MIT researchers uncovered the roles of bacteria from the environment as they worked together to break down biodegradable plastic. Understanding how microbes break down plastics could help scientists create more sustainable materials or microbial systems that convert plastic waste into useful materials.

Climate researchers at ETH Zurich show where planting trees makes the most sense with a view to achieving the greatest possible cooling effect on the climate. Reforestation in tropical regions has the greatest cooling effect. Tree planting in the northern hemisphere, on the other hand, reduces the reflection of sunlight and has no effect or even contributes to global warming. The cooling effect on the climate will be a maximum of 0.25°C by 2100. This contribution is important, but it cannot replace the urgently required reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

According to the results, without the exceptionally high sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic and in the Mediterranean, rainfall on the most extreme day of the episode could have been up to 40% lower. The study highlights the importance of high-resolution global simulations to better understand the impacts of climate change and improve preparedness for its social and economic effects.