Stories by Ensia

Low-carbon fertilizer, printable DNA, bird-bashing buildings and a dozen other trends could greatly help or hurt biodiversity in 2024

Airborne DNA detection, pesticides and the revival of wetlands are on the radar of biodiversity protectors

COVID-19 may be just the beginning of mass pandemics

From disappearing kelp to small hydropower dams, experts identify the trends that will affect the Earth’s ecosystems

Multibillion-dollar “climate services” firms are trying to cash in on the financial fear and insecurity prompted by changing weather

Experts reveal 15 emerging trends that will significantly influence plants, animals and ecosystems—for better and worse

The real story behind reports of an “insect Armageddon” is more nuanced—but probably just as unsettling

Some crops grow better under raised solar panels than they do in full sun

Technology can be improved in developed countries, and spread much more widely in developing countries

Sucralose turns out to be a perfect substance for tracing household wastewater
 

Experts disagree on whether this hearty pine, vital to the American West, is dying from climate change or just correcting for its recent success

Scientists and farmers on the Australian prairie have discovered a new way to fight invasive weeds

How to retrain coal miners and create new jobs

Tiny powerhouse molecules pull carbon from air, dyes from water and sludge from waste

Smart design and roadside management could actually improve the odds for wildlife

Remote communities have integrated renewables into their diesel-based power grids with more success than anywhere else

Building turbines and photovoltaics at the same location can reduce grid and battery costs and level out power supply 

One of the driest countries on Earth now makes more freshwater than it needs