A massive Antarctic glacier is less stable and could potentially cause more and more rapid sea level rise than previously predicted, a study published Monday in Nature Geoscience finds. The Thwaites Glacier, known as the “doomsday glacier” because it holds enough water to raise global sea levels by multiple feet, is especially susceptible to rising ocean […]
Rodents make up about 40 percent of all mammal species and most of the non-flying mammals on Earth. They evolved at least 178 million years ago and were the first mammals to scurry around underfoot of the dinosaurs, until all but the birds disappeared 66 million years ago, according to Nature. In a new study, […]
One of the challenges urban planners face as they attempt to fashion climate-friendly cities is how to construct new buildings. Common materials steel and cement are notoriously difficult to decarbonize, yet the number of people living in cities could increase to 80 percent of the total population by 2100, potentially requiring more new construction between […]
More than 120 trillion tons of Greenland’s ice is doomed to melt because of climate change and will raise global average sea levels by at least 10 inches, new research published in Nature Climate Change concludes. The study is based on observational data from 2000 to 2019 and its sea level rise projections do not […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a major step on Friday towards regulating the toxic substances known as “forever chemicals” for their tendency to persist in the environment and the human body. The agency announced a proposal to list two of the most common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances under the […]
In Los Angeles, California, where temperatures tend to stay warm year-round, you can feel a significant difference in heat when you’re along the coast or outside the city versus when you’re in denser parts of the city. This phenomenon, known as the urban heat island effect, can make daytime temperatures in densely packed areas 1°F […]
Manatees, large herbivores that grace the world’s coastal marine waters, estuaries, rivers, swamps and marine wetlands, are gentle creatures often referred to as “sea cows.” Their enormous size — an average manatee is ten feet long and weighs 1,200 pounds — might remind you of their closest relative, the elephant. According to Ocean Today, manatees […]
One of the biggest concerns about the climate crisis is that warming temperatures could trigger additional releases of greenhouse gas emissions that would in turn generate more warming. One example is the melting of the Arctic permafrost. Another is the release of methane from the world’s oceans. Now, scientists have found evidence that this latter […]
Currently in the U.S., only eight tree species have federal protections and are officially considered threatened or endangered. But a new study from researchers at the Morton Arboretum shows that far more tree species are vulnerable, with 11% to 16% of trees in the contiguous U.S. under threat of extinction. According to the researchers, the […]