Author: Esther Prytherch [ejp14]

Climate change experts will gather at Aberystwyth University for a week of events to discuss challenges ahead of the COP26 summit. First Minister Mark Drakeford, EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius and environmental policy expert Professor Julian Agyeman will be among the keynote speakers at the University’s inaugural Festival of Research which begins on 18 October… Continue reading Climate change research festival at Aberystwyth University looks ahead to COP26 challenges

The implications of climate change on international politics will be the subject of this year’s Kenneth Waltz Memorial Lecture, which takes place online on Thursday 14 October. Hosted by the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, the Kenneth Waltz Memorial Lecture 2021 will be given by Professor Jan Selby of the University of Sheffield.… Continue reading Public lecture to consider international politics in the context of climate change

Rapidly thawing Arctic permafrost has the potential to release radioactive waste from cold war nuclear submarines and reactors, antibiotic resistant bacteria and potentially undiscovered viruses, an Aberystwyth University researcher has jointly found. Writing in Nature Climate Change, Dr Arwyn Edwards, from the Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences, co-authored the newly published research paper with academics… Continue reading Rapidly warming Arctic could cause spread of nuclear waste, undiscovered viruses and dangerous chemicals, new report finds

Aberystwyth University scientists will investigate adopting a technique to speed up Miscanthus breeding in an effort to meet climate change targets as part of a £4 million UK government package to boost biomass production. Thanks to investment from the UK Government’s Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme, researchers will make the case for integrating a technique called… Continue reading Speeding up Miscanthus breeding to combat climate change

The Greenland Ice Sheet could be under threat from microbes on its surface multiplying faster than they are washed away in a warming climate, according to new research from Aberystwyth University. The Greenland Ice Sheet is the largest mass of ice in the northern hemisphere. It covers an area about seven times the size of… Continue reading Microbe build-up on Greenland could mean more ice loss says research

Research involving Aberystwyth University academics is investigating the part disease and pollution are playing in the decline in the African penguin population, a species which faces extinction within the next thirty to eighty years. The international project looking at the health reasons for the ongoing fall in the birds’ numbers has kicked off with an… Continue reading New health research to help save African penguins from extinction

Scientists have used fibre-optic sensing to obtain the most detailed measurements of ice properties ever taken on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Their findings will be used to make more accurate models of the future movement of the world’s second-largest ice sheet, as the effects of climate change continue to accelerate. The research team, led by… Continue reading Fibre-optics used to take the temperature of Greenland Ice Sheet

A research project to promote the development of oats as a healthy food product and a climate-resistant crop in Wales and Ireland has been awarded a major European grant. The ‘Healthy Oats’ project will benefit from a €2.18 million from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Ireland-Wales Cooperation Programme through the Welsh… Continue reading Major grant for healthy oats project

An innovative eco-engineering project that aims to turn sea defences and other artificial structures into thriving marine habitats has won a major European Union award. The Aberystwyth University led Ecostructure project was presented with the Better World award by singer Sting at the 2020 .eu Web Awards, held on Wednesday 16 December 2020. Read article…

Crickets and beetles could become a common part of our diets, thanks to new academic research. Insects are a common feature of people’s everyday diets in countries around the world, such as Mexico, China and Ghana. These insect-based foods offer a more environmentally-friendly source of protein than many other food stuffs, and could help feed… Continue reading Beetle burgers or cricket snacks? Insect-based food on Aberystwyth research menu