Simulating how the Earth kick-started metabolism
Researchers have developed a new approach to simulating the energetic processes that may have led to the emergence of cell metabolism on Earth - a crucial biological function for all living organisms.
Environment News
The first animals created a world hospitable to complex life forms
The first animals may have oxygenated the Earth's oceans - contrary to the traditional view that a rise in oxygen triggered their development, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience.
Dry times in the Amazon add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
As the climate changes, the Amazon Basin may release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it absorbs, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.
Researchers grapple with nuclear legacy
The University of Leeds will lead a consortium of 10 universities in a national research programme looking at ways of dealing with Britain's nuclear waste.
Children and researchers create eco-comic
Penguins wearing reflective hats and cars that run on tomato ketchup are among the highlights of a new graphic novel published by the University of Leeds' Centre in Low Carbon Technologies.
Climate change scientists must turn their attention to clean skies
Natural aerosols, such as emissions from volcanoes or plants, may contribute more uncertainty than previously thought to estimates of how the climate might respond to greenhouse gas emissions.
University of Leeds to train next generation of environmental scientists
The University of Leeds is spearheading the drive to recruit the next generation of environmental scientists.
Astronomers and global change scientists collaborate to observe our planet like never before
For the first time, astronomers and global change researchers are collaborating to measure changes at a global scale on our own planet, beginning with tropical forests.
Plant scientists have been studying wrong plant
Scientists have misunderstood one of the most fundamental processes in the life of plants because they have been looking at the wrong flower, according to University of Leeds researchers.
Ecologists uncover 'hyperdominant' tree species in the Amazon
Academics from the University of Leeds have joined researchers from around the world to generate the first basin-wide estimates of the abundance and distribution of trees in the Amazon rainforest.