Special Report
Age of Humans
How India Is Teaching 300 Million Kids to Be Environmentalists
In an enormous undertaking, schoolchildren nationwide are learning about climate change and the environment
What Is Wind?
Whether arriving on a gentle breeze or a stiff gale, air moves like water responding to high and low pressures around the Earth
How Geography Shaped Societies, From Neanderthals to iPhones
This weeks' episode of Generation Anthropocene discusses efforts to quantify social development and the cultural retention of the Navajo
See How Humans Have Reshaped the Globe With This Interactive Atlas
Zoomable maps reveal the scope of humanity’s influence on Earth—and the innovations aiming to create a more sustainable future
Make Cities Explode in Size With These Interactive Maps
From Los Angeles to Lagos, see how megacities have been taking over the planet during the past 100 years
Travel Through Deep Time With This Interactive Earth
Explore key moments in Earth’s transformative history as continents drift and climate fluctuates over 4.6 billion years
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Where in the World is the Anthropocene?
Some geologists believe we’ve entered a new era. Now they have to search for the rocks that prove it
Air
Skies Over Athens Turn a Martian Orange Amid Saharan Dust Storm
Strong winds brought desert dust and heat across the Mediterranean this week, sparking health advisories and fires in Greece
What Myths About the Anthropocene Get Wrong
These ten misconceptions underplay how much we have altered the global environment and undermine the new perspective we need to deal with a drastically changed world
A Secretive Experiment Released Salt Crystals Over San Francisco Bay—Could It Help Curb Warming?
The technology could make clouds reflect more sunlight, cooling the Earth below. But even the scientists leading the study say letting go of fossil fuels is a much-preferred response to climate change
Four Ways to Protect Yourself From Harmful Air Pollution Caused by Wildfires
Awareness about exposure, high-quality masks and air filters can help protect you from dangerous pollutants in smoke
How Climate Changed-Fueled “Mega Droughts” Could Harm Human Health
Researchers looked at the little-studied danger of dust and worsening air quality in the American Southwest
Health
Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke Should Be Considered ‘Major Disasters’ by FEMA Amid Climate Crisis, Advocates Say
Despite killing more people in the U.S. each year than hurricanes, floods or tornadoes, heat waves aren’t currently eligible for emergency funding from the disaster relief agency
One in Six Global Deaths Linked to Pollution
A new report suggests that pollution led to the deaths of nine million people in 2015
Yes, Sperm Counts Have Been Steadily Declining—But Don’t Freeze Your Sperm Yet
The study is a striking reminder of how much science has to learn about these little wrigglers
Water
Alaska’s Rivers Are Turning Orange as Thawing Permafrost Releases Metals Into Waterways
A new study identifies at least 75 Arctic streams where minerals, especially iron, are staining water with a rusty hue
Boiling Tap Water Could Help Remove 80 Percent of Its Microplastics, Study Suggests
Minerals in some tap water can capture tiny plastic particles when the water is boiled, making them easier to filter away, according to a new study
One Liter of Bottled Water May Contain 240,000 Tiny Plastic Fragments
A new technique reveals that the liquid may contain 10 to 1000 times more plastic pieces than previously thought
Road Salt Pollution Levels Deemed Safe in U.S. and Canada May Not Protect Freshwater Ecosystems Enough
At current thresholds, salinization can kill off zooplankton, a crucial microorganism at the center of many food webs
Meth Pollution in Waterways Turns Trout Into Addicts
Like humans, fish can get addicted to methamphetamines and go through withdrawal
Culture
In a Remote Amazon Region, Study Shows Indigenous Peoples Have Practiced Forest Conservation for Millennia
Smithsonian researcher Dolores Piperno says native people have always played an important role in sustainability
As Mongolia Melts, Looters Close In On Priceless Artifacts
Climate change and desperation are putting the country’s unique history at risk
The Evolution of Petface
The same traits that make these dogs adorable threaten their health and well-being
How Polar Bears Became the Dragons of the North
Renaissance maps depicting the “white bears” say more about our own fears and fantasies than about the predators themselves
Which of Your Favorite Superheroes Is Destroying the Earth?
Measuring the carbon footprints of your favorite comic book heroes, from Batman to Jessica Jones
Food
A Young Black Bear Was Put Down After Humans Fed It, Took Selfies
The more food bears obtain from humans, the more likely they are to lose their natural fear of us
Is the Mysterious Sea Cucumber Slipping Out of Our Grasp?
The slimy, tasty enigmas have long been over-harvested. An indigenous community in Canada could be close to finding a sustainable solution
Just a Few Species Make Up Most of Earth’s Food Supply. And That’s a Problem
The looming threat of extinction from climate change makes the lack of diversity in the world’s food supplies a dangerous prospect
America’s Fancy Pet Food Addiction Is a Big Problem for the Environment
American pets have been increasingly served up prime cuts of meat, but this food comes at a cost
Shelter
Move Over, Steel: The High Rises of Tomorrow Are ‘Plyscrapers’
Light, strong and renewable, wood may change how tall buildings are built
Five Things to Know About Megacities
Urbanization is happening fast—here’s what to know about the world’s largest cities
How Climate Change Could Make Office Work Even Unhealthier
“Sick building syndrome” and other indoor concerns could be exacerbated by climate change
Coastal Cities Need to Radically Rethink How They Deal With Rising Waters
“Transitional architecture” is both a futuristic solution to sea-level rise and a hearkening back to older ways of living
DIY Cartographers Are Putting Slums on the Literal Map
When a community makes its way onto a map, it’s that much harder to deny, say activists.
Economics
Is Sustainable Trash-Burning a Load of Rubbish?
Some experts say it lets us get away with producing more and more garbage.
Americans Think National Parks Are Worth Way More Than We Spend On Them
An independent survey finds that although NPS’s annual budget is around $3 billion, Americans are willing to pay much more
New Schemes Pay You to Save Species—But Will They Work?
Programs being set up in the American West are taking a radical new approach: paying landowners to preserve animal habitat.
Nature
How Roads Have Transformed the Natural World
A brief history of road ecology, the scientific discipline that is helping us understand our impact on the environment and how to diminish it
Crows and Magpies Snatch Anti-Bird Spikes to Build Their Nests
Birds in Europe are prying up the metal barbs, meant to repel them from roosting on buildings, and using the devices as nesting material
These Moths Are So Gorgeous They ‘Put Butterflies to Shame’
To celebrate National Moth Week, bask in the beautiful variety of these oft-overlooked insects
Plant Species Have Been Disappearing 500 Times Faster Than Normal, Thanks to Humans
Researchers call the results “frightening” because it’s likely “gross underestimate” and the problem is probably much worse
Is Light Pollution Really Pollution?
As countries grow richer, light pollution gets worse–but some are fighting to change that
Latest Anthropocene Stories
Sea Levels Rose More Than Expected in 2024, According to a NASA Analysis
Ocean warming and thus thermal expansion played a major role in last year’s increase
The Arctic Could Have Its First ‘Ice-Free’ Day by as Early as 2027
In a new study, scientists used climate models to predict the alarming milestone
Earth Is on the Brink of Breaching a Seventh of Nine ‘Planetary Boundaries’ That Support Life
A new “health check” for our planet sounds an alarm bell on rising ocean acidification, which is driven by carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
Has Life on Earth Survived More Than Five Mass Extinctions?
Scientists aren’t just arguing whether humans are causing a sixth mass extinction event now, but whether many more occurred in the past
Biodiversity Loss Increases the Risk of Disease Outbreaks, Analysis Suggests
Researchers found that human-caused environmental changes are driving the severity and prevalence of disease, putting people, animals and plants at risk
What Myths About the Anthropocene Get Wrong
These ten misconceptions underplay how much we have altered the global environment and undermine the new perspective we need to deal with a drastically changed world
80 Percent of Global CO2 Emissions Come From Just 57 Companies, Report Shows
Many of these companies increased their fossil fuel production after the Paris Agreement was signed in 2016
Scientists Reject Proposal to Define the Anthropocene, a Geological Age Marked by Human Activity
Experts had suggested a new epoch started in the mid-20th century, but the recent vote demonstrates how tough it is to pinpoint when humans’ impact on the planet began
Boiling Tap Water Could Help Remove 80 Percent of Its Microplastics, Study Suggests
Minerals in some tap water can capture tiny plastic particles when the water is boiled, making them easier to filter away, according to a new study
Air Pollution Makes Flowers Smell Less Appealing to Pollinators, Study Suggests
Nocturnal hawk moths are less likely to visit primroses in air polluted by nitrate radicals, which break down important wild fragrances, researchers find
Inventions for Good
Tweaking the Tiny Electrical Charges Inside Cells Can Fight Infection
It works in tadpoles. Could it work in humans?
Move Over, Steel: The High Rises of Tomorrow Are ‘Plyscrapers’
Light, strong and renewable, wood may change how tall buildings are built
Here’s a Food Wrapper You Can Eat
Made from milk protein, it not only keeps food from spoiling, but it also could keep a lot of plastic out of landfills