Biodegradable microplastic particles in soils can lead to an increased rise in CO₂ emissions to the Earth's atmosphere. This is shown by an interdisciplinary study published in "Applied Soil Ecology" by the Collaborative Research Centre 1357 "Microplastics" at the University of Bayreuth. In this study, experts in soil ecology and ecological microbiology compare the effects of a conventional and a biodegradable plastic in different soils in a systematic way for the first time. The consequences for the microbial biomass in the soils, especially on bacteria and fungi, are also analyzed.
As a child, Dr Brigadier Libanda was fascinated by the weather report on TV. Today, he researches climate change and searches for solutions to this global problem - currently on a Humboldt Foundation fellowship at the University of Würzburg.
Water-soluble synthetic polymers (WSSPs) are found in many everyday products. What the consequences are when these plastics enter rivers, lakes and oceans is still largely unexplored. A team from the University of Bayreuth has now systematically investigated the effects on water fleas of the species Daphnia magna for the first time. The polymers selected for testing significantly alter the body size and reproduction of the animals in some cases. The research, published in Science of The Total Environment, shows that water-soluble polymers could have consequences for biodiversity and food chains in aquatic ecosystems that should not be underestimated.
In the future, small and medium-sized enterprises will be expected to include the topics of climate protection and climate neutrality in their information policy to a greater extent than before. The joint project "Climate Reporting at SMEs (KliK)", which started at the University of Bayreuth on 1 October 2022, is aimed at these companies. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding ”KliK” as a project on "Climate Protection and the Financial Sector (KlimFi)" for 30 months with around 590,000 euros.
Researchers at the TUMCREATE research platform on the Singapore campus of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed CityMoS – City Mobility Simulator. This concept is now supporting the city state in southern Asia in the electrification of transportation. It is also helping to calculate the impact of transportation on the heat generated in the city. CityMoS is already being deployed in Germany, where it is helping with the e transformation of a DHL Freight logistics terminal.
The European electricity market is one of the largest in the world in terms of its size and the volumes of electricity traded. It is divided into bidding zones in which consumers pay an identical price for electricity. This partition and the security of supply is regularly assessed by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), which is advised by a panel of international experts on adjustments required by energy policy. Recently, Dr. Martin Weibelzahl from the University of Bayreuth was appointed as a member.
Biologist Dr. Erik Frank is researching how an African ant species treats its wounded. To continue his work, the German Research Foundation (DFG) has now granted him an Emmy Noether group.
In the cultivation of organic cacao, many factors determine the yield. An international research team with scientists from the universities of Würzburgh and Göttingen has now identified important players and their combined effects.
Putting a price on CO₂ emissions and thus making emissions more expensive can make a significant contribution to reducing them. In a study published in the Economic Journal, Prof. Dr. Fabian Herweg, University of Bayreuth, and Prof. Dr. Klaus M. Schmidt, LMU Munich, compare two governmental instruments of carbon pricing with regard to their effectiveness: A carbon tax strengthens the willingness of households to voluntarily reduce CO₂ emissions. In contrast, a market for trading emission allowances that is based on a pre-determined emissions cap has a discouraging effect. It leads to higher emissions and shifts the burden of climate protection onto consumers with lower incomes.
The experimental "9 Euro Ticket" general transit pass has run its course and the calls for a successor pass are growing. A study conducted by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) accompanied more than 2000 people during the 9 Euro Ticket trial period, interviewing them on a regular basis. In addition to questions on mobility behavior, information on the price which the participants were willing to pay for a follow-up pass also played an important role.
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