Anthropocene

Solar panels and wind turbines could help the U.S. reduce carbon emissions for cheaper than you think.

The U.S. Could Switch to Mostly Renewable Energy, No Batteries Needed

Better electricity sharing across states would dampen the effects of variable weather on wind and solar power

Are We Living in the Plastic Age?

Scientists argue that this material may best define our current period within the Anthropocene

A concept (preliminary) rendering for the Mulciber Stove, which its inventors say gives off less smoke per hour than one cigarette.

How to Modernize the Wood Stove and Help Save the Planet

The humble wood stove is getting a high-tech makeover, and may be going green

Antarctica as viewed from space. The world's largest ozone hole—now shrinking—opens over Antarctica every year during local summer and shrinks in the winter.

The Ozone Hole Was Super Scary, So What Happened To It?

When the ozone hole was discovered, it became a worldwide sensation. Thirty years later, what's become of it?

A man pulls a cart full of empty PC cases that'll be broken down by recyclers in Agbogbloshie, in Accra, Ghana.

The Burning Truth Behind an E-Waste Dump in Africa

Ending the toxic smoke rising from an iconic dump in Ghana will take more than curbing Western waste

A "wind tree" installed at the COP21 climate talks in Paris. Each tree produces enough energy to light 71 parking spaces (or power one average American home for four months).

These Creative Wind Turbines Will Have You Rethinking What You Know About Wind Power

Wind turbines don't have to all look the same. Here are some that are helping cities go green—and look like art in the process

Microbes are now known to play many roles in the upper atmosphere: forming clouds, causing rain, and maybe even changing climates.

Living Bacteria Are Riding Earth's Air Currents

The high-flying microbes can travel across the globe, spreading disease or even changing climates

Pollutants hang in the air at a coke plant in Pennsylvania. This plant was photographed in 1973, but humans have been polluting their air for many years before that.

Air Pollution Goes Back Way Further Than You Think

Thousands of years ago, humans were adding lead fumes and other pollutants to the air

A mushroom cloud rises in the sky during an atomic weapons test in the 1950s.

The Atomic Age Ushered In the Anthropocene, Scientists Say

Geoscientists have concluded that the Age of Humans officially began at the start of the nuclear age.

Top Nine Ocean Stories That Had Us Talking in 2015

From fossil whales to adorable octopuses, here are some of the marine headliners that caught our attention this year

None

Most Oil Needs to Pass Through at Least One of These Tiny Spots

Tankers carry millions of barrels a day through tiny chokepoints, which put the surrounding areas at risk of environmental problems

A female medium ground finch, one of at least 14 species of Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin's Famous Finches Could Be Extinct in Half a Century

The finches on the Galapagos Islands are suffering from a parasitic fly introduced to the islands by humans

A beach closed during Lake Erie’s 2014 toxic algal bloom

Toxic Algae Blooms in Lake Erie Could Become the New Normal

Plans to reduce fertilizer runoff may not be enough to counter the blooms when climate change is taken into account

Tradition holds that this plow, held in the Smithsonian collections, is one of the first three plows that John Deere personally forged.

Did John Deere's Best Invention Spark a Revolution or an Environmental Disaster?

When Deere created his now-famous steel plow, he created America's breadbasket and set the stage for many of modern farming's environmental problems

A cheetah stalks past a herd of giraffes in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve.

Humans Caused a Major Shift in Earth's Ecosystems 6,000 Years Ago

We upended a pattern held for 300 million years, and that may mean we are causing a new phase in global evolution

Lush rainforest surrounds the Chagres River in Panama.

Some Forests Have Outsized Impacts on Local Water

A comprehensive new report emphasizes the importance of upland forests for providing clean water, mitigating storms and reducing erosion

High in the sky, aerosols from airplane exhaust become encased in ice and form the bright contrails seen in a plane’s wake.

Airplane Contrails May Be Creating Accidental Geoengineering

Dissipating haze from plane exhaust alters how sunlight reaches the Earth and may be unintentionally affecting our climate

Rainbow Collars Could Help Keep Cats From Wiping Out Birds

This colorful trick may stop Fluffy from murdering local songbirds

Is Global Warming Changing How Fast the Earth Spins?

New research suggests that as glaciers melt, the planet's axis is shifting

On the last day of the climate conference in Paris, thousands of people gathered to demonstrate for global climate justice and against climate change.

Four Things to Know About the Paris Climate Deal

The strengths and limitations of the roadmap for fighting climate change

Page 9 of 17