Pollution
Fossil-Fuel Interests Try to Weaken Global Plastics Treaty
Good news: the world is discussing a treaty to stem plastic pollution. Bad news: fossil-fuel interests are trying to weaken it
Pollution92 articles archived since 1845
Climate Change
Ozone Treaty Delayed Arctic Melting by 15 Years
The Montreal Protocol was intended to save Earth’s ozone layer, but it also helped slow global warming and delayed the melting of Arctic sea ice
Pollution
Concrete Made with Shredded Diapers Is Just as Strong and Saves Landfill Space
Used diapers can replace up to 40 percent of the sand that is typically used in making concrete, lowering costs and keeping more trash out of landfills
Fossil Fuels
New EPA Rules Would Slash Power Plant Emissions
The EPA has announced new draft rules that would require power plants that burn fossil fuels to capture 90 percent of their climate-warming emissions
Pollution
New Technique Can Map Ocean Plastics from Space
Researchers figured out how the flow of microplastics flattens ocean waves, letting satellites paint a clearer picture for future policy and cleanup efforts
Public Health
The Health Risks of Gas Stoves Explained
Gas stoves produce emissions that can harm human health and the environment. Experts answer questions about the dangers and how to limit them
Pollution
Will the Chesapeake Bay Become a Dead Zone?
The country’s largest estuary is under critical threat from pollution and climate change. The question is: Can it be saved?
Conservation
How Winners of the ‘Green Nobel’ Are Protecting the Environment
The Goldman Environmental Prize has announced its 2023 awards. Three winners speak about their efforts to protect wilderness and fight polluters
Climate Change
Cool Transportation Hacks Cities Are Using to Fight Climate Change
Through “bike buses,” more pedestrian-friendly streets and electric vehicles, some cities are making strides in decarbonizing transportation
Pollution
Biden Marks Earth Day with New Environmental Justice Orders
The president is creating an Office of Environmental Justice and expanding federal protections for communities that have been historically overburdened by pollution
Oceans
Surprising Creatures Lurk in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
In the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, plastic creates strange communities that bring coastal and open-ocean animals together
Climate Change
A Mysterious Rise in Banned Chemicals Is Warming the Planet
A new study documents the mysterious presence of five banned chlorofluorocarbons, chemicals that not only deplete the ozone layer but also contribute to global warming
Electronics
Could Grinding Up Lithium Batteries Help Recycle Them?
Researchers recovered lithium from batteries on a small scale by using mechanical force
Pollution
Scientists Look for Toxins from East Palestine Derailment in Ohio
East Palestine residents are looking to independent researchers to fill gaps left by authorities about the toxic chemicals that could be affecting people after a train derailment...
Pollution
‘Plasticosis’ in Seabirds Could Herald New Era of Animal Disease
Ocean animals are growing sicker from ingesting too much plastic
Pollution
Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts Stirred Up Toxic Sediment
The Nord Stream pipeline explosions happened in a dumping ground for chemical warfare, but other contaminants proved most toxic to marine life
Pollution
‘Toxic Forever Chemicals’ in U.S. Drinking Water to Be Regulated for the First Time
The EPA has proposed the first nationwide limits for toxic chemicals called PFASs in the U.S. water supply
Pollution
Forever Chemicals Are Widespread in U.S. Drinking Water
Experts hope that with the incoming Biden administration, the federal government will finally regulate a class of chemicals known as PFASs
Toxicology
Chemical Health Risks from the Ohio Train Accident—What We Know So Far
A train carrying toxic and combustible materials derailed recently in Ohio. Here’s what we know about the situation—and what we can’t know yet
Astronomy
Light Pollution Is Dimming Our View of the Sky, and It’s Getting Worse
Citizen scientists and researchers found that we are losing our view of the sky at an astonishing rate of almost 10 percent each year
