A Special Place for Blog Lovers with a Touch of Science!

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A Study Shows the Influence of Man on Trees' Abundance

There are more than 3 trillion trees on Earth a study lead* by Yale University found. That means about 422 trees per person. Yet, since man inhabited the planet he managed to destroy almost 46 percent of the total number of the trees! And the process doesn't stop. Almost 15 billion trees diminish each year because of our actions... 

"Trees are among the most prominent and critical organisms on Earth, yet we are only recently beginning to comprehend their global extent and distribution," said Thomas Crowther, lead author of the study and a Yale Climate & Energy Institute post-doctoral fellow at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. "We have nearly halved the number of trees on the planet, and we've seen the impacts on climate and human health as a result…"

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Time to Listen. Time to Understand. Time to Act!

We live in unprecedent times. Times that call for our awareness – as individuals and as a society. Times that will determine how our children and their children will live. How the whole planet will live. So, it is time… time to listen to those who want to help us see. To those who want to make us believe. To those who call us for action.

In a series of publications, we will share with you the inspiring, thrilling, eye-opening and sometimes hard to handle words by people who have dedicated their lives to natural world and its well-being. For it is determinative for the well-being of all of us...

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The international scientific conference "Green Sciences for Green Life", that will take place in Vienna, Austria, from 8th to 11th of December 2020, has extended the deadline for abstract submission and early bird registration until 31st of October.

The event is one a kind platform for presenting ideas, studies and innovations in the sphere of green technologies and the way they can be used in solving the biggest challenges that our planet and all of her inhabitants face today. It is a great opportunity to be up to date with the latest trends, meet your colleagues and future collaborators, and last, but not least – visit one of the most beautiful European cities just a few days before Christmas!

More about the main topics of the conference and the different ways to participate can be found here: sgemviennagreen.org

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Scientists from the University of Portsmouth have created a new super enzyme that breaks down plastic bottles. The process is 6 times faster than before.

So far, PET plastic (recycling polyethylene terephthalate), used for the production of single-use drink bottles, carpets, and clothing, has been broken down by the PETase enzyme, engineered by the same team. Now the researchers have added another enzyme, MHETase, to the process and managed to significantly speed it up. Both enzymes were found in a plastic-eating bug discovered in 2016 at a Japanese waste site. 

portrait: John Cairns via wikipedia.org

"Our natural world is so much more than just "nice to have". It's fundamental to our survival."

It took Sir David Attenborough just 4 hours and 44 minutes to gather 1 mln. Instagram followers when he made his "social debut" last week! "The world is in trouble – says the world-known broadcaster. - Continents are on fire, glaciers are melting, coral reefs are dying, fish are disappearing from our oceans. The list goes on and on… But we know what to do about it, and that's why I'm tackling this new way of communication".