Science

A coalition of groups, including a newly formed organization backed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, have mobilized $43 million for efforts to restore degraded habitats in the Galápagos Islands, an archipelago renowned for its endemic species and central role in scientists’ understanding of ecology and evolution. The Galápagos initiative has three immediate priorities: Helping restore Floreana […]

By Sharon Kelly What’s the single word that fossil fuel giant ExxonMobil’s flagship environmental reports to investors and the public tie most closely to climate change and global warming? According to newly published research from Harvard science historian Naomi Oreskes and Harvard research associate Geoffrey Supran, it’s a simple four-letter word, one that carries overtones […]

Coronavirus and the climate crisis are inspiring change at some of the most traditional venues in the world: opera houses. Iconic venues around the world have taken advantage of pandemic shutdowns to boost already-existing sustainability efforts and to create new environmental awareness. Their motivation, many observers say, is the planet and how everyone must do […]

By Mojtaba Sadegh, Amir AghaKouchak and John Abatzoglou Just about every indicator of drought is flashing red across the western U.S. after a dry winter and warm early spring. The snowpack is at less than half of normal in much of the region. Reservoirs are being drawn down, river levels are dropping and soils are […]

Forever chemicals are everywhere, even in breast milk. A study published in Environmental Science and Technology Thursday tested the milk of 50 U.S. mothers and found that every sample was contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). What’s more, the chemicals were found at nearly 2,000 times the levels considered safe by environmental health groups, […]

Last week, an amazing and unusual fish washed up on the beach in Southern California. Black, 18-inches long and football-shaped, it sported a long stalk coming out of its head with bioluminescent tips. This is used to lure prey towards its large mouth with transparent teeth “like pointed shards of glass,” a Facebook post by […]

By Giuliana Viglione Current estimates of land-use change may be capturing only one-quarter of its true extent across the world, new research shows. The paper, published in Nature Communications, revises previous estimates of how much humans change Earth’s land surface – such as via the destruction of tropical rainforests. It finds that, when accounting for […]

Unless we act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the world’s coral reefs will stop growing by the end of the century. That’s the warning from a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Monday, which analyzed how the world’s reefs would fare under a low, medium and high emissions […]