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
Tag Archives: Environment
There Is Still Plenty We Can Do to Slow Climate Change
While it may seem daunting, there are still many things we can do individually to slow climate change
Climate Change Is Destabilizing Insurance Industry
Insurers face a “crisis of confidence” as global warming makes weather events unpredictable and increases damage
The World Faces a Water Crisis and 4 Powerful Charts Show How
Hundreds of millions of people lack access to safe water and sanitation. Will the first U.N. conference on water in nearly 50 years make a difference?
Chipmakers fight spread of US crackdowns on “forever chemicals”
Enlarge / The surface of a semiconductor wafer in the cleanroom at the Tower Semiconductor Ltd. plant in Migdal HaEmek, Israel, on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Intel Corp. agreed to acquire Tower Semiconductor for about $5.4 billion, part of Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsingers push into the outsourced chip-manufacturing business. Photographer: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Intel and other semiconductor companies have joined together with industrial materials businesses to fight US clampdowns on “forever chemicals,” substances used in myriad products that are slow to break down in the environment.
The lobbying push from chipmakers broadens the opposition to new rules and bans for the chemicals known as PFAS. The substances have been found in the blood of 97 percent of Americans, according to the US government.
More than 30 US states this year are considering legislation to address PFAS, according to Safer States, an environmental advocacy group. Bills in California and Maine passed in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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‘Plasticosis’ in Seabirds Could Herald New Era of Animal Disease
Ocean animals are growing sicker from ingesting too much plastic
Use Nature as Infrastructure
In the climate crisis, wetlands have more economic value than new development
Spring Is Starting Earlier–It’s Not Your Imagination
Birds are heading north before their insect prey emerge. Bees are missing out on early blossoms. Ticks and other pests have more time to feast and spread disease
Scientists Just Warned We Need to Cut Emissions by 60 Percent, but the U.S. Is Years Away
The IPCC’s latest climate assessment says the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2035, but the U.S. is already behind on a less ambitious target
Will Humans Ever Go Extinct?
It’s probably a matter of when and how, not if, we humans will meet our doom
Fast, Deep Cuts in Emissions Are Needed to Avoid ‘Climate Time Bomb’
To keep warming below levels that scientists say will bring extreme climate impacts, nations must act quickly to make deep cuts in carbon emissions, according to the final installment of the IPCC’s latest climate report
The Strange Way a 12-Foot-Long Invasive Python Was Caught
In Key Largo, Fla., scientists are looking to protect endangered native rodents and slow the invasion of massive Burmese pythons
We Need New Warning Systems to Save Lives during Climate Disasters
Satellites that can better predict extreme weather and location-based text messaging systems can warn at-risk communities of storms and other climate-related threats to help save lives, the U.N. says
Here’s the Real Story behind the Massive ‘Blob’ of Seaweed Heading toward Florida
Florida beaches are already receiving hefty batches of brown seaweed, kicking off a year that could break records
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
What the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Means for Science Start-ups
Bailouts mean customers’ deposits are safe, but the Silicon Valley Bank’s demise has sparked concern about future investment in small tech companies
No, Diversity Did Not Cause Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse
Blaming workplace diversity or environmentally and socially conscious investments for the firm’s downfall signals a “complete lack of understanding of how banks work,” one expert said.
Environmental and Indigenous Groups Sue over Willow Oil-Drilling Project
A coalition of environmental and Indigenous groups is suing the Biden administration over the approval of the Willow oil- and gas-drilling project in Alaska, arguing the government failed to consider the climate risks, as well as harm to wildlife and subsistence hunting
‘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
How the U.S. Cracked Down on a Potent Greenhouse Gas
The U.S. government is celebrating some success at reining in emissions of a potent greenhouse gas called SF6, which traps 25,000 times more heat than CO2 does over a century-long timescale
Rich Countries Should Not Control the World’s Sunlight, Experts Warn
Interest is building in using solar geoengineering to combat climate warming, but experts warn it could have broad—and inequitable—impacts
Australia’s Massive Wildfires Shredded the Ozone Layer–Now Scientists Know Why
Smoke from the catastrophic 2019–2020 fires in Australia unleashed ozone-eating chlorine molecules into the stratosphere
A Historic Deal to Protect the High Seas Makes Researchers ‘Ecstatic’
The historic High Seas Treaty aims to preserve marine biodiversity in what has been considered the “Wild West” of the oceans while still encouraging research
Antarctic Sea Ice Hits a Record Low, but Role of Warming Is Unclear
The vast and deep Southern Ocean complicates efforts to single out the role of climate change in declining sea ice
Old Bomber Plane Will Sniff the Sky for Geoengineering Particles
NOAA will use a converted Air Force bomber to search the upper atmosphere for substances that could help the U.S. reflect sunlight away from Earth
‘Pretty Epic’ Mountain Snowfall Stuns Californians
A near-record amount of snow in California could ease some water restrictions after years of climate-change-fueled drought
Spotlight on Women in Science
Honoring women at the forefront of science
Could Giant Blankets and Other Extreme Actions Save Glaciers?
Plastic coverings, gravity snow guns and painted rocks could slow ice melt in high mountains
How Helper Sharks Discovered the World’s Largest Seagrass Ecosystem
Scientists partnered with tiger sharks to map seagrasses—the unsung hero of ocean conservation.
We Must Stop Treating Grasslands as Wastelands
The grasslands of India and elsewhere do not need to have economic value to be worth studying and preserving
Record-Breaking Boreal Fires May Be a Climate ‘Time Bomb’
Fires in North America and Eurasia spewed record-shattering amounts of CO2 in 2021
Pablo Escobar’s ‘Cocaine Hippos’ Spark Conservation Fight
Researchers worry the Colombian environmental ministry will side with animal-rights activists rather than curb the spread of invasive hippos once kept by drug-cartel leader Pablo Escobar
Algal Blooms Have Boomed Worldwide
Climate change is likely at least partially to blame for an uptick in the size and frequency of algal blooms in parts of the world’s oceans
Ukrainians Shift to Renewable Power for Energy Security amid War
Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused widespread power cuts, spurring a rise in demand for residential solar power units
Ancient Tsunami Detectives Hunt for Long-Lost Cataclysms
Gigantic tsunamis have been decimating coastlines since time immemorial and hold warnings for our present and future
7 Ways Jimmy Carter Has Improved America’s Energy Future–Or Tried To
As U.S. president, Jimmy Carter championed renewable energy, conservation and other then fringe efforts that are powerhouses today
Solar Geoengineering Should Be Regulated, U.N. Report Says
A panel of independent experts urged international leaders to set rules for the stratosphere and solar geoengineering
Why Is It So Hard to Make Vegan Fish?
Futuristic food science technology could finally bring plant-based salmon filets and tuna steaks to the table
Scientists Are Trying to Pull Carbon Out of the Ocean to Combat Climate Change
Instead of sucking planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, some scientists are looking to capture it from the oceans
New Color-Changing Coating Could Both Heat and Cool Buildings
A thin film can switch from releasing heat to trapping it, and wrapping it around buildings could make them more energy-efficient
Chemistry Urgently Needs to Develop Safer Materials
The damaging effects of accidents like the Ohio train derailment would be minimized if industry would commit to developing safer chemical processes and products
Why a Blizzard Is Hitting Southern California
A massive storm shocks Southern California with cold temperatures, strong winds and abundant moisture, causing extremely rare blizzard conditions and potentially unprecedented snowfalls
How the U.S. Is Planning to Boost Floating Wind Power
The Biden administration is eyeing a 70 percent cut in the cost of floating offshore wind power by 2035
Building Resilience in the Face of Climate Change [Sponsored]
Successfully mitigating the impacts of climate change will rely heavily on innovation in science and technology.
How to Engineer Buildings That Withstand Earthquakes
Though deadly quakes can’t be prevented, science does have some ways to protect buildings—and the people inside them
U.S. Battery Installations Soared in 2022, Reshaping Power Grids
The U.S. installed more battery storage last year than ever before, with California and Texas leading the way
Earth’s Inner Core May Have an Inner Core
Echoes from earthquakes suggest that Earth’s solid inner core has its own core
Global Internet Connectivity Is at Risk from Climate Disasters
Thousands of miles of fiber-optic cable lining the seafloor are vulnerable to sea-level rise, storms and other climate impacts, research shows
Why Is the Amazon So Important for Climate Change?
Here’s why the Amazon rain forest is key to protecting Earth from the detrimental effects of climate change
Ignoring Climate Risks Has Inflated Property Values in Flood Zones
Home buyers are paying excessive prices after ignoring flood risk and the costs of insurance and repairs, a new study finds