Environment and Geography
Departmental news
Monday 21 October 2024
Earthworms are considered vital creatures that help keep soil healthy by eating and recycling organic matter, but they face an uncertain future due to climate change.
Friday 27 September 2024
A University of York researcher is helping to bring the world of bees to life in a landmark show at the World Museum in Liverpool.
Tuesday 10 September 2024
University of York Professor, Sarah Bridle, has launched a new podcast which aims to support people who want to reduce the environmental impact of food.
Wednesday 14 August 2024
England's National Parks, renowned for their natural beauty and diverse wildlife, are facing a hidden threat: pharmaceutical pollution.
Thursday 18 July 2024
The results of the 2024 National Student Survey have revealed the strengths of the Department of Environment and Geography.
Tuesday 16 July 2024
How climate change affects women in the urbanised and disadvantaged areas of the global south is being investigated by Dr Anika Haque
Friday 24 May 2024
The world of pollen is being explored in a new way, using experimental 3D printing techniques in a pioneering partnership between the University of York and RHS Garden Harlow Carr.
Thursday 23 May 2024
The UK’s saltmarshes are under threat from climate change, coastal erosion, and sea-level rise, according to a new study.
Thursday 25 April 2024
Coastal areas can be better protected from the effects of climate change and rising sea levels if both nature-based solutions are combined with ‘hard’ coastal defences, a new study has found.
Monday 8 April 2024
The boreal forest, covering much of Canada and Alaska, and the treeless shrublands to the north of the forest region, may be among the worst impacted by climate change over the next 500 years, according to a new study.
Friday 8 March 2024
Wild boar are to be given oral contraception in a pioneering programme to control the numbers of an animal that is becoming an increasing problem around parts of Europe.
Monday 29 January 2024
An enormous tsunami with gigantic waves reaching 20 metres submerged large parts of northern Europe and may have wiped out populations of people in Stone Age Britain, a new University of York study has discovered.
Tuesday 23 January 2024
New research mapping long-term international trends in trophy fishing has found declines in records for threatened species, adding to a growing body of evidence that these types of fish and sharks are becoming increasingly scarce.
Friday 24 November 2023
University of York researchers are monitoring how the creation of England’s biggest new native woodland could help stave off the worst effects of climate change, such as flooding.
Wednesday 13 September 2023
The Department of Environment and Geography has placed 11th in the Guardian University Guide 2024 for the subject of Earth and Marine Sciences.
Wednesday 30 August 2023
Local communities are not incentivised to protect tropical forests that are hugely valuable for global climate regulation, a new study has found.
Tuesday 22 August 2023
Air quality scientists have demonstrated that the most deprived areas in England experience the highest levels of air pollution emissions.
Friday 18 August 2023
How people value nature around the world is not properly reflected in key political and economic decisions, a new study has concluded.
Wednesday 16 August 2023
The results of a nationwide survey have revealed that the Department of Environment and Geography is home to some of the happiest students in the UK.
Tuesday 15 August 2023
A University of York glaciologist has helped compile a comprehensive dataset of Antarctica's topography - crucial in aiding scientists in making future predictions on ice loss and sea level rise.
Tuesday 1 August 2023
Removing ozone pollution across India could boost food welfare benefits by more than US$ 4 billion a year through avoidance of wheat yield losses of approximately 14 percent, according to the results of a pioneering international study.
Tuesday 18 July 2023
All UK habitats are set to be severely challenged by exposure to climate change in coming years, but some are facing far greater difficulties than others, according to a new paper authored by a University of York researcher.
Wednesday 26 April 2023
A new campaigning film made by the same team who devised the acclaimed BBC series ‘Wild Isles’ has been released, featuring University of York research that aims to transform the way businesses think about marine life and the UK’s coastline.
Friday 14 April 2023
Howard Peters is already unusual among the University of York’s research scientists, having achieved his PhD in 2014, aged 71, but now, six years later, he has added another distinction to his name – the accolade of having a species of marine snail named after him.
Thursday 13 April 2023
The department is very sad to report the sudden and untimely death of Dr Tobias Nyumba on Wednesday 5 April at his home in Leeds.
Wednesday 29 March 2023
Researchers from Kharkiv and York are launching a new partnership to tackle the many pollution problems faced by Ukraine as it battles with war.
Tuesday 14 March 2023
The over 60s are being asked to reflect on how extreme weather affects their health and wellbeing as part of a major new research project.
Thursday 16 February 2023
A sustainability and climate report by global retailer IKEA used a landmark guide which was developed by researchers from the Stockholm Environment Institute.
Tuesday 24 January 2023
A major study has provided answers to the ways in which heather-dominated peatland can be managed, with a number of methods to choose from to help tackle the impacts of climate change and biodiversity losses.
Tuesday 13 December 2022
More action is urgently needed to safeguard the world’s precious mountain ecosystems, according to a University of York researcher whose policy brief is being presented at this month’s United Nations Biodiversity Conference (“COP15”) in Montreal, Canada.
Thursday 1 December 2022
An international team of scientists have produced new recommendations to help ensure a more sustainable future for UK fisheries in the post-Brexit era.
Monday 28 November 2022
Scientists are to investigate the impact of chemical pollution in Yorkshire’s rivers as part of a £1.6m study.
Monday 21 November 2022
The University of York has won International Collaboration of the Year at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2022.
Tuesday 11 October 2022
A common insect larvae could be inadvertently contributing to microplastic pollution in our rivers and waterways by chewing up litter, a new study has found.
Tuesday 4 October 2022
Researchers suggest a toxic chemical is more likely to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of crabs along the North East coastline than natural algae.
Friday 2 September 2022
The University of York has been shortlisted in three categories at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2022.
Monday 25 July 2022
A vast region of peatland in the heart of the Congo Basin is 15% bigger than previously thought, a new study mapping the full scale of the area has revealed.
Friday 8 July 2022
We’re delighted to have some of the happiest environmental science and geography students in the UK.
Friday 8 July 2022
Water quality is still ‘unacceptably poor’ in many British rivers, research involving academics at York has shown.
Thursday 7 July 2022
Overfishing of deeper-water species and the unexpected ocean impacts of wildfires on land are among fifteen issues that experts say should be urgently addressed.
Wednesday 6 July 2022
Researchers at the University of York, as part of a UK-wide network, will bring together academics, industry leaders, government bodies and members of the public to address greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural and food industry.
Wednesday 22 June 2022
An international team of scientists, involving researchers from the University of York, have assessed how robotics and autonomous systems might help the UN achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Thursday 19 May 2022
Scientists working in partnership with fishermen have stumbled upon a new way of catching scallops using underwater “disco” lights, a breakthrough that could maximise catches while reducing damage to the marine environment.
Monday 14 February 2022
A new study looking at the presence of pharmaceuticals in the world’s rivers found concentrations at potentially toxic levels in more than a quarter of the locations studied.
Tuesday 1 February 2022
Benefits to UK fisheries from Brexit “fall far short of government rhetoric”, a new study has revealed.
Tuesday 26 October 2021
University of York sustainability plan and the new Environmental Sustainability Academy at York (ESAY) launches today
Sunday 17 October 2021
We’re delighted to welcome Sarah Bridle, Professor of Food, Climate and Society to our Department of Environment and Geography.
Thursday 30 September 2021
The University of York is to become a new European base for The Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control (BIWFC).
Tuesday 10 November 2020
The University of York and its partners have secured a new £3.5m Centre for Doctoral Training with funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to research chemicals in the environment.
Friday 12 June 2020
Environmental scientists at York have developed a system of virtual field trials that could pave the way for reductions in the amount of pesticide used to protect crops from damage by agricultural pests.
Monday 1 June 2020
An environmental scientist from the University of York has won an award for her research into the protection and sustainable use of African rainforests.
Friday 29 March 2019
Former students from the Department of Environment and Geography appear in BBC series.
Thursday 13 September 2018
Governments and businesses needing to place a monetary value on our water, air, soil, plant oceans and other ‘Natural Capital’, will find the task easier using a report from our researchers.
Tuesday 24 July 2018
Researchers from the Environment Department are part of an international collaboration looking at how to safeguard Europe’s coastal and maritime cultural heritage amid environmental, political and economic upheaval.
Thursday 26 April 2018
Dr Bryce Beukers-Stewart, a fisheries expert at the University of York, UK quoted in article on "Taking back control of UK waters would lower the price of British-caught fish, new analysis shows – but most of the fish we eat is imported".
Monday 19 March 2018
Sophie Williams, PhD student in Environment, wins the Americium Zone competition of "I'm a Scientist".
Thursday 15 February 2018
Seven postgraduates receive an award to travel to conferences
Tuesday 6 February 2018
Study presenting 5000-year environmental history of Amboseli National Park in Kenya, has shown that the impact of climate change on land is more rapid than previously thought.
Friday 2 February 2018
The joint appointment between the Departments of Archaeology and Environment follows the completion of Daryl's AAREA project
Monday 31 July 2017
"It's fish and chips night - but can we eat cod with a clear conscience?" - article in The Guardian and Radio interview for BBC Radio 4
Friday 14 July 2017
Masters student Jo Feltrup has found a new home for her bees, thanks to her Harrogate employer.
Monday 15 May 2017
Eating insects instead of beef could help to tackle climate change by reducing harmful emissions, according to a new study carried out by a group of researchers.
Tuesday 4 April 2017
Alistair Boxall, Professor in Environmental Science, has been recognised as the 2016 Recipharm International Environmental Award winner for his research into the impact of chemical contaminants on the environment and human health.
Monday 27 February 2017
Kadi Tamjarv, studying towards her MEnv in Environmental Science (with a Year in Industry), was presented as a finalist in the National Undergraduate Employability Awards in London on 24th February 2017.
Tuesday 6 December 2016
Ergun Bey, a student studying towards his BSc in Environmental Science (with a Year in Industry) is currently on his year long placement working as a research assistant for the Cyprus Green Action Group. Whilst on placement, Ergun has had the opportunity to meet with Mustafa Akinci, the Northern Cyprus President, to discuss the waste management problems in Northern Cyprus.
Thursday 11 August 2016
Final year undergraduate students who filled in the National Student Survey (NSS) have scored the Environment Department 91% for Overall Satisfaction.
Saturday 2 July 2016
The Environment Department welcomes back alumni in first ever alumni event
Monday 23 May 2016
Kadi Tamjarv receives prestigious Extra Mile Award from the Energy Saving Trust Scotland while on placement
Tuesday 29 March 2016
Our researchers are working with nature to help tackle floods
Thursday 28 January 2016
This week the Environment Department welcomed back six alumni who graduated between 2008 and 2015, for a panel event in our brand new lecture theatre.
Tuesday 26 January 2016
Weekly public lectures on corporate social responsibility (CSR), organised by the University of York’s Environment Department, have returned.
Wednesday 2 December 2015
A University of York environmental scientist played a key role in new research which has found that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef lives up to its name.
Thursday 17 September 2015
Longer than England, almost as deep as the Grand Canyon, Russia's Lake Baikal is one of the world's greatest aquatic wonders, writes Bryce Stewart. But it's a fragile paradise: the limpid waters are warming much faster than the global average, with as yet unknown effects on its ecology. And it faces the danger of a huge dam on its principal tributary, Mongolia's Selenga River.
Thursday 23 April 2015
Where does the balance of power lie in the global food chain? What has globalisation done to change our food culture? How is food related to non-communicative diseases and childhood obesity?
Thursday 23 April 2015
Rhinos and blue whales get all the attention, but scallops are worth conserving too
Friday 17 April 2015
Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP has said that as a result of membership of the Common Fisheries Policy, we are now allowed to catch less than 20% of the fish that swim in British waters. The other 80% we have given away to the rest of Europe. Is this true?
Sunday 1 March 2015
Starlings suffer loss of libido from Prozac found in the environment
Thursday 29 January 2015
Read the latest newsletter from the Environment Department
Thursday 20 November 2014
Construction works have started on the new Environment Building, due to open in August of 2015.
Friday 19 September 2014
An outstanding 97% of our students are happy with the quality of their degree at the Environment Department in York
Wednesday 27 August 2014
Construction works have started on the new Environment Building, due to open in August of 2015.
Wednesday 13 August 2014
Environment undergraduates experience amazing backdrop of Iceland on fieldwork
Wednesday 4 June 2014
3rd Year Environment students produce an amazing array of magazine articles and short YouTube videos on diverse topics.
Monday 19 May 2014
The new Environment Building, due to open in January 2016 has entered its final planning stages with the granting of planning permission
Thursday 8 May 2014
Ground breaking research by an international team of scientists has resulted in greater understanding of the effects of pesticides on aquatic invertebrates such as shrimps and snails.
Sunday 20 April 2014
The University of York is launching an innovative 3.5m Euro project which will use new technologies to improve the understanding of urban pollution and its effects on human health and the environment.
Wednesday 12 March 2014
The new Environment Building, due to open in the summer of 2015 has entered its final planning stages
Wednesday 22 January 2014
A massive ancient subglacial trough – deeper than the Grand Canyon - has been discovered by a team of UK scientists, including experts from the University of York.
Wednesday 20 November 2013
All the latest news from the Environment Department, including exciting news about our new building development, the latest research grants and a round up of research undertaken in the summer.
Friday 8 November 2013
Two partnerships involving the University of York have received a share of £100m funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to train the next generation of environmental scientists.
Wednesday 9 October 2013
A team of UK scientists, including experts from the University of York, have discovered huge ice channels beneath a floating ice shelf in Antarctica.
Tuesday 17 September 2013
The Environment Department will be relocating to spectacular new, purpose-built teaching, office and laboratory facilities in 2015 in a £12 million investment by the University.
Tuesday 17 September 2013
99% of our students think staff are good at explaining concepts and overall approval rating improves from 94% to 95%.
Sunday 15 September 2013
Whilst most of us were enjoying the warm summer sun, Environment Department lecturer in physical geography, Dr David Rippin, was taking on the altogether more challenging climate and terrain of Svalbard in the High Arctic along with Electronics lecturer, Andy Pomfret.
Wednesday 14 August 2013
A tiger, a West African primate and a large antelope are among species staving off extinction thanks to the help of zoos, according to a new report co-ordinated by Dr Andrew Marshall from the University of York and Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo.
Tuesday 13 August 2013
Female blue tits with brightly coloured crowns are better mothers than duller birds, according to a new study led by the University of York.
Friday 9 August 2013
The University of York and Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo are teaming up to treat zoo visitors to a rare sight - the UK’s only captive group of Homo sapiens.
Monday 8 July 2013
A team of UK researchers believe earthworms could provide a window into past climates, allowing scientists to piece together the prevailing weather conditions thousands of years ago.
Tuesday 25 June 2013
An innovative scientific and educational collaboration between the University of York and Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo has scooped a top national award in recognition of the outstanding impact of its conservation and educational work.
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Environmental projects which map some of the most important benefits we get from nature have been brought together for the first time in an online database, following national survey work by researchers in the University of York Environment Department.
Wednesday 13 March 2013
Environment students are now able to study for a four-year integrated Masters
Tuesday 29 January 2013
Read the latest newsletter from the Environment Department
Friday 11 January 2013
Read our latest newsletter for undergraduate offer holders for 2013 entry
Friday 6 July 2012
The University of York has been awarded a top 5 UK ranking and a top 30 world ranking in Environmental Sciences.
Thursday 5 July 2012
The Common skate might seem like an unlikely conservation cause. Its close-set eyes and pointed nose lend it a sinister look, while its flattened, spreading wings seem almost devilish.
Friday 29 June 2012
Over 90 scientists, managers and policy practitioners attended the launch of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) research programme on 22 June in London
Tuesday 19 June 2012
A University of York academic is part of an international team of researchers which has reviewed commitments made by governments to protect the world's oceans and shown that there has been little success over the past 20 years.
Friday 11 May 2012
Researchers have warned that the stability of a part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is potentially under threat following a survey of the Institute and Möller ice streams.
Wednesday 9 May 2012
A pioneering partnership is helping put conservation at the top of the agenda at a popular UK zoo.
Tuesday 8 May 2012
2020, an experimental short course themed around the issue of flooding in York with representatives from York City Council, the Environment Agency and York Archaeological Trust.