Conservation
How Conserving 30 Percent of U.S. Land by 2030 Could Work
Achieving the 30x30 goal, as it is known, requires much more than declaring more national parks
Stories by Andrea Thompson
Climate Change
Climate Report Offers Some Hope, but the Need for Action Is Urgent
Sustained emissions reductions and the rapidly dropping costs of renewables were some positive notes in the latest IPCC installment
Climate Change
Double Disaster: Wildfires Followed by Extreme Rainfall Are More Likely with Climate Change
These events can cause devastating landslides and flash floods
Energy
The Risks of Russian Attacks near Ukraine’s Nuclear Power Plants
Commercial plants have built-in safety systems but aren’t designed with warfare in mind
Policy
The Pandemic Showed the Promise of Cities with Fewer Cars
Residents learned what was possible. Some politicians fought to keep it that way
Climate Change
Winter Olympic Sites Are Melting Away because of Climate Crisis
As greenhouse gas emissions rise, more venues will face conditions that professional athletes consider unfair or unsafe
Climate Change
How Climate Change Will Hit Younger Generations
A new analysis shows that people born later will experience vastly more severe weather events
Natural Disasters
Ash Blanketing Tonga after Volcano Eruption Creates Health Concerns
Short exposure should not be too harmful, but residents should take precautions where they can
Ecology
Plants Are Stuck as Seed-Eating Animals Decline
Their ability to track climate change is being squeezed on all sides
Climate Change
The Five Biggest Climate Stories of 2021
Climate-fueled disasters raged around the globe while international action fell short of ambitions
Animals
The Best Fun Science Stories of 2021: Rhythmic Lemurs, a Marscopter and Sex-Obsessed Insect Zombies
Check out the weird and wonderful stories that delighted us this year
Climate Change
What Happens to White Christmases as the World Warms?
Although more winter precipitation will fall as rain because of climate change, don’t say goodbye to snow just yet
Weather
Tornadoes at Night and in the Southeast Are Especially Deadly
Population density and a prevalence of mobile homes make the region a hotspot for tornado deaths
Climate Change
How Airborne Microplastics Affect Climate Change
Like other aerosols, these tiny particles scatter and absorb sunlight, influencing Earth’s temperature
Climate Change
Risk of Dangerous Heat Exposure Is Growing Quickly in Cities
Population growth, climate change and the urban heat island effect are combining to put more people at risk
Climate Change
How Climate Change Helped Fires Cross the Sierra Nevada for the First Time
High, rocky peaks are no longer an insurmountable hurdle for ever fiercer flames fueled by heat and drought
Agriculture
Here’s How Much Food Contributes to Climate Change
Animal-based foods produce about twice the emissions of plant-based ones, a new comprehensive study finds
Climate Change
Act on Climate Emergency Now to Prevent Millions of Deaths, Study Shows
The human toll of carbon emissions will vastly magnify climate change’s economic costs
Climate Change
Climate Change Added $8 Billion to Hurricane Sandy’s Damage
New research shows how much warming is costing society by exacerbating disasters
Climate Change
NASA Says 2020 Tied for Hottest Year on Record
Meanwhile NOAA put the year just behind 2016 in the charts, but it was remarkably hot by either agency’s measure
