Researchers in Texas have developed a system that transforms common biomass—food scraps, branches, seashells—into water-harvesting materials. The system requires minimal energy while being scalable for off-grid communities, and produces 14.19 litres of water daily per kilogram of material, triple the output of conventional methods. Advanced Materials https://cockrell.utexas.edu/news/archive/10158-from-scraps-to-sips-everyday-biomass-produces-drinking-water-from-thin-air?ref=fixthenews.com
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Japan raises emissions targets, aims for 60% cut by 2035. Japan has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% from 2013 levels within the next decade, aligning with the 1.5°C global goal and a net zero target by 2050, according to government officials. Japan plans to reduce fossil fuel use by 30-40% by 2040, with renewables like solar and wind expected to provide 40-50% of electricity. https://buff.ly/ueBrmAh
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“The discovery uses tiny micro batteries to break down the lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese from a battery, before using an amino acid to extract the metals.

“The use of glycine as the amino acid avoids using harsh chemicals for the recycling process, [and avoids] the creation of toxic byproducts.

“The newly developed system is able to recover 99.99 per cent of the lithium, 96.8 per cent of the nickel, 92.35 per cent of the cobalt and 90.59 per cent of the manganese from old batteries in just 15 minutes.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/battery-recycle-lithium-ion-environment-b2713723.html

Europe’s wild predators stage a stunning comeback. Since 2016, golden jackal numbers have surged by 46% to 150,000, wolves have increased by 35% to 23,000, brown bears by 17% to 20,500, and Eurasian lynx and wolverine populations expanded by 12% and 16% to 9,400 and 1,300 animals respectively. The best recovery? Iberian lynx numbers are up from 100 at the turn of the century to over 2,000 today. Guardian https://buff.ly/KBxDcd9
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huzzah!
pressure works. activism works. keep fighting and don't comply in advance.

France rejects controversial encryption backdoor provision | TechRadar
https://www.techradar.com/computing/cyber-security/france-rejects-controversial-encryption-backdoor-provision

Ecuador protects fauna, flora, water and people —
Using indigenous knowledge for effective watershed management, they’ve demonstrated replicable community-based conservation that balances resource protection with local livelihoods, WHILE ensuring water security for surrounding communities and safeguarding 373 species. https://buff.ly/FEVU4uF
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Episcopal Church fully divests from fossil fuels. Nearly a month ahead of schedule, the Episcopal Church has fully divested from fossil fuels, according to its Office of Public Affairs. Episcopal News Service reports that the church manages $500 million in trust funds. Pope Francis and the World Council of Churches have led calls for more investment into clean energy too. Living Church https://buff.ly/41AYryL
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Well-managed solar farms triple bird populations. A study of solar farms in East Anglia in the United Kingdom has shown that they host nearly three times more birds than surrounding croplands. Solar sites maintaining diverse habitats, uncut grass, and hedgerows create vital refuges for declining farmland species like yellowhammers and corn buntings. BBC https://buff.ly/4hTbmBC
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Imagine going to a once-every-five-years flu shot that also protects against Covid.

Hoping this early research pans out!

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/03/covid-flu-vaccine-could-provide-broad-lasting-protection

Thanks @sarahtaber for putting this in your newsletter

Germany, once a notorious polluter, cracks down on cars and achieves clean air. Germany complies with all EU air pollutant limits for first time since standards were set in 2010, with nitrogen dioxide finally joining particulate matter in meeting thresholds across 600 monitoring stations nationwide. https://buff.ly/41AFcFm
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Long-dormant Toronto airport reborn as wildlife corridor. After decades of struggle against development, Rouge National Urban Park will grow by thousands of hectares, preserving part of a wildlife corridor connecting Lake Ontario to protected land northeast of Toronto. The corridor allows wildlife — including species at risk — to move between habitats, giving them a stronger chance of survival. Narwhal https://buff.ly/4kltWnu
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Coming soon: the world's 'most colourful' map of the cosmos.
NASA's SPHEREx telescope, launching today, will create an unprecedented multi-coloured map of the entire sky by dividing light into 96 distinct spectral bands. Unlike Webb and Hubble, which examine tiny portions of space in high detail, this compact but powerful instrument will survey the full sky every six months, cataloging over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars. The Conversation https://buff.ly/3EZCqRi
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Roman concrete's 2,000-year durability secret finally decoded
The exceptional strength comes from 'hot mixing' quicklime directly with volcanic ash at high temperatures. This creates distinctive lime clasts that grant remarkable self-healing properties - when cracks form, water reacts with these clasts to form calcium carbonate that naturally repairs damage. Science Alert https://buff.ly/3EQOcxi
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German farmers are transforming peatlands into carbon-capturing marshes. A series of new initiatives in Germany are not only 'rewetting' peatlands but also creating markets for the native grasses, reeds, and sedges they support. Following a successful pilot project on a ten hectare site, they've teamed up with German retailer Otto Group, to promote a form of marsh farming called “paludiculture.” Yale360 https://buff.ly/41oPUyK
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