Special Report

Our Sustainable Future

A hub dedicated to the latest on how global change affects life on Earth today and on what solutions scientists, including those at the Smithsonian, are researching to build a more sustainable planet

Hiroshi Watanabe/Getty Images

Dairy farms like this one run by the Barstow family in Hadley, Massachusetts, make smart use of a substance cows produce in abundance.

How Dairy Farmers Are Turning Manure Into Money

Cacao growing on a tree at Zorzal Cacao, the first farm certified by Smithsonian's new Bird Friendly cocoa program.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Why Buying ‘Bird Friendly Cocoa’ Is a Sweet Deal

WATCH

What Does It Mean to Live on a Sustainable Planet?

Sustainability at the Smithsonian

Even tiny organisms can have a large effect.

Meet Some Small Creatures That Have Big Impacts on Our Ecosystems

Sarah Grace Wheedleton

5 Creative Approaches to Science and Sustainability

Sarah Grace Wheedleton

Gray headstones and green grass and trees in a cemetery.

Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

Cemeteries That Save the American Landscape

Devinne Melecki

Table with one folded newspaper, one unfolded newspaper and a pencil

Smithsonian Education

A New Smithsonian Guide for How You Can Make Your Daily Routine More Sustainable

Ashley Naranjo & Erika Novak

When people come together to find solutions to environmental problems, we have a better chance to find sustainable and equitable solutions! Photo courtesy of Anacostia Community Museum.

Why Environmental Justice is Key to Life on a Sustainable Planet

How to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

Sarah Grace Wheedleton

A pair of silhouetted people stargaze

Stars, Seas and Other Scientific Successes

Sarah Grace Wheedleton

Sustainability News From Smithsonian Magazine

The tiny device generates electricity from the air in a way that resembles how clouds make the electricity we see in lightning bolts.

This New Device Generates Electricity From Thin Air

The Colorado River's Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell.

States Propose Landmark Deal to Conserve the Colorado River

Range anxiety is still a major hurdle for prospective EV buyers.

What Will It Take to Charge Electric Vehicles Faster?

Rebecca Heilweil

Ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains received record-setting snowfall this year, which likely inspired more people to go skiing and snowboarding.

Ski Areas Reported More Visits Than Ever This Past Winter

The Neo P1 starts at $179, roughly five to ten times the price of a normal pothos plant.

Could Genetically Modified Houseplants Clean the Air in Your Home?

Climate Change News

The Classis museum of Ravenna in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna became a shelter for those displaced by last month's severe flooding.

Italy Raises Museum Prices to Help Fund Flood Relief

Teresa Nowakowski

By 2030, demand for fuel made from animal byproducts is expected to triple, per a new report.

Using Pig Fat as Airplane Fuel Could Hurt the Environment, Study Says

Margaret Osborne

Expedition tents at Everest Base Camp in the Mount Everest region of Solukhumbu District

Nepal Won't Move the Mount Everest Base Camp for Now, Despite Risks

Margaret Osborne

After eight months of hibernation, Arctic ground squirrels emerge in the spring hungry and ready to mate.

Climate Change Is a Wake-Up Call for Hibernating Squirrels

The French government is pushing travelers on certain routes to use high-speed rail.

France Just Banned Short-Haul Flights. Why Are So Few Routes Affected?

Sassafras leaves begin to grow. Both 19th-century Ohio farmer Thomas Mikesell and current Ohio State University ecologist Kellen Calinger-Yoak recorded important details about the plant.

What a 19th-Century Farmer’s Forgotten Notes Reveal About Growing Seasons

An illustration of the giant gorgonopsian Inostrancevia scaring off the much smaller African species Cyonosaurus

During the 'Great Dying,' This Saber-Toothed Predator Reigned

Margaret Osborne