Plastics are the death of sea turtles – @Scibraai Monday Menu

Pieces of plastic floating in our oceans are creating an often life-threatening problem for our sea life. Of the 40 loggerhead turtles that died after being stranded along the southern Cape coastline in one month alone, 24 (60%) had ingested debris such as plastics, fibres and pieces of packaging material. In an article in Marine…

Making plant fibres flame-retardant might make them fly

There is renewed interest in natural materials, as recyclability and environmental safety become more important in manufacturing and consumables, writes MSc candidate Tshepiso Princess Molaba of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.This article is part of the Mail & Guardian’s Science Voices series.    It looks like a sleek car dashboard, but under its smooth surface flax fibres criss-cross…