We have plenty of scientific news related to COP in this month's HOT TOPIC section in ECHO, which we invite you to browse below. For instance, ECH members Alina Brad and Etienne Schneider recently published a paper on carbon dioxide removal technologies and mitigation deterrence in the EU. The ECHO Editorial team was able to catch-up with Max Nutz, a University of Vienna Alumnus  who spent one week at the COP28 in Dubai as an observer. In the section "Environment @ UNIVIE", we present an exciting study showing how neuroscience can contribute to the fight against climate change. This Nature Climate Change publication is led by ECH Member Kim Doell published with other ECH members (Sabine Pahl, Claus Lamm, Mat White). Look out for more interesting scientific news in the Media Corner of ECHO and get involved in activities on environment, climate and sustainability at the University and beyond, listed in the  "Activities @ UNIVIE" section.

Enjoy reading our Newsletter!

-The ECHO Editorial Team

 

Max Nutz, a recent University of Vienna graduate in Physics- now working at Geosphere Austria - had the chance to attend the first week of COP28 in Dubai as an observer. We were able to sit down with him after his return to give us his unique insights of the conference.

After winning a participation badge via the CCCA he attended  week one of COP28. Max described his experience as overall very positive. In his words, beyond the focus on political discussions  COP covers a wide spectrum of themes and events for different expert groups, thereby acting like a Bazaar. However, one of the surprising things that Max observed was that despite being in the same space, different groups and actors were assigned to different events and sites, making interaction across fields almost impossible. For instance, interest groups were often in different rooms for discussions and thus political negotiations excluded many of the other voices. As a result, there seems to be very little direct scientific input into the negotiation process during the two weeks of the conference. From his perspective as an informed observer, who only had access to some negotiation events, it was difficult to follow and comprehend the process that led to specific outcomes.

Yet, Max is certain that "science remains at the heart of the COP, although it often seems to lack a voice". Max thinks, it is a remarkable achievement that international leaders were able to negotiate something as substantial as the Paris Agreement, while also noting that there is an obvious disconnect between science and politics during the COP events. Ultimately, he was positively surprised by the outcome in Dubai: an agreement that mentions a "transition away from fossil fuels" for the first time. In his view this is a solid step in the right direction despite the lack of a clear plan for a fossil-fuel "phase-out" and comittment to a timeline; a stance many, including himself, had hoped for to be the minimum output of this years COP negotiations.

 

Mine waste poses risk to sensitive ecosystems

Researchers at the University of Queensland have found that about 33% of the end waste of world’s largest mines are deposited within or near protected conservation areas. This poses a great risk to the surrounding landscapes flora and fauna.

 

 Food security in East Africa can be enhanced by satellite technology

New techniques in satellite analysis will be used by scientists at the University of Leeds to help farmers in Kenya respond to global warming and environmental degradation.

 

A new catalyst makes for easy and clean degradation of durable plastic pollution

Northwestern University chemists have developed a catalyst capable of rapidly breaking down polyamide, commonly known as Nylon, a durable plastic found in fishing nets, carpet, and clothing, which poses environmental threats due to its persistence. The catalyst, utilizing yttrium and lanthanide ions, operates without toxic solvents at temperatures below 220 C°, the mildest conditions reported so far. The new catalyst efficiently recovers monomers from polyamide, potentially enabling upcycling into higher-value products, offering a promising solution toward better recycling.

 

 

Ice sheets of the Antarctia tell us about Earths future dynamic changes.

Variations in Antarctica's ice sheets have historically expanded and contracted in cycles spanning millions of years, corresponding to the natural orbital oscillations of Earth. However, scholars from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, along with their global collaborators, have recently discovered that during the Miocene epoch, the frequency of these ice sheet fluctuations was greater than previously understood.

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Researchers at the University of Vienna are working on the materials of the future - what can they do and how will they change our lives?
On Monday, 15 January 2024, 18:00, the panel discussion on the current semester question will take place. Mark Miodownik, materials scientist at University College London, will give the keynote speech. Miodownik is a presenter of science programmes on radio and television in the UK, writes very successful science books and is also a regular contributor to the Guardian and the Times.

On 18 January 2024 at 19:00 there will be an online fireside chat by the CCCA Young Scientists Working Group as a follow-up to COP28. Max Nutz (Geosphere Austria, AG Nawu) and Dr Sarah Louise Nash (UWK, BOKU) will talk about their experiences at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai. 
The Zoom link will be sent out shortly before the event!