Hanging around: Ig Nobel Awarded for Rhino Transport Discovery

Zehrah Nanji on 29 January 2022

An experiment to observe upside down rhinos has won an Ig Nobel prize. The Ig Nobels were introduced in 1991 for the purpose of awarding trivial or humorous advances in the field of science. A US publication known as The Annals of Improbable Research organises them. While these Ig Nobels are not as renowned as an actual Nobel Prizes, they still highlight some pretty cool advancements in science!

Namibia, Africa is home to 1/3 of the world’s 5,500 black rhinos. Conservationists have to tactically relocate the animals in order to preserve local populations and encourage genetic diversity. Many rhinos are moved to national parks, free from poachers who hunt them down for their horns. Others are moved to conservancies: community preserves that attract visitors and tourists, increasing revenue by promising rhino sightings. 

Transporting animals that weigh over 1 tonne can be an extremely difficult task.  Furthermore, Namibia’s rough terrain, of savannah to sand dunes means it’s unrealistic to move them via streets. 

Helicopters have been used for the transportation of rhinos, they are sedated and flown hanging upside down. However, little was known about the clinical risks of this method.

Robin Radcliffe and colleagues conducted a study to understand If the rhino’s health would be affected by being suspended by their legs below a helicopter. Potent opioids have side effects that include reduced oxygen in the blood, higher metabolism, and respiratory depression. Therefore, the side effects of tranquilisers on the health of these animals was taken into consideration. Twelve were suspended rhinos from a crane and their physical responses measured. Results showed that being dangled upside down was the least unsafe position for them. 

Physiological effects were roughly the same as when the rhinos were upright, and the animal’s developed hypoxia. However, both oxygen levels and measures of ventilation were higher when the animals were upside down. Unexpectedly, ventilation was improved through suspension rather than when the rhinos were lying chest down or on their sides. This may have been due to the high level of blood flow through the lower part of the lung, however there was a lack of perfusion of the upper part of the lung due to gravity. Therefore, when a rhino is hanging upside down, it is essentially like its standing up- there is equal perfusion of the lung. 

This research changed rhino translocation as well as elephant translocation. Moving these animals by their feet is now recognised and accepted. It has now encouraged the idea of conducting similar research on other species including hippopotamuses and buffalos.

Disabled people risk being left in the cold in a sustainable energy future, University of Leeds researchers warn

GryphonEditorAdm on 13 December 2021

A new study reveals that disabled households in the European Union currently consume 10% less energy than other households, as well as being 5% more likely to experience energy poverty.

University of Leeds researchers warn that disabled people in the EU are already energy disadvantaged and therefore need greater consideration in planning for energy policy aimed at tackling the climate crisis.

The study, published today in Nature Energy, provides a comprehensive analysis of the energy use of disabled households in the European Union — including England — in various energy consumption areas, such as transport, leisure, food and health services. 

Using consumption data from 19 countries in the EU in 2010, Dr Diana Ivanova and Professor Lucie Middlemiss of the Sustainability Research Institute, show that while disabled people use less energy, it is not necessarily through choice and potentially it is at the cost of disabled people not having their needs met for energy and other resources.

Professor Middlemiss said: “Disabled people are largely invisible in environmental policy and practice, and rarely discussed as having particular needs or facing particular challenges. This is a glaring oversight as we try to move towards a more sustainable future.

“Following the Glasgow COP26 climate change conference, we are all thinking more about how our energy consumption should change but that cannot come at the cost of people with different needs.

“It is critical to understand how disabled people are consuming their energy, and if their current needs are being met. This will enable us to reduce energy consumption safely and in a way that allows disabled people to live decent lives.”

Disabled household energy use for basic needs and services, such as food, energy at home, water, and waste, is similar to other households. However, disabled households have lower energy use for leisure services, such as recreation, hotels, restaurants and travel services.

Disabled households also have lower energy consumption for mobility, both in air transport and motor fuel, and lower energy spend on education than other households – suggesting lower opportunities to access education.

It is notable that disabled households tend to under-consume transport and leisure activities even when compared to households with similar incomes.

Disabled households’ limited consumption of leisure services highlights an important inequality, suggesting that disabled people have fewer opportunities to engage in fun and relaxing activities that require energy consumption.

The similar consumption of energy for basic needs between disabled and non-disabled households of the same income is also a concern. Often, disabled people have a greater need for energy in the home: for life-supporting machinery or to keep warmer, or wash more frequently than others.

In the light of these greater needs, the similar consumption levels to other households suggest that energy in the home might be being under-consumed by disabled households.

To date, there is very limited research on the needs and experiences of disabled people in the environmental literature. This is despite the fact that disabled people are regularly supported by governments in developed nations (including EU nations) and seen as important targets of social policy.

Professor Middlemiss said: “Disabled people may also be more vulnerable to climate change consequences such as extreme temperatures or emergency relief being inaccessible.

“When we consider that of the 446 million people living in the European Union, around 100 million are believed to be disabled, disability is a topic that merits more attention from environmental scholars and policymakers.

“These findings also support our earlier call to include the energy poor, in all their diversity, in energy transition planning.”

The paper Characterising the energy use of disabled people in the European Union towards inclusion in the energy transition is published in Nature Energy 13 December 2021 (DOI: 10.1038/s41560-021-00932-4)

What You Missed from COP26

Caitlin Pallett on 1 December 2021

Last month, the world’s superpowers met in Glasgow to discuss a topic on everyone’s minds: climate change and what can we do about it? For some, COP26 was a great success; for other’s it felt like we’d once again achieved nothing. Whatever your thoughts, here are some initiatives that flew under the radar. 

Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance:

Launched by Denmark and Costa Rica, this alliance will require countries to set a definitive end date for licensing new oil and gas. Members will also need to draw up plans to phase out existing use of oil and gas. 

The absence of major oil and gas producers during the launch of this initiative, such as the UK, US and Russia, raised a few eyebrows, but Danish Climate and Energy Minister Dan Jorgensen is hopeful that the alliance will grow quickly The current members have stated that although they do not produce masses of oil and coal, their pledge to the alliance will ensure that natural land is preserved and not used for drilling.  

Zero-emissions Vehicles Declaration:

The UK has set its own target to stop selling vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) by 2040 and led discussions about the Global Declaration on Zero-emission vehicles. Over 30 countries and businesses have now agreed to stop selling ICE vehicles by 2040. The three largest car markets: the US, Germany, and China, are yet to sign, but some businesses and geographic regions within these nations have signed independently. 

There are similar initiatives, which aim to reduce the carbon footprint of the public transport and aviation sector. Signatories of the “Count Us In Declaration” will stop selling ICE buses by 2030 and 18 nations, representing 40% of current aviation emissions, have adopted pre-2050 aviation targets that could be vital in keeping warming to 1.5°C. 

Green Shipping Corridors:

The launch of the Clydebank Declaration will see the creation of six green shipping corridors between global ports as trial locations for emerging clean transport technologies. The initial corridors will be relatively short but long-haul routes are likely to be added by 2030. 

The declaration has been signed by 20 nations, including the UK and the US. The technologies that will be tested along these green shipping routes include hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and electrification. 

The Sustainable Agriculture Agenda:

According to the WWF, agricultural food systems have contributed to over 30% of global carbon emissions and two thirds of biodiversity loss to date. In an attempt to “put people, nature and climate at the core of our food systems,” 45 countries have signed on to a new Policy Action Agenda, which aims to help policymakers create a low-carbon, deforestation-free and fair-trade food production system. In support of this, the World Economic Fund is planning to launch a new initiative to help 100 million farmers access funding and new technology. 

Supermarkets have also pledged to reduce the negative impacts that food systems have on nature and the climate. The Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose have all committed to halve the environmental impact of supply chains and have set deforestation, food waste, marine and land stewardship and packaging targets for 2030. Their progress will be reported annually and monitored by the WWF. 

The Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, stated that countries have consistently treated nature “like a toilet” throughout history and urged them to start treating biodiversity conservation as a priority. The UK has pledged to deliver £3 billion for the International Climate Finance on Nature and Biodiversity. £40 million of this will be used to establish a Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate. This Global Centre will research new methods of biodiversity conservation and how biodiversity can contribute to decarbonisation. The rest will go towards other projects, including conserving five hectares of rainforest, and developing sustainable forest supply chains in the tropics, ensuring that biodiversity globally is respected and protected. 

Why does first year go so quickly?

Finn Laslett on 15 November 2021

If you’ve started university this year, you’re guaranteed to hear someone tell you how quickly it will all be over. It’s a bittersweet phrase not dissimilar to “the best years of your life”, and one that seems to hold true in many, but not all, cases. Regardless, if that does turn out to be your experience, why might that be?