Science for Environment Policy - Homepage

Grazing cattle and ponies using a rewilding approach could lower tick densities and disease hazard, a study in a UK Lyme disease hotspot found. With few strategies to cut tickborne illness, the work offers a potential starting point.

Encouraging people to grow vegetables in their gardens could both improve garden biodiversity and foster an environmental consciousness that buffers against biodiversity declines in cities, suggests a study of suburban Paris.

European allotments cool an area estimated at 2.8 times their size, potentially benefiting 4.1 million people. Prioritising allotments in areas of high population density could mitigate urban heat islands.

Microbes becoming resistant to antibiotics – known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – is a leading threat to global health. Tracing relevant genes in sewage could help address this challenge, according to recent research.

Building a nature-positive economy is essential for Europe's prosperity, resilience and sustainable competitiveness.

Plastics play an important role in our daily lives and economy. These materials are widely used in food packaging, medical equipment, construction, and beyond.

A study with a First Nations community in Canada showed how principles such as reciprocity and responsibility could be foregrounded in kelp farming and harvesting. This lays the groundwork for indigenous involvement in these industries and offers new thinking to the broader Blue Economy.

Floods greatly change river ecosystems, but some habitats shield species from the worst effects. Scientists studied stretches of 10 Swiss rivers with different levels of human modification, finding a broader range of habitats and more safe havens where restoration recreated natural river dynamics.

Urban estuaries are being increasingly contaminated by pathogens. A review explores their key sources, transmission pathways, and the environmental and human-related factors influencing their persistence, also assessing the strengths and weaknesses of current monitoring and risk assessment methods.

Agriculture accounts for up to one-third of human-made greenhouse gas emissions. This study of north-central Italian maize farms found that regenerative practices can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining productivity, with implications for policy decisions.