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Climate Change

The water high in salinity slowly poisons trees, and as they die, all that is left behind are ghostly gray trunks that resemble toothpicks.

‘Ghost Forests’ May Become More Common as Sea Levels Rise

East Coast woodlands are left parched as brackish water encroaches on landscapes

Deb Haaland speaks at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the National Native American Veterans Memorial, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019.

Smithsonian Voices

Indian Country Weighs In on Deb Haaland’s Confirmation as Secretary of the Interior

Seen as “one giant leap for Native women, “Haaland (Laguna and Jemez Pueblos) is hailed for her experience, strength and wisdom

When suburbanites want to limit the number of deer in their area, it can be easier said than done.

How Can Suburbs Control Deer Populations? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Researchers propose storing genetic material from each of Earth's 6.7 million species of known organisms to safeguard life on our planet from annihilation.

Sending DNA From Earth’s 6.7 Million Species to the Moon to Safeguard Life

Researchers propose constructing a ‘lunar ark’ to provide our planet with a ‘reset button’ in the event of a world-ending catastrophe

Indoor cannabis growing in California.

New Research

Growing an Ounce of Pot Indoors Can Emit as Much Carbon as Burning a Full Tank of Gas

In some parts of the United States, the growing cannabis industry is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions

Sea beans, otherwise known as sea asparagus and pickleweed, belong to the genus Salicornia, marsh plants that thrive in salty soils.

How One Farmer Is Introducing Americans to Sea Beans

In Charleston, South Carolina, Heron Farms is attempting to grow a gangly, salt-tolerant plant in the face of sea level rise

The western monarch butterfly has declined by 99.9 percent since the 1980s, according to the latest population assessment.

New Research

Climate Change Lays Waste to Butterflies Across American West

Study documents declines across hundreds of species over recent decades, and finds years featuring warmer, drier autumns are particularly deadly

Wisdom, a 70-year-old Laysan albatross, and one of her chicks from years past.

Oldest Known Wild Bird Hatches Chick at Age 70

Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was first banded by scientists on a remote North Pacific atoll in 1956

Salt marsh fairy circles may bounce back from environmental stresses because of their ability to merge and form a lush ecosystem after oxygen and nutrient depletion.

How Forming ‘Fairy Circles’ May Help Salt Marshes Adapt to Climate Change

The transient rings’ secret to survival may be their ability to shape-shift based on nutrient availability

The study begins with fossilized kauri trees (pictured) that died over 41,000 years ago.

New Research

Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago?

The study links new, detailed data about Earth’s atmosphere to a series of unfortunate events that occurred around the same time

Winter Storm Uri brought below-freezing temperatures and snow to 26 states this week, causing millions of people to lose electricity

How Winter Storm Uri Impacted the United States

The Arctic blast has swept across the Lower 48, bringing record cold temperatures and interruptions to electricity and water services

The museum plans to store some 250,000 of its 620,000 artifacts at a new facility in Liévin.

How the Louvre Is Protecting Its Cultural Treasures Against Extreme Weather

Spurred by flooding linked to climate change, the Paris museum is relocating a third of its collection to a new conservation center

Regenerative farming, which centers on building soil health, is one promising pathway for decreasing agriculture’s carbon footprint.

To Meet Ambitious Emissions Goals, Large Food Companies Are Looking to Lock Carbon in Soil

But the logistics of moving farmers in their supply chains to regenerative agriculture practices can be complicated

A polar bear, dependent on sea ice for its hunting grounds, pauses near Churchill, Manitoba.

Polar Bears Live on the Edge of the Climate Change Crisis

On Hudson Bay’s frigid shores, scientists track the animals to better understand how the environment is shaping their chances of survival

A new study analyzes the downy feathers of 249 Himalayan songbird species, including this brown-throated fulvetta, using specimens from the National Museum of Natural History's vast collections.

Himalayan Songbirds Adapted to the Cold by Sporting Thicker Down ‘Jackets’

High-elevation birds might use their downy feathers to keep from wasting energy shivering to stay warm

The phenomenon of increasing yearly pollen loads is accelerating.

New Research

Climate Change Is Making Allergy Season Worse

New research finds climate change is making allergy season arrive earlier and bring higher pollen loads in North America

A new study suggests cities across the United States may be underreporting their carbon emissions. The study suggests Los Angeles' self-reported emissions could be 50 percent below the metropolis' true carbon footprint.

New Research

U.S. Cities Are Underestimating Carbon Emissions, New Research Shows

Forty-eight cities across America have shorted their emissions by nearly 20 percent

A group of perovskite solar cells that have been treated with capsaicin.

New Research

Chili Pepper Compound Increases Solar Cell Efficiency

Adding capsaicin, the chemical responsible for making chili peppers spicy, improved the efficiency of solar cells in experiments

The study analyzes thousands of records to understand how many species of bees are spotted by scientists each year.

New Research

Thousands of Wild Bee Species Haven’t Been Seen Since 1990

Between 2006 and 2015, researchers worldwide observed 25 percent fewer bee species than they had before 1990

This month's picks include The Ravine, Four Lost Cities and The Three Mothers.

Books of the Month

Civil Rights Icons’ Mothers, Lost Ancient Cities and Other New Books to Read

These February releases elevate overlooked stories and offer insights on oft-discussed topics

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