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These Haunting Photographs Call Attention to Plastic Trash Swirling in the Ocean
Award-winning photographer Mandy Barker explores the beauty and tragedy of marine plankton and plastic waste
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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
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U.K. Killer Whale Contained Staggering Levels of Toxic Chemical
Lulu had one of the highest concentrations of PCBs ever recorded in a marine mammal
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Stunning Map Shows Changes in Light at Night Around the World
The satellite images show where the most light is making night skies bright
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This Caterpillar Can Eat Plastic
The find could lead to new techniques for breaking down our ever-growing plastic waste
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Ocean Currents Are Sweeping Billions of Tiny Plastic Bits to the Arctic
Currents are acting like a conveyor belt for plastic, dumping the bits in pristine northern waters
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Coal-Fueled Power Plants Linked to Lower Birth Weights in Tennessee Valley
When nuclear power plants pressed pause, coal stepped in—and birth weights began to decline
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India’s Ganges and Yamuna Rivers Are Given the Rights of People
A few days after a New Zealand river gained the rights of personhood, an Indian court has declared that two heavily polluted rivers also have legal status
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The Toxic Truth Behind Mardi Gras Beads
Every year, 25 million pounds of plastic beads made by Chinese factory workers get dumped on the streets of New Orleans
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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
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Human Pollution May Be Fertilizing The Oceans. That’s Not a Good Thing
Our iron emissions from coal and steel may be fuelling ocean life, and trapping carbon in the process
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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
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Surprising Levels of Pollution Found in the Depths of the Mariana Trench
Even deep-sea creatures can’t escape pollutants
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Why Michigan Banned Banning Plastic Bags
A new state law prevents cities and counties from restricting use of plastic bags or disposable cups and utensils
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Turning Ocean Garbage Into Gold
From the common plastic water bottle to the shoes of tsunami victims, one recycling organization tries to find a home for all ocean refuse
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Top Eight Ocean Stories That Made Waves in 2016
2016 wasn’t all bad: Stubborn environmental problems were livened up thanks to new solutions, “gee whiz” discoveries and mysterious orbs
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Thousands of Snow Geese Die at Abandoned Pit Mine
Despite attempts to scare them away, thousands of geese landed on the acidic Berkeley Pit, which is full of toxic heavy metals
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Thanks to Fossil Fuels, Carbon Dating Is in Jeopardy. One Scientist May Have an Easy Fix
If only there were such an easy fix for climate change
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Without These Whistleblowers, We May Never Have Known the Full Extent of the Flint Water Crisis
A concerned mother and a renowned scientist spearheaded the investigation that exposed the dangers lurking in the water supply of the Michigan city
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Why Seabirds Eat So Much Plastic
A new study suggests that algae growing on plastic in the oceans makes it smell like dinner
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