Earth and Environment - Environment

This weekend we will be switching to a new system for handling student queries. From 16 March you can track the status of your question or request in your portal. Click to read the news article. Better insulation and ventilation in social housing means that children need less medication for asthma or allergies.

Dairy's expanding climate footprint. The dairy sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and a key focus of climate strategies. Cattle generate roughly 60% of all livestock emissions, including methane from enteric fermentation and manure, nitrous oxide from manure and fertilisers, and carbon dioxide from feed production, farm machinery, and other fossil-fuel-dependent activities.

Underground, intricate networks of soil fungi underpin the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Yet despite their global importance, only 30% of global ecosystems have been sampled for these fungal partners, says research led by Justin Stewart, ecologist at VU Amsterdam and the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN).

Forests in Europe are under pressure from logging, forest fires, storms and pests. Rapid insight into where and when disturbances occur is crucial for sustainable forest management and nature conservation policy.

Does feeding less protein over a longer period not only reduce nitrogen losses, but also affect methane emissions? Researchers at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) investigated this in a multi-year study with dairy cows, funded by the Vereniging Diervoederonderzoek Nederland (VDN), LVVN and the Melkveefonds.

A birthday is a reason to celebrate, but also a moment to look back, reflect on the present and look ahead. That is exactly what Wageningen University & Research did during its 108th Dies Natalis. The event focused on responsible change making and on reflecting on WUR's role in the world.