Rapid global heating due to humans’ use of fossil fuels has contributed to an array of damaging environmental effects on the planet, including extreme weather, unprecedented ocean temperatures and a rapid decline in sea ice. Sea ice is the habitat of several animal species, including polar bears, Arctic fox, caribou and emperor penguins, who live […]
Since late April, wildfires have been burning across Canada, blanketing the country and parts of the U.S. in unhealthy and sometimes dangerous smoke, in what Canadian wildfire officials have called the worst wildfire season ever recorded. In a new study, scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) Initiative examined the conditions that lead to the […]
Quick Key Facts What Is Water Harvesting? Water harvesting involves the harvesting of rainwater, or water from the atmosphere through systems that involve collecting it for drinking and irrigation. Rainwater harvesting is thousands of years old, and on a smaller practical scale, rainwater is a good way to conserve water for later use, particularly during […]
Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park is home to one of the most biodiverse concentrations of plant and animal life on Earth. In an historic vote of nearly 60 percent in favor, Ecuadorian citizens chose to stop the development of new oil wells in the park, the country’s National Electoral Commission said. Approval of the referendum means […]
Researchers from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have recently found that more than 60 percent of the 142 largest gas, oil and coal companies are not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, wrote two of the researchers from The University of Queensland, Saphira Rekker […]
The first tropical storm to hit California since 1939, Hilary, which initially began in the Pacific Ocean as a hurricane reaching Category 4 strength, brought a deluge of rain followed by flash flooding to the Los Angeles area on Sunday. The storm hit Mexico’s Baja California first, turning roads into rivers and killing one person. […]
According to a new study, the U.S. has the potential to drastically reduce building emissions in order to meet its goals to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. These emissions-cutting scenarios, such as making changes to energy use in buildings, could reduce building emissions by 91% compared to the 2005 peak and even save over $100 […]
According to a new University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) study, Americans whose income is in the top 10 percent are responsible for 40 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the country. It’s the first study to connect income with the emissions used to generate it. The researchers focused on earnings derived from […]
One fourth of the planet’s population in 25 countries experiences extremely high water stress annually, using nearly all of their available water supply on a regular basis, according to new data from the World Resources Institute (WRI)’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. Additionally, about four billion people live in conditions where they have high water stress […]