An analysis of flash flood forecasting in Europe has produced recommendations for emergency planners and others to improve flood risk management in vulnerable regions. In particular, the researchers recommend improved data collection and sharing, a common European policy for flash flood forecasting, and that local risk management recognises the specific challenges presented by flash floods.

Effective flood-risk communications should include specific information on how householders can protect themselves and their property against flooding, a recent Dutch study concludes. The researchers’ evaluation of communication strategies also highlights an important role for social media in spreading messages about flood risk and protection.

Researchers at the Stowers Institute have established a definitive link between the makeup of the microbiome, the host immune response, and an organism's ability to heal itself.

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A new class of drugs called HIF-2 inhibitors is more effective and better tolerated than the standard of care drug sunitinib in treating kidney cancer, researchers with the Kidney Cancer Program at Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.

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The study, published today in Nature Microbiology, holds promise for a new treatment method against antibiotic-resistant bacteria (commonly known as superbugs).

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Crane fly larvae cause considerable damage to agricultural crops and young trees throughout Europe. New research has demonstrated that certain strains of fungi have significant potential to control crane fly infestations, thus reducing the use of chemical insecticides and enabling more environmentally-friendly strategies for pest control.

New research has investigated the long-term effects of applying sewage sludge to Spanish soils. The results indicate that sludge enhances soil properties, but recommends a maximum dose of 40 tons per hectare, applied biannually. Above this level, it appears the soil properties will not improve and may even worsen.

Restoration of upland bog habitats by blocking drainage channels has caused concern among some sheep farmers that this will reduce the quality of grazing areas. However, UK researchers have shown that drainage does not encourage growth of plants favoured by sheep, nor do sheep use drained areas more. Therefore they conclude such restoration measures are unlikely to detrimentally affect sheep grazing.

The number and impacts of disasters have increased in Europe in the period 1998-2009, a new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) concludes. The report assesses the frequency of disasters and their impacts on humans, the economy and ecosystems and calls for better integrated risk management across Europe.

For people in the UK to eat the recommended 280 grams of fish per week, the country would have to rely on aquaculture and increasingly on imports of both wild and farmed fish from poorer countries, a recent study has revealed. This can have social and environmental implications and the researchers urge governments, particularly in developed countries, to consider nutritional advice in a global context, to minimise the impact of fish exports from poorer countries.

Ship noise increases shore crabs’ metabolism, a new study suggests. The researchers found that larger crabs were particularly affected by recordings of ship noise in controlled experiments. Increased metabolism is a sign of stress and could potentially reduce the growth of crabs and have implications for their survival, as well as for fisheries.

The noise generated by commercial shipping can impair the ability of the critically endangered European eel to avoid predators, new research has found. The results show that marine noise can have serious effects on these animals with potentially fatal consequences.

Companies that adopt the environmental management system ISO 14000, designed to help reduce businesses’ environmental impacts, generally back this up with sincere investment in environmentally-friendly practices, research suggests. Researchers found that adoption of the ISO 14000 was not ‘greenwash’, but reflected a move towards more sustainable practices in both European and North American companies.

Standards for environmental management, such as EMAS and ISO 14001, aim to help organisations become more sustainable, but they have received little evaluation. A new Italian study is the first to quantitatively compare the impacts of these two standards. Its results suggest that EMAS's stipulation that organisations must report their ongoing performance may bring sustained environmental benefits in the longer term.

The lifetime environmental impacts of non-electrical consumer products, such as clothes, could be cut by over 40% if consumers maintained them in a more environmentally friendly manner, new research suggests. The study found the impacts of eco-designed products fell significantly when user guidelines were included in the eco-design.

A new study by European researchers highlights the important contribution of greenhouse gases (GHGs) other than carbon dioxide to climate change and suggests policy measures to help reduce their impact. The study provides improved estimates of the current GHG balance of Europe, taking nitrous oxide and methane into account.

A new study has developed a scoring system that could help authorities approve proposals for onshore wind plants. It considered four aspects of a wind farm: the technical properties, the social impact, the environmental impact and the share of earnings offered as compensation for any negative effects.

According to UK researchers, caution must be taken in the use of shale gas until more is known about its environmental impacts. Using US data, they estimated the additional emissions associated with the extraction of gas from shale compared to that of conventional sources and highlighted concerns from the US that extraction could bring significant risks of ground and surface water contamination.

New research has investigated the complex relationship between energy consumption and public health, by analysing historical data from around the world. It indicates that electricity does not provide additional health benefits for countries with low levels of infant mortality, and that increased coal consumption has negative health impacts.

Over a 20-year time period, the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of shale gas is greater than that of coal, oil or conventional gas, according to a recent study. Methane emissions make up most of this footprint. This suggests that substituting conventional fossil fuels with shale gas may not have the desired effect to mitigate climate warming in the short-term.

A potential method for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with extracting energy from oil shale has been highlighted by a recent study. A ‘self-fuelling’ method that recycles waste gas could cut GHGs emissions by 50% compared to the conventional oil shale product and 70% compared to crude oil.

The risk of contamination of ground and surface waters and leakage of methane emissions remain key concerns associated with shale gas projects, according to a recent assessment. This is particularly the case if monitoring and regulatory systems are not rigorously enforced. In addition, investment in shale gas could divert resources needed to develop a low-carbon economy, suggest the report’s authors.

Scientists’ best estimates of the Energy Return on Investment (EROI) of oil shale suggest it is very inefficient compared to conventional fuel and emits up to 75% more greenhouse gases (GHGs. However, differences in the way energy efficiency is calculated can cause confusion over its potential use, according to the US study.

The majority of respondents to a UK survey would like to see labels explaining the carbon footprint of the food they buy. 72% of the supermarket shoppers questioned were in favour of carbon labels on food. The survey also found that 42% had changed their shopping habits in the last 10 years in response to environmental concerns.

Coral reef formation is already decreasing worldwide. A new study predicts that formation will drop to 60% of its natural rate if anthropogenic CO2 emissions continue to rise over the next century and keep acidifying the oceans.

Despite Atlantic cod and haddock extending further into Arctic waters, a new study reveals there is little competition for food between the invaders and native polar cod. However, it is uncertain whether climate change will increase competition between the species as range expansion of the Atlantic species progresses.

The Fukushima accident in Japan has sparked international debate on nuclear energy. A new study has identified five factors which may have influenced the contrasting energy policy responses to the incident in the UK and Germany. Following the disaster, the UK is continuing to back nuclear power generation, whilst Germany is withdrawing support.

Regulators should establish a process to consider the full lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of electric vehicles, according to a new US study. This would help ensure that vehicle emissions regulations are placed on a sound scientific basis, manufacturers continue to improve the efficiency of electric vehicles, and the full benefit of regulations to limit GHG emissions from vehicles are realised, say the researchers.

Researchers have found that ocean acidification leads to changes in the ways that clownfish normally respond to sound. As many species rely on hearing for orientation, habitat selection, avoiding predators and communication, ocean acidification could compromise auditory behaviour crucial for survival.

Conserving salt marshes helps protect our coasts, according to research which shows that they stabilise shorelines and protect them from damage by incoming waves. Their benefits are particularly significant in light of the destruction caused by storms and flooding, which are likely to increase under climate change.

Implementing energy efficiency measures in existing housing stock could save 10% of current heating consumption by 2020 and 20% by 2030, according to a recent study of nine European countries. Planning authorities can play a major role by providing support and unbiased information to all stakeholders involved in the renovations.

Motivating homeowners to carry out energy-efficient refurbishments remains a significant challenge for policymakers. New research from Germany has called for more government incentives and better communication strategies to ensure homeowners are aware of the advantages of making energy saving changes to their homes.

A UK Government scheme, designed to help finance energy efficiency improvements in the home, has been assessed in a recent study. The researchers advise that better information for homeowners is needed to encourage uptake of the ‘Green Deal’ initiative, and point to Germany’s Passivhaus standard as an aspirational model for green retrofitting.

New research on climate-driven reductions in Arctic sea ice has predicted that, by 2040 to 2059, new shipping routes will become passable across the Arctic, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. An increase in traffic has implications for the ecosystems of this fragile area.

Despite better public transport and more energy-efficient housing, city dwellers have a larger carbon footprint than those in rural areas, according to a recent Finnish study. This is partly explained by the phenomenon of ‘parallel consumption’ in which people extend their living space by using services that the home also provides.

Warming of coastal areas due to climate change is already having an important impact on fishing catches in the North Atlantic, according to a new study. The study also suggests that rising levels of nitrogen pollution, due to run-off from farming and sewage disposal, will pose a serious threat to fisheries in the near future if left unchecked.

Noise caused by construction of Germany’s first offshore wind farm caused significant habitat disturbance for harbour porpoises, according to a recent study. Its results suggest that porpoises avoided areas up to 20 kilometres from the noise source during construction of the wind farm’s foundations.

The largest ice sheet in the world, the east Antarctic ice sheet, may succumb to climate change faster than thought, according to recent research. Warming ocean currents, triggered by shifting wind patterns, could accelerate melting of the ice sheet, leading to a rise in sea levels, say the researchers.

Simple measures to upgrade buildings by improvements to insulation or heating systems could result in energy savings of up to 85% in Italian homes, according to recent research. Across Europe, such measures could potentially provide energy savings of more than 40% on average, say the researchers.

Deep-water fish living along the Irish-UK continental slope remove more than a million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year, according to a recent study. Continental slope ecosystems play an important role in carbon sequestration, which should be considered before exploiting deep-water resources, say the researchers.