Articles from Science for Environment Policy

A new approach to urban adaptation: upgrading resilience
Adaptation to climate change in urban regions is a major policy concern. Rather than focus specifically on risk reduction, a new report has reframed the adaptation challenge, giving it a broader focus of increasing an area´s resilience and performance and proposing local-level approaches to leveraging finance for adaptation initiatives. Download article (PDF)

Are threatened European plant species conserved in seed banks?
A new European study has assessed whether seed banks are successfully conserving European plant species threatened by extinction. The findings indicate that threatened species are only partly conserved by seed banks, and that these facilities need to focus their future efforts on filling gaps in their collections. Download article (PDF)

Negative impact of landfill is reduced by choice of liner
A new study has shown that contamination of groundwater by hazardous substances contained in waste liquid from landfill sites - known as leachate - could be significantly reduced by choosing specific types of material to line the landfill reactors. Download article (PDF)

Bio-monitoring of produced water from an oil field
New research has examined the impact of Produced Water (PW) discharges from a Norwegian oil field, using mussels to monitor the quality of the environment. The findings indicated the effectiveness of a bio-monitoring approach to study the chemical and biological influences of off-shore exploitation activities. Download article (PDF)

Broader behavioural focus needed to mitigate climate change
Policy efforts have focused on modifying individual behaviour as one strategy to address climate change. However, this has been met with limited success and a new UK study suggests that policies to encourage behaviour change need to operate on multiple levels and that there is a need for greater co-ordination between individuals, governments, businesses and communities. Download article (PDF)

Is climate change increasing viral disease in farm animals?
Since 1998, there have been increasing outbreaks of the viral disease Bluetongue among European livestock. Using a newly developed climate-based model that accurately predicts past outbreaks, researchers have provided evidence that climate change is a major driver of these outbreaks. Download article (PDF)

Top tips to improve urban bird diversity
Planting trees and maintaining a well-balanced mix of vegetation in urban `green spaces´ can enhance the species diversity of birds and compensate for the negative effect of building, according to new research. Scientists recommend that increasing tree cover rather than limiting new development is the most effective long-term strategy to improve bird diversity in cities. Download article (PDF)