Science

Freshwater Lakes Are Losing Vital Surface Oxygen as Global Heating Continues: Study

Freshwater Lakes Are Losing Vital Surface Oxygen as Global Heating Continues: Study

Freshwater ecosystems need adequate levels of oxygen to maintain healthy biological communities and sustain life. But the increasing intensity and frequency of short-term heat waves, along with long-term climate warming, are significantly reducing the levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) on the surface of lakes across the globe, according to a new study. The researchers quantified […]

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    Restored Grasslands Need 75+ Years for Biodiversity to Recover, Study Finds

    Restored Grasslands Need 75+ Years for Biodiversity to Recover, Study Finds

    According to a new study, restored grasslands will require long-term management in order to bring back specialized pollinators and ultimately restore biodiversity. The study, published in Journal of Applied Ecology, analyzed the pollination success of native plants for varying durations of grassland management at the ski slopes in Nagano Prefecture. The restored areas studied spanned […]

    UN Report Calls for Reduction of Building and Construction Emissions Worldwide

    UN Report Calls for Reduction of Building and Construction Emissions Worldwide

    Building and construction consumes 32 percent of the world’s energy while contributing 34 percent of its carbon emissions. The sector depends on materials like steel and cement that are major contributors to construction waste and are also responsible for 18 percent of emissions worldwide. While more countries are working toward decarbonizing their buildings, slow financing […]

    Cambridge, Massachusetts Bans Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

    Cambridge, Massachusetts Bans Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

    Cambridge, Massachusetts has joined a growing list of cities that have banned gas-powered leaf blowers. The city’s ban went into effect over the weekend, and officials noted this move was in the interest of public health and reducing emissions for the environment. Cambridge first passed the Leaf Blower Ordinance back in December 2023, but the […]

    Whales Support Ecosystems by Transporting Nutrients Thousands of Miles in Their Urine: Study

    Whales Support Ecosystems by Transporting Nutrients Thousands of Miles in Their Urine: Study

    Whales are important for healthy oceans. They move tons of deep-water nutrients to the surface when they poop, and, according to new research, they also transport massive amounts of nutrients from Alaska to Hawaii in their urine. Fifteen years ago, scientists discovered that whale poop provided a crucial resource for the growth of plankton, contributing […]

    UK Carbon Emissions Reach Lowest Level Since 1872

    UK Carbon Emissions Reach Lowest Level Since 1872

    According to a new analysis by Carbon Brief, the United Kingdom’s 2024 emissions fell to 409 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), based on preliminary energy data. That’s a 3.6 percent drop and the lowest level since 1872. The country’s coal use was also the lowest it’s been since the mid-1600s. “The largest factor […]

    Trump’s EPA Plans to Reconsider Finding That Climate Pollution Harms Public Health

    Trump’s EPA Plans to Reconsider Finding That Climate Pollution Harms Public Health

    The Trump administration plans to reconsider an official finding by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2009 that greenhouse gases harm public health. The “endangerment finding” for greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act forms the foundation of the country’s climate regulations. “I’ve been told the endangerment finding is considered the holy grail […]

    ‘The Day Trump’s Big Oil Megadonors Paid for’: EPA Chief Zeldin Announces Rollback of 31 Landmark Environmental Regulations

    ‘The Day Trump’s Big Oil Megadonors Paid for’: EPA Chief Zeldin Announces Rollback of 31 Landmark Environmental Regulations

    In what United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin called the “most consequential day of deregulation in American history,” on Wednesday the EPA chief announced 31 deregulation actions that will roll back Biden-era environmental rules, including those concerning climate change, electric vehicles (EVs) and pollution limits for coal-fired power plants, reported The Associated […]