Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Global Warming

A digitally colorized view of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria under a scanning electron microscope

These Flesh-Eating Bacteria Are Thriving Because of Climate Change

New research finds that infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus have increased over the last 30 years and expanded to new geographic areas

Third Act focused its protests on four banks—Chase, Citibank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

‘Rocking Chair Rebellion’ of Senior Citizens Joins Climate Protest

Thousands of retirees in 90 locations across the U.S. protested banks that finance new fossil fuel infrastructure

Global carbon dioxide emissions reached an all-time high in 2022.

U.N. Climate Change Report Calls for Urgent Action

Countries must strive for more ambitious emissions goals over the next decade, scientists say

Solar panels float on a mountain lake in Switzerland. The first such system was installed in 2008.

Are Floating Solar Panels the Future of Clean Energy Production?

“Floatovoltaics” could drastically raise power generation and conserve water in reservoirs, according to a new study

The Kokalik River in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska

Massive Arctic Oil Drilling Project Gets the Green Light

The Biden administration approved a controversial proposal for drilling in Alaska, which could produce massive amounts of carbon emissions each year

Ponderosa pines at Yosemite National Park

California’s ‘Zombie Forests’ Are Cheating Death—but Maybe Not for Long

A fifth of conifer forests in the state’s Sierra Nevada mountains are stranded in unsuitably warm conditions

Conference president Rena Lee of Singapore announces an agreement was reached on Saturday.

Historic Treaty Protects Marine Life in the ‘High Seas’

The United Nations agreement will help conserve 30 percent of the planet’s oceans by 2030

Tourists on a cruise spotted a rare, giant phantom jellyfish in Fournier Bay of Anvers Island off the Antarctic Peninsula last year.

How Vacationers on Antarctic Cruises Are Filling in Scientific Gaps

From ships and submarines, citizen scientists can access remote areas ripe for new discoveries. But does the research make up for the climate impact?

Emperor penguins rely on sea ice to reproduce and, as a result, are vulnerable to global warming.

The Wonderful World of Birds

Scientists Discover an Emperor Penguin Colony From Poop Stains in Satellite Images

Researchers pinpointed the group of roughly 500 birds in West Antarctica

Living Carbon's modified trees on the left next to unmodified trees on the right.

Genetically Modified Trees Are Taking Root to Capture Carbon

A start-up created the plants to help combat the climate crisis, but they have so far only been tested in a lab setting

Researchers use a hot water drill on Thwaites Glacier, which two new studies show is melting in an unexpected manner.

A Rare Look Below the ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Reveals Surprising Melting

Researchers sent a robot through 2,000 feet of ice to study the quickly receding ice shelf

Lake Champlain, which is located on the border of New York and Vermont, is usually popular for ice fishing. 

Three Fishers Die After Falling Through Ice in Vermont

Ice fishing competitions on Lake Champlain have been canceled after an unusually warm January

Warm temperatures have melted snow in eastern Germany's ski resorts.

Skiing Faces an Uncertain Future as Winters Warm

A lack of snow has forced some ski resorts to close, impacting tourists and athletes alike

The moon contains lots of dust, which scientists say could help block some sunlight from reaching Earth, cooling the planet.

Launching Dust From the Moon Could Help Cool Earth, Scientists Say

Proposals to fight climate change by blocking sunlight aren’t new, but some experts argue the answer lies closer to home

Dig Tsho, a glacial lake in Nepal that burst in August 1985

Fifteen Million People at Risk of Severe Floods From Melting Glaciers

Rising temperatures could worsen glacial lake outbursts, unleashing massive inland waves on downstream communities, a study finds

The Tongass National Forest is home to a variety of wildlife, including bald eagles, salmon, brown bears and wolves.

U.S. Restores Protections for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest

A new federal rule restricts road construction and logging in the country’s largest national forest

Since 1970, the oceans have sunk about 90 percent of the excess heat from the atmosphere.

Oceans Break Record for Highest Temperatures Four Years in a Row

Warming oceans can drive sea-level rise and extreme weather

Monogenean worms dissected from the gills of a preserved copper rockfish from the University of Washington Fish Collection at the Burke Museum

Puget Sound’s Parasites Are Disappearing—but Don’t Be Glad to Say Goodbye

The decline, which was correlated with warming waters in a new study, is bad news for ecosystems

Gas stoves emit air pollutants, including heat-trapping gasses.

Should the U.S. Ban Gas Stoves?

While the White House opposes an all-out ban, a federal safety agency is studying the health and environmental hazards of the kitchen appliances

The satellite reentered Earth's atmosphere at 11:04 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday.

NASA Satellite Falls Back to Earth After Almost 40 Years in Space

The reentry calls attention to the mission’s success and puts a spotlight on the dangers of space debris

Page 9 of 20