Why there is still hope for our planet
Is it too late to save our planet? Professor Jianguo Liu is the newest winner of The Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science. He offers us some hope.
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Life on Land
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How a plant from the USA invaded Europe
This invader can extend the pollen season to November, and it is heading towards Norway. For now, it has stopped in Denmark.
Darwin’s giant daisies and evolution
How animals and plants adapt to the environment is often particularly evident on islands. Now Darwin’s giant daisies are helping researchers understand a little more about how these plants actually go about adapting.
An ‘unknown’ ecosystem that is good news for the climate
At the boundary between the land and sea, there exists an ecosystem that has been overlooked by Norwegians for so long that it was only recently given an official name. But studies are revealing that it has some very desirable properties.
Observing Arctic marine life — from the seabed to space
NTNU researchers from AMOS, the Centre for Autonomous Marine Operations and Systems, used small satellites and subsea robots — and everything in between — to study marine life in Svalbard’s Kongsfjorden in a first-ever experiment in May.
Thousands of environmental bombs under Norwegian homes
Heating with oil in homes and commercial buildings is now banned in Norway. The storage tanks are supposed to be removed from buildings, but many people choose not to get rid of these environmental time bombs.
Scientists call for cap on production to end plastic pollution
Capping production of new plastics will help cut their release to the environment — and brings other benefits, from boosting the value of plastics to helping tackle climate change.
The Detectives: Hunting toxic chemicals in the Arctic
What researchers are learning about the fate of chemicals in the Arctic, and how what they’re learning is changing international law and providing life-saving advice.
Hunting can be good for wildlife populations
Hunting or other wildlife regulations can make a population more viable – if done correctly.
Ladybirds: The insects almost everyone likes
Ladybird beetles are probably among the most popular insects we have. Did you know that Norway has some 50 different species – plus some unwelcome guests?
What plants need to withstand drought
When temperatures rise, it affects the plants that agriculture and we depend on. Now we know more about how plants resist drought.
Plastics leach toxins
Plastic contains thousands of chemicals. Until now, we haven’t known if these leach into the environment to any great extent. Now we know that they do.
A natural gem is being destroyed by plastic
Mausund and the Froan Nature Reserve are located in an archipelago far out to sea along the Trøndelag county coast, but they are not exactly pristine. About 25 per cent of the soil in the area contains plastic.
The Norwegian wolf is extinct
The Norwegian wolf died out in the wild a long time ago. The wolves in Norwegian forests today are Finnish. Inbreeding is making them prone to extinction as well.
What is nature worth?
Climate change is not the greatest threat to the diversity of species on Earth. The main problem is that animal and plant habitats are disappearing.
CyborGoats find their way into Norwegian villages
Goats are smart animals. A new technology takes advantage of their intelligence — so they longer need physical fences. More than 2400 Norwegian farmers are already using the technology to herd their animals.
Ski wax chemicals alter animals’ brains and livers
New research confirms that fluorinated compounds in ski waxes affect organs in mice.
New technology can count endangered salamanders
The stomach patterns of salamanders are as unique as human fingerprints. This feature will be used in an app to record salamander numbers.
Moose appetite for deciduous trees counteracts warming effects
With the warming climate, forests are growing faster than before, and deciduous species are growing the fastest. Recent research illustrates just how much moose foraging limits this growth.
Your sense of smell resembles that of insects
Scientists find remarkable similarities in the olfactory pathways of such diverse creatures as humans and insects.
Is weight loss harmful to tiny top athletes?
Shorebirds burn a lot of fat during their long migrations. This can release toxic chemicals that accumulate in fat cells.
Human antibiotic use affects wild bears
Bacteria in wild bears become more resistant to antibiotics when human antibiotic use is high.
Rapid action can help prevent the worst consequences of global warming
A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes with unnerving detail just what can happen if nations fail to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But rapid international action will keep the worst consequences at bay, the panel said.
The Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science goes to a holistic thinker
The Gunnerus Sustainability Prize for 2021 has been awarded to Professor Jianguo (Jack) Liu at Michigan State University.