climate change

USDA Updates Plant Hardiness Map With Many Areas Moving Into Warmer Zones

USDA Updates Plant Hardiness Map With Many Areas Moving Into Warmer Zones

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated its Plant Hardiness Zone map, a map of the U.S. that helps gardeners decide what plants will grow best in their local areas, based on average annual extreme minimum winter temperature. The updates show an average of 2.5°F warmer across the contiguous U.S. compared to the previous map, […]

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    Time to Treat Climate and Biodiversity Crises as One Global Health Emergency, Major Editorial Argues

    Time to Treat Climate and Biodiversity Crises as One Global Health Emergency, Major Editorial Argues

    A new editorial published in more than 200 health journals challenges health professionals and world leaders to look at global biodiversity loss and climate change as “one indivisible crisis” that must be confronted as a whole. The authors of the editorial call separating the two emergencies a “dangerous mistake,” and encourage the World Health Organization […]

    Visitors to Death Valley National Park Greeted by New Lakes, Wildflowers After Summer Deluge

    Visitors to Death Valley National Park Greeted by New Lakes, Wildflowers After Summer Deluge

    Back in August, Death Valley National Park closed following flooding from Tropical Storm Hilary. The deluge inundated the park with a year’s worth of rain that filled long-dry lake beds and revitalized the landscape. The park partially reopened on October 15 and is now dotted with lakes and blanketed with greenery and wildflowers. “Some spectacular […]

    Northern Wilderness Could Turn to Farmland as Climate Warms

    Northern Wilderness Could Turn to Farmland as Climate Warms

    Agriculture is the primary driver of forest and habitat loss worldwide. Some wilderness areas in northern climates have begun to be more suitable for agriculture due to global heating, and this is increasing the risk of agricultural expansion, putting ecosystems at risk. A new study by researchers from the University of Exeter shows that humans […]