Longreads Wageningen University & Research
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Sensors that measure animals’ energy levels
23 June 2023 - Longread - Do farmed fish suffer from a change to the farming system? How can you find out whether a population of wild animals suffers from a disruption to their habitat? These are questions scientists are better able to answer nowadays thanks to the use of sensors. This technology offers all sorts of possibilities in the near future, both in livestock and fish farming and in the wild. -
Birgit Boogaard, national Teacher of the Year 2023: "Didn’t expect so many doors to open"
23 June 2023 - Longread - Overwhelming. That is how Birgit Boogaard describes the attention she received after being named National Teacher of the Year 2023. "I am still in the amazement phase," she says. -
The impact of a green and hopeful perspective of the future
12 June 2023 - Longread - What could the Netherlands look like in a hundred years’ time? With that thought in mind, seventeen WUR researchers compiled a map in 2019, dubbed NL2120, showing a possible future for the country. It is an optimistic, green future that shows at a glance what the Netherlands could look like if room was made for nature. What impact has NL2120 had since then? -
Converting CO2 emissions to natural gas
08 June 2023 - Longread - Combating CO₂ emissions from industry and coal-fired power stations by turning them into natural gas – it sounds like a scenario for the distant future, but in Wageningen scientists are already making significant progress in implementing this sustainably. A key role is played by an ancient microorganism. -
The road to sustainable plastics by 2050 (part 2)
02 June 2023 - Longread - By 2050 we want to achieve a fully circular economy, with only biobased or recycled plastics. But the law is not sufficiently clear and specific. For example, the government bans one particular type of polystyrene but not another. Simpler and clearer policies are needed, according to Violet Ross, a doctoral student at Environmental Policy and Law in Wageningen. -
The road to sustainable plastics by 2050 (part 1)
01 June 2023 - Longread - Global production is still exponentially increasing, but we want to achieve a fully circular economy by 2050, with only biobased or recycled plastics. How do we get there? Three Wageningen researchers guide us through complex waste streams, wavering policies and new business strategies. -
The sprint towards a sustainable future
05 May 2023 - Longread - More than 2,000 pesticides are used for agricultural production in Europe, yet knowledge about the effects of pesticide residue mixtures on ecosystems and human health is scarce and scattered. The SPRINT project investigates the occurrence and resulting impact of these mixtures on ecosystems and humans. -
Making optimum use of each drop of water
01 May 2023 - Longread - The water system in the Netherlands is under increasing pressure due to climate change, pollution and growing consumption of water. That means we need to make more efficient use of the available water. In the AquaConnect programme, researchers collaborate with partners in the water sector in developing a smart, circular water system. -
Data make digital diet truly personalised
28 April 2023 - Longread - Nutrition is a complex matter and very person-dependent. How can you combine all the scientific insights from countless studies and sources in a way that lets a layperson – or an app builder – use that information? This was a question to tackle for the Food Informatics team. -
Shared cars and homegrown vegetables: households in 2050
11 April 2023 - Longread - If we want to leave a habitable planet for future generations, we need to change our lifestyles drastically, for instance by buying less, reusing raw materials and products more often, and producing food and energy locally. Together with various experts, the researcher Saskia Keesstra has outlined what a circular household might look like in 2050.