Climatology
Amazing Sea Butterflies Are the Ocean’s Canary in the Coal Mine
These delicate and stunning creatures are offering Smithsonian scientists a warning sign for the world's waters turning more acidic
May 14, 2013 |
By Hannah Waters
Watch Out: This Year’s Fire Season Will Be Another Bad One for the West
A warm, dry winter has set the stage for another bad year of forest fires in the western U.S.
May 14, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Mount Everest Is Not Immune to Climate Change
Over the past 50 years, the snow line has receded nearly 600 feet up the mountain and glaciers in the region have shrunk by 13 percent
May 14, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Shell Is Drilling the World’s Deepest Offshore Oil Well in the Gulf of Mexico
The new well contains around 250 million barrels of recoverable oil total - or just over three percent of the oil used by the U.S. each year
May 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
28-Year Satellite Time-Lapse Shows Exactly What We’re Doing to Our Planet
28 years in just a few seconds, as seen from space
May 09, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
We’re About to Pass a Disheartening New Climate Change Milestone
We're teetering on the edge of hitting carbon dioxide levels of 400 ppm, but will that be enough to change minds and policies?
May 07, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Five Innovative Technologies that Bring Energy to the Developing World
From soccer balls to cookstoves, engineers are working on a range of devices that provide cheap, clean energy
May 02, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Some Shoppers Actively Avoid ‘Green’ Products
While energy efficiency and green labeling is a popular marketing strategy today, this strategy can polarize some conservative customers
May 02, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Order Your Groceries Online
Ordering groceries online for delivery cuts carbon emissions by half when compared with traveling to the store by car
April 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Strange Beauty of David Maisel’s Aerial Photographs
A new book shows how the photographer creates startling images of open-pit mines, evaporation ponds and other sites of environmental degradation
April 26, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Russia’s Cold War Plan to Reverse the Ocean and Melt the Arctic
A giant dam across the Pacific could re-route ocean currents and melt the Arctic, and the Soviets wanted to try
April 25, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
14 Fun Facts About Penguins
Which penguin swims the fastest? Do penguins have teeth? Why do penguins sneeze? How is penguin poop useful?
April 25, 2013 |
By Hannah Waters
Can Cloning Giant Redwoods Save the Planet?
Redwoods are mighty trees, but would planting more of them help combat climate change?
April 23, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Before and After: America’s Environmental History
For the EPA's State of the Environment Photography Project, people are returning to sites photographed in the 1970s. They are snapping the scenes yet again—to document any changes in the landscape
April 22, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Which Primate Is the Most Likely Source of the Next Pandemic?
To help anticipate the next outbreak of an emerging infectious disease, scientists scrutinize our closest relatives in the animal kingdom
April 22, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Genetically Modified E. Coli Bacteria Can Now Synthesize Diesel Fuel
By combining genes from different bacteria species, scientists created E. coli that can consume fat and excrete diesel fuel
April 22, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
In This One California Town, New Houses Must Come With Solar Power
Starting in 2014, every new house needs to produce at least 1 kilowatt of energy
April 22, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Lockheed Martin Wants to Pull Electricity from the Ocean’s Heat
A type of renewable energy, first proposed in the 1800s, might finally be ready for prime time
April 22, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
10 Things We’ve Learned About the Earth Since Last Earth Day
Pigeon-eating catfish, Antarctic trash, and more: A list of surprising, alarming and exciting discoveries about our planet from the past year
April 19, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Colorado: America’s Most Endangered River
A new report points to drought, climate change and increased demand for water as the reasons the iconic river no longer reaches the sea
April 17, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
