PM IST
Human activity driving Earth into new geological era
London: The impact of human activities on the Earth has triggered a new geological era, the Anthropocene, which is marked by the spread of man-made materials such as aluminium, concrete, plastic, and fallout from nuclear testing across the planet, says a study.
"Humans have long affected the environment, but recently, there has been a rapid global spread of novel materials including aluminium, concrete and plastics, which are leaving their mark in sediments,” said Dr Colin Waters of the British Geological Survey.
Waters is part of an international team of researchers who are trying to find out to what extent are human actions recorded as measurable signals in geological strata, and whether the Anthropocene world is markedly different from the stable Holocene Epoch of the last 11,700 years that allowed human civilisation to develop, according to the University of Leicester.
The Holocene Epoch was a time in which human societies advanced by gradually domesticating the land to increase food production, built urban settlements and became proficient at developing the water, mineral and energy resources of the planet.
The proposed Anthropocene Epoch, however, is marked as a time of rapid environmental change brought by the impact of a surge in human population and increased consumption during the 'great acceleration' of the mid 20th century.
“Fossil fuel combustion has dispersed fly ash particles worldwide, pretty well coincident with the peak distribution of the 'bomb spike' of radionuclides generated by atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons," Dr. Waters noted.
"All of this shows that there is an underlying reality to the Anthropocene concept", said Jan Zalasiewicz of the University of Leicester, a co-author of the study.
The researchers found that humans have changed the Earth sufficiently to produce a range of signals in sediments and ice, and these are sufficiently distinctive to justify recognition of an Anthropocene Epoch in the geological time scale.
Mar 07, 2016, 16:32 PM IST
Akhara Council decides to ban use of plastic in Kumbh Mela
To conserve the environment, the Akhara Council has decided to put a ban on the use of plastic items and loudspeakers at the venue of the ongoing Kumbh Mela here.
Sep 15, 2015, 20:49 PM IST
