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Pollution

Scientists have been tracking Mauna Loa's carbon dioxide levels since 1958

Carbon Dioxide Levels Reach Highest Point in Human History

Last Friday, carbon concentrations at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory topped 415 ppm

Haze at Joshua Tree National Park.

New Research

Signficant Air Pollution Plagues Almost All U.S. National Parks

Ozone and other pollutants are obscuring views, hurting plants and causing health concerns for visitors at 96 percent of parks

New Research

This New Plastic Can Be Endlessly Recycled

The new material, dubbed PDK, can be deconstructed down to the molecular level

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Shrimp in England’s Rural Rivers Are Laced With Traces of Cocaine

A new study also detected low levels of dozens of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in shrimp from the county of Suffolk

A plastic bag submerged in soil for three years could still hold a full load of shopping.

Do ‘Biodegradable’ Plastic Bags Actually Degrade?

A new study has found that the bags could still hold weight after being buried in water and soil for three years

Meal Kit Delivery May Not Actually Be That Bad for the Environment

Services like Blue Apron have come under fire for using excessive packaging, but a new study found that pre-portioned meals cut down on food waste

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

An average of 365 plastic particles fell each day on a square meter collector at the Bernadouze meteorological station over the course of five months.

Microplastics Found in Remote Region of France’s Pyrenees

A new study shows just how far the pollutants can travel–and suggests that it is not only city dwellers who are at risk of exposure

There's a lot more pink in the water during the annual flamingo migration to Mumbai this winter.

Trending Today

Why Did Flamingos Flock to Mumbai in Record Numbers This Winter?

More than three times the usual number of migrating pink birds came, possibly attracted by algae blooms caused by sewage

Pregnant Whale With 48 Pounds of Plastic in Her Stomach Washes Ashore in Italy

Among the refuse found in her digestive tract were garbage bags, fishing nets and a bag of liquid detergent

Researchers analyzed blood samples taken from 43 great white sharks captured and released off of the South African coast in 2012

Great White Sharks Thrive Despite Heavy Metals Coursing Through Their Veins

The apex predators likely absorb these toxins by eating fish lower down on the food chain

For more than 30 years, plastic Garfield phones have been washing up on French beaches

Why Have Garfield Phones Been Washing Ashore in France for 30 Years?

The mystery has been solved, but environmental advocates aren’t celebrating

New York is the second state to pass a ban on single use plastic bags. California was the first.

New York to Introduce State-Wide Ban on Plastic Bags

But the plan has drawn criticism from both business groups and environmental advocates

Honey gathered from urban beehives offers a surprisingly accurate measure of surrounding communities’ air quality

How Urban Beehives Can Help Researchers Detect Air Pollution

Trace elements found in honey may be able to lead researchers straight to the source of environmental contamination

African-Americans breathe in 56 percent more pollution than they generate, while Hispanic Americans breathe in 63 percent more

White Americans Produce More Air Pollution Than They Consume

African-Americans and Hispanics consume fewer pollutant-generating products, but get hit hardest by the negative effects

The Lady K tow boat kicks up a wake full of green algae a few hundred feet from the city of Toledo's Water Intake on Lake Erie, for testing on Monday, August 4, 2014.

Trending Today

Toledo, Ohio, Just Granted Lake Erie the Same Legal Rights as People

A controversial referendum passed this week establishes a bill of rights for the Great Lake and grants it legal standing in suing polluters

It was during another experiment in his lab that Naohiro Kato realized that microalgae might be a good ingredient for bioplastic.

Made From Microalgae, These Mardi Gras Beads Are Biodegradable

Louisiana State University molecular biologist Naohiro Kato is confronting plastic pollution one necklace and doubloon at a time

Plastic debris is providing a new vessel for potentially invasive species to cross large distances.

Sea Creatures Still Arriving in the U.S. on Plastic Debris From the Japanese Tsunami Eight Years Ago

Marine biologists don’t know how long different species can survive adrift in the open ocean, and some may become invasive when they reach new shores

A plume of sediment off the coast of Queensland after recent flooding.

Trending Today

Australia Allows One Million Tons of Sludge to Be Dumped on Great Barrier Reef

A loophole in Australian federal law allows dredging spoils from port maintenance to be dumped in the marine park

Coal-colored snow has blanketed Siberia's Kuzbass region this winter, provoking local outrage and health concerns

In Siberia, Toxic Black Snow Reveals the Toll of Coal Mining

Authorities in one town reportedly attempted to cover up coal-polluted snow with white paint

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