Oil

A new way of chemically recycling single-use plastics might offer an incentive to keep them out of landfills.

New Chemical Process Turns Single-Use Plastics Into Fuels

Researchers say their method can break down hard-to-recycle plastics using half the energy of existing techniques

To aid the turtles in flushing out their digestive systems clogged with crude oil, workers at the sea turtle rescue are feeding them mayonnaise, which will break down the tar and make it easier to expel out.

Turtles Caught in Disastrous Oil Spill Treated With Mayonnaise

The tar-covered animals were given the condiment to flush out their digestive systems

A woman at the Gador nature reserve in Israel holds a dead baby sea turtle covered in tar from the oil spill on Feb. 20, 2021.

Oil Spill Off Israeli Coast Covers Beaches and Wildlife in Tar

Authorities are searching for the ship responsible for the unreported spill

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to an abundance of wildlife such as polar bears and caribou, which the region's Indigenous communities rely on and hold sacred.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Will Not Face Mass Oil Drilling—for Now

Large oil companies skipped out on the auction, but environmentalists say a worrisome precedent has been set

Plastics can take hundreds of years to naturally degrade in the environment, something this new combination of enzymes can accomplish in a matter of days.

Engineered 'Super Enzyme' Breaks Down Plastic

The new enzyme could allow for infinite recycling of common PET plastic used in water bottles and clothing

Prototype biodegradable flip-flops made using algae.

Researchers Use Algae to Make Biodegradable Flip-Flops

The shoes break down in about 18 weeks under the right conditions

A visual representation of global methane from January 26, 2018. Red areas indicate higher concentrations of methane swirling in the atmosphere.

World Methane Emissions Hit New High

Agriculture and fossil fuels drive a surge in global emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas

Original Caption: Firemen stand on a bridge over the Cuyahoga River to spray water on the tug Arizona, as a fire, started in an oil slick on the river, sweeps the docks at the Great Lakes Towing Company site in Cleveland Nov., 1st. The blaze destroyed three tugs, three buildings, and the ship repair yards.

The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared Until 1969

Despite being much smaller than previous fires, the river blaze in Cleveland 50 years ago became a symbol for the nascent environmental movement

Police move in behind students blocking entrance to the Santa Barbara wharf on the first anniversary of the Santa Barbara oil spill on January 29, 1970 in Santa Barbara, California.

How an Oil Spill Inspired the First Earth Day

Before Earth Day made a name for the environmental movement, a massive oil spill put a spotlight on the dangers of pollution

A bit of the ancient delta off the coast of Svalbard.

Earth's Largest River Delta Was the Size of Alaska

The Triassic Snadd delta between Norway and Russia lasted millions of years and was likely a biodiversity hotspot

A polar bear walks on the ice of the Beaufort Sea in Arctic Alaska.

Judge Blocks Oil Drilling in Arctic Ocean

The ruling says only Congress—not presidential executive orders—has the authority to reverse bans on oil drilling leases

Month-Long Oil Spill in the Solomon Islands Threatens World's Largest Coral Reef Atoll

Australia has stepped in to help contain the 600 tons of heavy fuel oil leaking from the transport that ran aground on Rennell Island early last month

Italy May Need to Import Olive Oil After Extreme Weather Decimates Local Crops

This year's harvest is down 57 percent, and may force the nation to import its treasured olive oil from other parts of the Mediterranean

American adventurer and archaeologist Wendell Phillips may have provided inspiration for the character of Indiana Jones.

The Complex Legacy of America's Lawrence of Arabia

Archaeologist Wendell Phillips traveled throughout Yemen in the 1950s, where he found ancient treasures and controversy

Crab Fishermen Sue Energy Companies Over Climate Change

The suit alleges that oil firms are responsible for climate change driven algae blooms, which have delayed and shortened recent crab-harvesting seasons

The residents and tribal members of Isle de Jean Charles are the first federally-funded community to be moved because of environmental degradation and displacement.

Prospects Are Looking Up for This Gulf Coast Tribe Relocating to Higher Ground

As Louisiana’s Isle de Jean Charles slips away, the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe plans community renewal and a museum for their new home

Pink Was the First Color of Life on Earth

Researchers have found bright pink pigments in 1.1 billion year old fossils of cyanobacteria drilled in West Africa

This aerial photo shows spills from TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline on Friday, November 17, 2017.

Keystone Pipeline Leak Was Twice as Big as Previously Thought

A representative of TransCanada Corp., which owns the pipeline, says the leak spilled 9,700 barrels of oil into South Dakota farmland

Oil rig offshore of Huntington Beach, California

Administration Proposes Opening Nearly All U.S. Coastlines to Offshore Drilling

Over 90 percent of America's waters will be available for oil and gas drilling under proposed plan

Women dynamite workers at one of Alfred Nobel's factories in the 1880s.

The True Story of Mrs. Alford's Nitroglycerin Factory

Mary Alford remains the only woman known to own a dynamite and nitroglycerin factory

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