http://ec.europa.eu//research/index.cfm?pg=whatsnew en Fri, 24 May 2013 14:46:49 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Fri, 24 May 2013 14:46:49 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-devco-rdi&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30074 It's a phenomenon known locally as the "black cloud", and it plagues Egypt every autumn after the rice harvest: an estimated 4 million tonnes of rice straw is burnt every season, spewing some 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the skies. It leaves a choking, toxic layer of thick smog hanging just 25 meters above over the entire Nile valley for weeks, and adds to the already polluted air over the Cairo megalopolis. ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-21:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-devco-rdi&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30074 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-gp&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29998 Applying advanced economic analysis to climate change policies and the efficient use of resources can sometime lead to surprising and counter-intuitive outcomes. Indeed the longer term impact of some well-intentioned policy initiative may end up having a negative impact. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-gp&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29998 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-3encult&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29954 From Roman temples and Gothic churches to Greek theatres and medieval castles, Europe is peppered with historic buildings that reflect its rich cultural heritage. But these monuments all need to be preserved, a task complicated by age, pollution, tourist demands and climate change. Now science is lending a hand in this task, with a new European Union research project developing measures to reduce energy loss from within old buildings. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-3encult&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29954 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-effis&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29926 About one million hectares of forests, which corresponds to one third the size of Belgium, are destroyed by fire every year in the Mediterranean basin. Forests are an important economic resource in that region, and the loss of forests weighs on the economies of the affected countries, especially in North Africa where a warming of 2 degrees Celsius and decreasing rainfall has been recorded. It is expected that climate change in North Africa will substantially increase the yearly losses to fire. ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-effis&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29926 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_10_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29633 In the decades ahead, landslide risk will probably increase in some regions of Europe as a consequence of climate change and growing population. But landslides’ danger can be hidden: though their destruction is plain, in official data landslides are often lumped in with their triggers, such as extreme precipitation, earthquakes or floods. This means that damage wrought by landslides is generally underestimated by analysts, and public awareness of landslide risk is less than that of comparable natural hazards. ]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_10_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29633 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29555 Millions of people in the Ganges basin depend on water resources from melting snow and ice as well as from monsoon rainfall. However, developments such as retreating glaciers, changing monsoon patterns, and declining groundwater levels coupled with increasing population and enhanced water demand for irrigation are likely to place water resources under considerable stress.]]> Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29555 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ecochange&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29514 Human well-being is strongly linked to the biodiversity and functioning of the Earth's ecosystems. To maintain biodiversity and enable future generations to derive the same benefits our planet now provides us with, consolidated policy and management efforts are needed. The findings of the EcoChange project could be instrumental in this endeavour. ]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ecochange&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29514 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ice2sea&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29474 While the global increase of temperature due to our emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is more or less undisputed among climate researchers, the consequences of the global warming are less clear. Sea-level will rise, but whether we look at half a meter or one and a half meters at the end of the century, is not yet predictable. In terms of impacts on coast and its cities around the globe, these figures correspond to "severe" and "devastating", respectively. ]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ice2sea&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29474 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=F7528058-F0DC-BC6E-7E93D5EDF3D7AC62 Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-20:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=F7528058-F0DC-BC6E-7E93D5EDF3D7AC62 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=F738521D-0DC9-6361-00C601E30191F3B1 Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-20:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=F738521D-0DC9-6361-00C601E30191F3B1 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=8BC0003D-A1CF-088C-CE2523C64D9B810B Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-30:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=8BC0003D-A1CF-088C-CE2523C64D9B810B http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=810FD76F-F149-CB49-9E829248594DDC5C Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-28:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=810FD76F-F149-CB49-9E829248594DDC5C http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=8203C2DA-E205-B672-FAA1E95AF2FC96AF Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-28:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=8203C2DA-E205-B672-FAA1E95AF2FC96AF http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=71D6E048-F12E-4A84-9CE27BF09E269ACF Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-25:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=71D6E048-F12E-4A84-9CE27BF09E269ACF http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_16_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28973 The EU has been tackling air pollution since the 1970s. Steps like controlling emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere and improving fuel quality have contributed to progress in this area, but the problem still remains. This is mainly as a result of human activities: the burning of fossil fuels and the dramatic rise in traffic on the roads, for instance. As a consequence, air pollution is cited as the main cause of lung conditions such as asthma (there are twice as many sufferers today compared to 30 years ago), and as the cause of over 350 000 premature deaths in the EU every year. Now the European Commission is adopting a new strategy with new proposals on improving air quality across Europe. ]]> Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-16:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_16_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28973 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=38B1E5D4-03F0-1B3F-82CB83A8F1891CC2 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-14:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=38B1E5D4-03F0-1B3F-82CB83A8F1891CC2 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28873 Recycling, reusing and reducing are all ways in which Europeans are assisting in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is a far cry from the days when we threw everything away without thought. Now we know it is the simple solutions that are making the difference. One example is lighting, which accounts for 14 % of electricity consumption in the EU. As a result, incandescent bulbs are being phased out in Europe and replaced with new energy-efficient and eco-friendly lighting technologies.]]> Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28873 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_12_18_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28714 While we hear of the effect climate change is having around the world, it is refreshing to hear of innovative ways that EU countries are helping to reduce the damage. In a pan-European contest organised by the European Commission, more than 70 organisations from across Europe have taken part in a campaign called 'A world you like. With a climate you like', which aims to find the best and most original idea for combating climate change. The campaign showcases existing cost-efficient solutions for achieving the EU's objective of an 80–95 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.]]> Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-12-18:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_12_18_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28714 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27633 It is tragic whenever any species is lost. Now it appears that the impact of species loss is far-reaching, much more than previously thought. The symbiotic relationships that develop in the environment as a result of high biodiversity make ecosystems more resilient to change. The loss of a species can knock that ecosystem out of balance, weakening its resilience thereby making it more susceptible to events such as climate change. These findings were revealed in a new study from biologists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and published in the journal Ecology Letters.]]> Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27633 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27613 Water: about 60 % of our body weight is made up of it; it is the body's principal chemical component. Every system in our body depends on it; it carries nutrients to our cells and it takes toxins out of vital organs. Without it we couldn’t survive. It also acts in a similar way for the Earth. The Global Water Cycle plays a central role in global atmospheric circulations, controlling the global energy cycle (through latent heat) as well as the carbon, nutrient and sediment cycles. Recent research indicates that afternoon storms are more likely to develop when soils are parched. The study was funded in part by the WATCH ('Water and global change') project, which was backed with EUR 9.9 million under the 'Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems' Thematic area of the FP6.]]> Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27613 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_11_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27413 A new pan-European study suggests that the economic value of forests will decline between 14 % and 50 % due to climate change. If measures are not taken to change this, the damage could reach several hundred billion euros, say researchers led by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research in Switzerland. The study was presented in the journal Nature Climate Change.]]> Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-11:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_11_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27413 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27253 Almost all coral reefs are expected to be subject to severe degradation, that is unless action is undertaken to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions – and an assumption that corals can adapt at extremely rapid rates. And even if all the assumptions are correct, only two thirds of the coral reefs will be safe according to a study recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Given the important role that coral reefs play in the marine ecosystem, these findings are alarming. It is estimated that coral reefs house almost a quarter of the species in the oceans and provide critical services such as coastal protection, tourism and fishing to millions of people worldwide. All these services could be at risk as global warming and ocean acidification, both driven by human-caused carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, pose a major threat to these ecosystems.]]> Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27253 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_09_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=26933 Researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom have uncovered the mystery behind the rapid sea level rise in the past by using climate and ice sheet models. Funded in part by a Marie Curie Action grant under the FP7, the results showed that the process, called 'saddle collapse', generated two rapid sea level rise events: the Meltwater pulse 1a (MWP1a), some 14 600 years ago, and the '8 200 year' events. The results were published in the journal Nature.]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-09-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_09_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=26933 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_07_30_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=26253 Researchers in Finland and the United Kingdom suggest that the warming Arctic climate could turn existing shrubs into trees in the coming years. The finding, presented in the journal Nature Climate Change, reveals that patches of forest can emerge across the tundra, which in turn could speed up the planet's warming. The study was funded in part by the ECOCHANGE ('Creating conditions for persistence of biodiversity in the face of climate change') project, which has received a Marie Curie 'Promoting sciences' grant worth EUR 173 400 under the FP7.]]> Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-07-30:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_07_30_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=26253 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-cb-wr-med&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=25613 The Mediterranean Basin is one of the regions in the world most vulnerable to climate change, as well as one of the most impacted by human water demand. Reduced river flows, lowered lake and ground water levels, and the drying up of wetlands are commonplace.]]> Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-07-02:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-cb-wr-med&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=25613