coronavirus

U.S. Gas Use Peaked Before Pandemic, Study Finds

U.S. Gas Use Peaked Before Pandemic, Study Finds

U.S. gasoline demand is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic highs, an important climate milestone since transportation is the leading contributor to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.  In 2018, U.S. drivers consumed a record high of nearly 392 million gallons of gas per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (IEA). Now, that number is […]

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    3 Snow Leopards Die From COVID Complications at Nebraska Zoo

    3 Snow Leopards Die From COVID Complications at Nebraska Zoo

    In another example of the risk COVID-19 poses to big cats, three snow leopards died of complications related to the disease at a zoo in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Lincoln Children’s Zoo announced the deaths in a Facebook post on Friday. “Our leopards, Ranney, Everest, and Makalu, were beloved by our entire community inside and outside […]

    Record Number of Endangered Turtles Nest in Florida County

    Record Number of Endangered Turtles Nest in Florida County

    Scientists in a South Florida county have gotten a pleasant surprise this year. A record number of endangered leatherback sea turtles nested on beaches in Broward County this season, nearly doubling the previous record high. “It’s difficult to say why Broward County saw such an increase in leatherback nesting this season,” Broward County biologist and […]

    Humanity’s Silent Spring Brought More Birds to North America’s Cities

    Humanity’s Silent Spring Brought More Birds to North America’s Cities

    From the goats that ran wild in a Welsh town to the endangered turtles that nested on deserted beaches, many animals used the first months of the coronavirus lockdown to get comfortable in places normally dominated by humans. Now, a study published in Science Advances confirms that the number of birds in North American cities […]

    Weak Protections Fuel Surge in Wildlife Trafficking by Air Across Latin America

    Weak Protections Fuel Surge in Wildlife Trafficking by Air Across Latin America

    By Aldem Bourscheit Brazilian authorities point to Russian biologist Kyrill Kravchenko as an international wildlife trafficker. They had been monitoring him since 2017, after he was arrested in the Netherlands with rare wildlife from Brazil in his possession. In mid-January this year, as he tried to board a plane to Russia at São Paulo’s international […]

    Wildfire Smoke Exposure Linked to Increased COVID Deaths

    Wildfire Smoke Exposure Linked to Increased COVID Deaths

    Smoke from wildfires can make people more susceptible to catching COVID – and dying from it. Over 700 more people died and nearly 20,000 more were infected with the virus than would have been expected if they had not been exposed to air polluted with particulate matter from fires that burned during last summer’s record-breaking […]

    Google to Add Air Quality Data to Nest Hub Displays

    Google to Add Air Quality Data to Nest Hub Displays

    Weeks after smoke from wildfires spread from coast to coast, Google announced that it is adding air quality data to its Nest Hubs display. Beginning Thursday, an Air Quality Index (AQI) badge will be added to the clock and weather widget for select U.S. markets. “Between wildfire season and recent increased efforts to reduce air […]