Nitrogen is an essential soil resource, but its overuse, mostly related to fertilizer application, is a driver of pollution. Photo: Cade Martin, Dawn Arlotta US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDCP) CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) public domainCade Martin, Dawn Arlotta US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDCP) CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) public domain

Soil nitrogen is the one responsible for water pollution

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During rainy periods soil nitrogen in the soil is channeled into rivers, contributing to their contamination, a research from Nagoya University has found. The investigation thus denies the theory of atmospheric origin of water pollution
I cambiamenti climatici priveranno l'area artica di ghiaccio entro metà secolo, secondo uno studio del CNR. FOTO: Foto di Markus Christ da PixabayMarkus Christ da Pixabay

Climate, italian CNR: ice-free Arctic summer by 2050

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A National Research Council study published in PNAS reconstructed changes in sub-polar sea ice cover in response to rapid climate warming of the last ice age. The answers offer an alarming scenario of the Arctic situation by mid-century
Peatland restoration is part of a larger nature conservation program in Wales. Photo: Lesbardd Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Lesbardd Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Wales wants to triple annual restoration of peatlands

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The annual amount of peatlands to be restored in the British nation rises to 1,800 hectares. A move designed to counter climate change and protect biodiversity. Two emergencies that seem to be more and more evident across the U.K.
Due to drought, Iraqi farming communities are experiencing a drop in harvests for the second year in a row. Photo: Ahmed Kaka, NRC October 2022 Free-to-use photos Press Album - A dry horizonAhmed Kaka, NRC October 2022 Free-to-use photos Press Album - A dry horizon

Climate change and drought threaten crops and economy in Iraq

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Iraqi farming communities experience a new decline in harvests due to drought, says Norwegian Refugee Council. The worsening climate emergency and water crisis is an economic disaster for the affected regions
With the use of a spectrometer, drones allow effective mapping of soils inaccessible by land. Photo: David Rodriguez Martin Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)David Rodriguez Martin Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Drones open a new frontier in soil mapping

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Drones equipped with light spectrometers can map the ground and explore otherwise inaccessible areas, Dutch researchers have found. This application can also provide crucial data for soil protection and remediation
Lo striscione esposto dagli attivisti di PAN Network poco dopo la notizia della validità del milione di firme raccolte nell'ambito dell'Iniziativa popolare europea per vietare i pesticidi chimici entro il 2035. FOTO: Pan Europe.

Bees rejoice: the popular proposal for a EU law reaches one million signatures

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The EU Commission has confirmed the validity of the signatures of the European popular initiative bill "Save bees and farmers". Now the European institutions will have to express  on the request to ban synthetic pesticides, responsible for the collapse in the number of pollinators, by 2035
During Jair Bolsonaro's presidency, deforestation of the Amazon has accelerated. Photo: Isac Nóbrega/PR Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Isac Nóbrega/PR Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Brazilians choose their president and the fate of the Amazon forest as well

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In Brazil the future of nearly 76 thousand sq. km. of the Amazon depends on the October 30 ballot, a study released by Carbon Brief states. That is the amount to the expected deforestation decline if former President Lula succeeds
Drought impacts soil conditions by exacerbating food crisis. Photo: Global Water Partnership Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)Global Water Partnership Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Climate change makes drought 20 times more likely

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Climate change drives drought especially in non-surface soil layers exacerbating food and economic crisis, a World Weather Attribution (WWA) survey has found
Il compost è un fertilizzante naturale estremamente utile in agricoltura, che riduce l'uso dei prodotti chimici e valorizza la frazione umida dei rifiuti urbani (la cosiddetta FORSU). FOTO: Matteo Berlenga

Plastic, glass, metals: the “enemies” that dirty the compost

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The alarm emerges from a series of video interviews with managers of composting plants carried out by the italian Biorepack consortium. Too high percentages of "foreign fractions" (up to 12%) make it more difficult and expensive to make compost. On the other hand, compostable, flexible and rigid bioplastics were promoted with flying colors: "very useful for increasing quantity and quality of the final product"
Scheduled for Oct. 24-26, the EU Soil Observatory Stakeholders Forum is designed to engage all stakeholders involved in soil protection. Photo: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain DedicationCC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Soil protection requires everyone’s commitment according to EUSO 2022

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The promotion of soil health requires the involvement of all stakeholders, from policy makers and scientists to local stakeholders, citizens and civil society. That's the message of the EU Soil Observatory Stakeholders Forum, scheduled for Oct. 24-26