Dec 30, 2022
A study suggests that while mechanical devices like Seabin do remove plastics and other items of marine litter, the quantities can be comparatively low and they may trap marine organisms.
Liquid helium, a nonrenewable element found deep underground, is needed to operate the magnets in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, and supplies are becoming harder to find.
Agrivoltaics, the emerging practice of integrating solar installations with working farmland, can reduce emissions, save water and possibly even boost crop yields.
A $1 billion effort to electrify school buses will provide renewable fuel vehicles for around 400 school districts, including Indigenous tribal lands, Puerto Rico and American Samoa.
When an earthquake occurs, it sends seismic P waves through the ground that a Google app called MyShake can detect with a network of 1,300 U.S. Geological Survey sensors.
Nov 30, 2022
One pound of sulfur hexafluoride, an electrical insulator, heats the planet as much as 25,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and remains in the atmosphere for 3,200 years.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that average global wind speeds could drop by up to 10 percent by 2100.
With the passage of a recent law, California will be the fifth state, along with Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Vermont, to allow human composting, beginning in 2027.
A legally autonomous black gum tree named Terra0 on the campus of the Community College of Allegheny County owns itself and perhaps even the few square feet of land it grows on.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide pumped into a mature forest at levels predicted to be the norm by 2050 will cause trees to produce more and longer roots, thus absorbing and storing more carbon.
The demand for power to charge electric vehicles (EVs) could burden the electric grid in western states at peak times by up to 25 percent if most charging is done at night.
Oct 31, 2022
Facing threats from invasive pests, climate change and habitat loss, up to 135 tree species—about one-sixth of those found in the continental U.S.—could be lost forever.
Applied on top of existing asphalt pavement, cool pavement road treatment reflects heat, which is especially needed in heat island areas.
20 states have passed bills to exempt chemical recycling facilities from waste management requirements, despite evidence that most facilities actually incinerate the plastic they receive.
Google has taken a key driver of global warming out of the carbon calculator embedded in the company’s Google Flights search tool, making journeys appear less impactful on the environment.
Scientists have produced good-quality concrete in which all of the aggregate has been replaced with tire particles.
A new study shows that urban gardens and hydroponics can thrive and may exceed the yields of rural farms.
Sep 30, 2022
With almost 20 percent of sequoias destroyed by wildfire in the last two years, the U.S. Forest Service is speeding efforts to protect the giant ancient trees.
The World Weather Network is an international coalition of 28 arts organizations that believe artists and writers should be a larger part of the dialogue surrounding climate change.
Scientists have created a membrane using sunflower and peanut oilseed meal that shows potential as a cheap, sustainable and scalable method to decontaminate heavy metals from water.
The latest update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species includes the migratory monarch butterfly.
Large mammals are important ecosystem engineers, shaping natural processes and sequestering carbon, and scientists are planning to reintroduce these animals to the wild.
Aug 31, 2022
When pathogens in buried poop from campers and hikers leach into the soil, they can spread into waterways or become integrated into an ecosystem.
The 2022 theme of the United Nations-sanctioned International Day of Peace, or World Peace Day, is “End racism. Build peace.”
Atlantic hurricanes pose risks to renewable energy wind turbines, and researchers are developing more resilient models inspired by palm trees.
The Western bumble bee, once easily spotted in California, could not be found in a recent survey led by the University of California-Riverside.
Researchers studied the design of restaurant menus and how adding carbon labels indicating the greenhouse gas emissions per dish affected the choices people might make when dining out.
Seattle City Light is installing electric vehicle chargers on utility poles as part of a transition to zero-emission electric transportation options.
A rooftop solar array and solar panels on the sides will adorn an eight-story high-rise planned for West Melbourne, Australia, to provide the office building with most of its power.
Jul 29, 2022 ● By Rachael Oppy
To better track the location and movement of marine fish in U.S. waters, The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries is using a new interactive website.
Jul 29, 2022
A recent report finds that environmental certification programs claiming to verify the sustainability of fashion brands facilitate “greenwashing” for the apparel industry.
Rural outmigration is leaving cropland abandoned, affording an opportunity for ecological restoration and carbon sequestration that could lead to a positive impact on the climate crisis.
The Mata Atlantica is fighting for its life against overdevelopment, where deforestation surged 66 percent last year.
Cigarette butts are the most common source of plastic pollution in the global environment, surpassing bottles, plastic bags and food wrappers.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues called on governments, courts and UN agencies to implement mechanisms to support and protect Indigenous peoples’ lands and lives.
Jun 30, 2022
A new survey shows that children differ dramatically from adults in their moral views on animals, suggesting that speciesism is learned as we become socialized.
Research has found that significant knowledge gaps make it hard to predict the scale of the potential effect of mining the ocean floor.
Researchers examined medical databases and ethnic medical books to discover which diabetes medicines were effective in ancient indigenous medical systems.
North America hosts about 3 billion fewer birds today than in 1970. The causes include light pollution, climate change, vanishing habitat and pesticides.
On April 1, Tokyu Railways trains running through Shibuya and other stations were switched to power generated only by renewable sources.
Researchers have discovered that air pollutants can confuse pollinators that use odors to navigate and move around and communicate.
Researchers have discovered that hemp plants can successfully suck per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), "forever chemicals," out of contaminated soil via phytoremediation.
May 31, 2022
About a third of the bird species nesting in Chicago are laying their eggs a month earlier than they did 100 years ago, and researchers think the culprit in this shift is climate change.
To both conserve water and generate clean energy, solar arrays are being installed over canals in the Turlock Irrigation District to evaluate their impact on water quality and evaporation.
The National Park Service (NPS) has cracked down on some recreational activities to better manage the human impact on natural environments.
It turns out that the presence of weeds benefits trees and pollinators.
Antarctica registered record temperatures for March of 40.82° F at a time of the year when readings are usually already sub-zero.
Researchers looking at all the studies of the effects of fences have found that their profound impacts on wildlife and ecosystems are often ignored or greatly underestimated.
Nonprofit Free the Ocean is circulating a petition to Get Single-Use Plastic Out of U.S. National Parks.
Apr 29, 2022
A recent report found that methane leak emissions from the oil, gas and coal industries are 70 percent higher than official government estimates globally.
