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Environmental Preservation

Recent research found that fully one third of humanity can't see the Milky Way because of light pollution

Is Light Pollution Really Pollution?

As countries grow richer, light pollution gets worse–but some are fighting to change that

The new sea turtle tanks have one-way glass to minimize visitor impact on the animals.

American South

A State-of-the-Art Sea Turtle Hospital Welcomes Patients and Visitors in South Carolina

The South Carolina Aquarium invites tourists to visit their reptilian patients, watch surgeries and even conduct mock operations using VR

This forest in Guatemala was burned to make way for agricultural development. A new study suggests that drug traffickers contribute to rainforest loss by laundering money with agriculture in forest lands.

New Research

Cocaine Is Destroying Forests in Central America

Once-forested lands are being used in money laundering operations

This majestic Yellowstone elk would like you to shut up.

New Research

Humans Are Making Too Much Noise—Even in Protected Areas

Turns out that protecting natural areas doesn’t give animals much peace and quiet

Environmental chemists are developing a method that could suck toxic metals out of marine environments.

How Electrified Steel Could Suck Toxic Metals From the Ocean

After a century of strip mining and deforestation, New Caldonia researchers are working to de-contaminate marine waters

The Ocean Is Running Out of Fish. Here’s the Alarming Math

Based on reporting, the ocean has long appeared to offer an infinite bounty of fish. But research paints a grim picture, with annual catch on a decline

Busting apart this aging dam on the Jeremy River in Connecticut opened up 27 kilometers of salmon habitat and spawning gravel for the first time in close to 300 years. Other fish will benefit too, including the eastern brook trout, sea lamprey, American eel, and river herring.

The Environmental Price of Dams

Why some conservationists are demolishing dams in the name of rivers and fish

David Fairchild in 1940, tasting the fruit of an antidesma tree in Indonesia.

This Swashbuckling Botanist Changed America’s Landscapes

Not always for the better

New "Don't mess with Texas" trash cans at the Texas capitol building in Austin.

The Trashy Beginnings of “Don’t Mess With Texas”

A true story of the defining phrase of the Lone Star state

A child stands in the Côte d’Ivoire charcoal yard where his mother works.

Trending Today

WHO Warns That Pollution Is Killing Millions of Children

New reports say that one in four deaths of young people under the age of five can be attributed to the environment

Two vessels rendezvous off the coast of Argentina in a likely transshipment.

Fighting Illegal Fishing With Big Data

Global Fishing Watch is using satellite data to monitor suspicious ship activity on the high seas

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

Trending Today

Mining Exploration Begins in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains

Michigan is divided over a mining company’s plans to drill for copper in a beloved state park

Our global greenhouse gas emissions may not be any lower overall, but the historic treaty established a framework for an international plan of action.

Age of Humans

Twelve Years Ago, the Kyoto Protocol Set the Stage for Global Climate Change Policy

The predecessor of today’s Paris Agreement got us one step closer to an international plan of action on climate change

This is wheat. And if Salish Blue has anything to do with it, it may one day become obsolete.

New Research

New Self-Sustaining “Wheat” Could Change the Farming Industry

It’s called Salish Blue, and it’s more than a science experiment

The Zoo's vets are keeping a close eye on the three newborn cubs.

Cool Finds

Meet the Cincinnati Zoo’s Three Newborn Malayan Tigers

The adorable balls of fur could help the zoo diversify their tiger gene pool

Rachel Carson in 1962.

Rachel Carson Wrote Silent Spring (Partly) Because of the Author of Stuart Little

The book was a turning point for the environmental movement

Deforestation threatens natural world heritage sites.

New Research

Humans Threaten Over 100 Precious Natural Heritage Sites

Forest loss and humans’ footprint are endangering the very sites humans want to preserve

The Javan myna is critically endangered in its natural Indonesian habitat, but exploding populations in Singapore have made it a nuisance there.

New Research

How Escaped Exotic Pet Birds Could Help Save Threatened Species

Though usually seen as a threat to local populations, these escapees could also help in the recovery of creatures in trouble

Spent shell casings pile up as a soldier fires his weapon during a U.S. Army weapons qualification.

Cool Finds

Department of Defense Calls for Biodegradable, Seed-Planting Ammo

These seed bombs could make Army training easier on the environment

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