Stories
The unrealized potential of seaweed farming to clean up agricultural pollution
A research team calculated how strategically-planted beds of seaweed could help to clean up one of the world’s most polluted coastal environments, the Gulf of Mexico read more
Societies have reshaped landscapes for thousands of years. So why is the Anthropocene so destructive?
Researchers show humans have transformed the majority of terrestrial ecosystems for the past 12,000 years without causing large scale extinctions. Colonization, appropriation and displacement are likely to blame. read more
Researchers demonstrate how carbon taxes can reduce global poverty . . . not exacerbate it
Distributing carbon tax revenues on an equal-per-capita basis would reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide by 6 million read more
The veiny structure of a spinach leaf could be the perfect scaffold for lab-grown meat
Decellularized spinach leaves are also a greener alternative to many current scaffolds for cultured beef read more
A novel radiant cooling system saves energy and fights COVID at the same time
Conventional HVAC systems require airtight buildings; in this new system, energy savings and increased fresh air to go hand in hand read more
As deciduous trees take over boreal forests, they could reverse carbon losses from massive fires
Researchers found that stands that had shifted to deciduous dominance had a net increase in carbon storage by a factor of five over the disturbance cycle read more
What are the world’s 35 biggest meat and dairy companies doing to mitigate climate change?
Drawing on a vast dataset called OpenSecrets, researchers found that the amount that companies spent on lobbying against climate action generally tracked with the intensity of their emissions read more
Food scientists devise a clever way to recycle beer waste into food and fuel
By extracting the proteins and fibers in spent grain, researchers show that we can drink our beer and eat it too read more
Researchers connect the dots between aquatic biodiversity and human nutrition
That more diverse an aquatic area, the more nutrients make it to our plates read more
To pay for green infrastructure, cities are turning stormwater into an economic resource
But clever new financing instruments come with their own risks read more
An ingenious system of farming on floating hyacinth mats offers climate resilience
Researchers working in Bangladesh show how this ancient form of food production increases farmers’ incomes and food security read more
Researchers dumped tons of coffee pulp on degraded lands. The reforestation jolt was dramatic
Using agricultural waste as fertilizer led to healthier soils, less invasives, and more tree canopy cover read more
Lab-cultured seafood is coming. But can it actually relieve pressure on global fisheries?
Replacing wild-caught fish with lab-grown seafood is more complex than it may at first appear read more
Trailblazing research uncovers urban gardens as a hidden powerhouse for pollinators
Researchers quantified nectar supply in rural and urban areas and found the scale of production in city gardens overwhelming read more
Q: How can we encourage sustainable diets? A: Subsidies.
Instead of punishing people for their food choices, study finds we should subsidize plant-based meals. read more
Footsteps could light up homes with power-generating wooden floors
Researchers have found a way to convert the renewable construction material into a renewable energy producer. read more
Jet fuel made from food waste could slash flying emissions far more than virgin biofuels
A cost analysis showed that the fuel could be produced for as little as $2.50 per gallon read more
What’s the economic value of intact ecosystems compared to human-dominated ones?
The answer, researchers contend, depends on many factors—key among them, the price of carbon read more
To get people to switch to green energy. . . make the switch for them
An opt-out rather than opt-in model for renewable power programs yields high participation with few downsides read more
The global pollination ‘trade’ reveals how crucial biodiversity is to food security
Pollinators underpin the global food trade, and that makes rich nations highly dependent on conservation measures in tropical countries read more
A kelp elevator could speed up seaweed’s route to biofuels
By making kelp grow four times faster, a simple technology could provide the massive amounts needed for affordable, ocean-based biofuel and other climate solutions read more
Some wild pigs, contrary to their reputation, benefit rainforests
Researchers in Malaysia found that native wild pigs can be accidental tropical forest gardeners, giving rarer, local species a leg up read more
First comprehensive study of indoor pot farm emissions uncovers a giant climate hot spot
Cannabis growing regulations often focus on drug policy, producing unintended environmental consequences read more
Researchers calculate the value of bivalves’ appetite for pollution. It’s huge.
If coastal cities planted clam beds along the urban edge, they could save millions in nitrogen clean-up costs read more
These windows could harness power from both outdoor sunlight and indoor artificial light
By absorbing light in a rainbow of hues, the new windows can do double-duty, churning out electricity day and night read more
How much can planting trees offset a city’s emissions?
Researchers measured the potential of 1000s of cities to offset their carbon emissions by reforesting. Prospects are greatest in smaller cities and in the Global South read more
‘Ugly produce’ is having a marketing moment
In a surprising discovery, researchers found that shoppers were more likely to buy wonky produce labeled as 'ugly' than wonky produce left unlabeled or called ‘imperfect’ read more
Climate change compels us to reconsider protected area borders
New research suggests that governments should designate protected areas based on land qualities—not current species’ locations. read more
Researchers find a missing piece in coral reef restoration: crabs
They transplanted native crabs to degraded coral reefs patches to help clear out the seaweed. It worked better than they imagined. read more
How COVID kills coal
The pause of 2020 enabled low-carbon power growth to get ahead of electricity demand growth read more
The Anthropocene: Paul Crutzen’s Epochal Legacy
He came to science late in his life, helped to preserve the Earth’s protective ozone, and fundamentally changed our views of nature and ourselves read more
Airplanes could cut emissions by being better wind-surfers
It’s a quick, safe and relatively simple way to save up to 16 percent of fuel burned on transoceanic flights while the industry waits for biofuels and electric craft read more
Where would birds be without us?
To reassess current conservation efforts, researchers simulated the potential ranges of bird species on a landscape devoid of people read more
New study quantifies the carbon emissions of virtual conferences
The carbon footprint of an online conference is vastly smaller than its in-person counterpart—but it is not zero. read more
Can vacant farmland sustainably fulfill the world’s biofuels needs?
Researchers investigate pathways by which biofuels could provide a third of the world's green energy needs read more
To boost EV adoption, add a lot of charging stations and a few gas-powered backup cars
It's all about convenience: MIT researchers identify strategies that increase electrification by fitting it into people’s existing lifestyles read more
Scientists count elephants from space with impressive accuracy
Elephants inhabit complicated and changing landscapes—and they have a knack for covering themselves with mud. Machine learning solves the problem. read more
Here’s what a more just green energy transition might look like
Researchers identified policy tweaks to prevent decarbonization efforts from harming households and small businesses read more
There’s more cropland in protected areas than we might think
A study finds that crops occur in every category of protected habitat on the planet, making up 6% of all conserved land read more
Researchers used Covid lockdown to show how tourism can protect vulnerable seabirds
After a Sweden company shut down tourist traffic to a bird watching island, an influx of eagles wreaked havoc on the murre breeding season read more
On a mere 1% of farmland, solar panels could provide 20% of US electricity
Agrivoltaics could also provide jobs and boost rural livelihoods, while cutting carbon emissions read more
How do renewable energy sources hold up in a warming world?
Pretty well overall. A new study shows that the impact climate change will have on the supply of wind, hydro, solar, and other renewable energy sources is modest. read more
A drastic revolution in the way we eat and farm could limit habitat lost to agriculture to a mere 1%
Alternatively, researchers found, if we don’t change our food systems, habitat losses will affect tens of thousands of species by 2050 read more
Nearly a century after being extirpated, blue whales are moving back to South Georgia Island
Now that whaling has been outlawed for decades, populations are beginning to heal—but they face new threats. read more
Study ties amphibian collapses with increased malaria outbreaks
If you remove frogs and other "mosquito-reducers" from the landscape, what happens to malaria rates? read more
Researchers have hit on a widely available solution for decarbonizing fertilizer production
On multiple environmental measures, “peecycling” almost always comes out ahead read more
A new carbon capture method that actually makes energy sense
Simple, high-efficiency electrolysis process produces commercially valuable products—and could run on renewable energy read more
Using satellite imagery, researchers have built an automatic habitat loss detector
They then trained image change detection algorithms on “before and after” images of places that have recently been cleared, built on, or even covered in solar panels. read more
Surprisingly small tweaks to carbon pricing could balance cost with fairness
Researchers believe they found a way to resolve the tradeoff between too many different carbon prices and the need for big cash transfers between countries read more
How many fish are in the sea?
Researchers are getting closer to an answer—and improved management—by identifying the DNA traces that fish leave behind in seawater read more
This material can store the sun’s energy for months, maybe even years
Thin coatings of the material could soak up sun in summer months and provide heat to buildings in winter, all without using fuel or electricity read more
United States may be well positioned to power down fossil fuel plants
Lots of U.S. fossil fuel electricity infrastructure is already relatively old and closer to its typical lifespan than is the case in other countries. read more
Clean air policies are for the birds
According to a new estimate, reducing ozone pollution has saved 1.5 billion birds over the past 40 years. read more
Letting the big fish get away could be an unexpected climate solution
Big fish sinking to the bottom of the sea could sequester millions of tons of carbon read more
Q. Are vertebrate populations declining? A. Depends on how you look at the data
A new analysis complicates a popular metric of biodiversity decline. read more
In the most comprehensive study to date, researchers found that greener farming methods don’t compromise yields
In 63% of cases, they found that eco-friendly farming boosted biodiversity without any cost to yields. In several cases, yields actually increased read more
Can blimps help save sharks?
Sharks attack very few people—but current mitigation efforts kill a lot of sharks. Is blimp-based surveillance a better option? read more
The rise of the carbon-negative building
Wooden structures that store more carbon than is emitted in their construction point to a flaw in green building schemes read more
Can industrial aquaculture grow vegetarian fish?
A study found that a new algae-based fish feed formula not only cuts aquaculture’s environmental footprint, but also produces larger, healthier fish read more
Microwave magic can help provide clean hydrogen fuel
Zapping catalysts with microwaves help them extract hydrogen from plastic waste and from water read more
Focus on freshwater conservation, and land gets swept along for the ride
Prioritizing terrestrial species leaves freshwater ones behind — but the opposite isn't true. read more
A new type of soil irrigates itself
Adding super-moisture-absorbent gels to arid soils could liberate farming from expensive irrigation and power systems read more
Windows just keep getting smarter. These darken in the sun and generate electricity
Dynamic windows could do double duty in sustainable building design, cooling and powering at the same time. read more
There is still something to be said for human silence
Researchers experiment with increasing the acoustic carrying capacity of a park read more
When health care becomes a climate solution
A new analysis reveals how a rural clinic helped save more than 27 square kilometers of tropical Indonesian forest—equating to more than $65 million worth of avoided carbon emissions read more
Closing more of the ocean to fishing actually means there’ll be more fish to eat
Researchers calculate that protecting just 5% more of the ocean could boost fisheries by as much as 20%. read more
Using seawater for cooling could be a sustainable option
Researchers found that just one cubic meter of seawater has the same cooling energy as a solar farm the size of 68 football fields—or 21 wind turbines. read more
Swiss study shows that paying people to conserve biodiversity pays off
The government reimburses farmers for conserving country’s tremendous plant diversity. read more
Which European political parties have the most ambitious climate policies?
Spoiler: They are surprisingly similar in ambition—but they also all share the same blind spot. read more
Loading soil with biochar allows farmers to cut way back on irrigation
At high applications levels, researchers found that biochar can not only soak up a lot of carbon, but also reduce the need for irrigation by almost 40%. read more
Paper recycling isn’t necessarily good for the climate
Global paper consumption is rising, and recycling paper uses more fossil fuels than virgin paper. But a switch to renewable energy and better wastepaper disposal practices could drastically cut carbon emissions. read more
We’ve built enough fences to stretch to the sun—but still don’t understand their effects here on Earth
In a recent paper, researchers argue it's time for a new field: fence ecology. read more
Just 10% of Covid stimulus funds directed to green-energy would be enough to reach Paris goals
A new study puts some numbers on what would constitute a climate-friendly recovery package read more
A vicious cycle of cows, disease, and climate change
Livestock welfare will be key in helping us reign in emissions read more
When the smoke cleared in Australia, the frogs could still be heard
Researchers recruited an army of citizen scientists to record and log frog calls before and after Australian wildfires read more
What’s the minimum amount of energy needed to provide a decent living—for everyone?
New research finds that global energy consumption in 2050 could be reduced to the levels of the 1960s, despite a population 3x larger. read more
The fertilizer solution has become a major climate problem
Study reveals that anthropogenic N2O emissions have leapt by 30% over the past four decades read more
The immense potential of solar panels floating on dams
Putting solar farms on water has benefits, but coupling them with hydropower amps them up and could provide almost half of the world's electricity. read more
After spending time around humans, animals lose their fear of predators
This has implications for a number of conservation initiatives from reintroductions to ecotourism. read more
Researchers get closer to the goal of flood-proof crops
Engineered enzymes could allow plants to tolerate low-oxygen conditions read more
Buy High, Sell Low
Like it or not, retreat from the coasts has begun. The only question left is whether it will be managed or chaotic. read more
Maps of the New World
How do we think about our future place in a geographically altered world? A map is a good place to start. read more
As the climate changes, what changes people’s minds?
How far has opinion moved from climate-change denial toward acceptance and, ultimately, action? read more
How to Plant the Forests of the Future
In the past, forest restoration could be informed by what once was. Now we have to make hard decisions about what we’re working toward. read more
Rent, Don’t buy
It's time to design conservation policies that are as dynamic as nature is. read more
It’s an unsinkable idea
The concept of settling the high seas is back—this time as a sustainable answer to sea-level rise, with an impressive team and UN support. read more
Greening the last mile of e-commerce
Could hubs, nudges, and EV night deliveries crack this surprisingly tough puzzle? read more
The human population curve is on the move
Demography teaches an important lesson about population explosions: they are always temporary read more
The race is on to build an AC unit that doesn’t cook the planet
There's a $1 million prize for anyone that can design a room air conditioner that costs no more than twice what a standard one costs and produces five times less greenhouse gas read more
Bottling Sunshine without Batteries
Turning sunlight into liquid fuels or hydrogen gas could address solar power’s biggest limitations read more
This Is How Blockchain Could Upend the Grid
by allowing people to buy and sell energy in small increments from, and to, their neighbors read more
How to Die in The Anthropocene
Death is inevitable, but its environmental toll may not have to be. read more
These Buildings Generate More Energy Than They Use
Norway ushers in an era of energy-positive architecture read more
Saltwater Aquaculture Moves Inland
Improved technology could give fish farms a sustainable foothold far from the ocean read more
The Problem with Making Nature Pay for Itself
Trying to make nature valuable has had a disappointing track record. read more
Picturing a Way Forward
An interview with Kim Stanley Robinson: Climate change, science fiction, and our collective failure of imagination read more
Hacking Nature
For decades, humans have modeled technology on observations of the natural world. But new discoveries about nature—and tools for manipulating it—have opened up novel approaches potentially more powerful than mere imitation to solving Human Age problems. read more
Blurring Life’s Boundaries
Darwinian theory is based on the idea that heredity flows vertically, parent to offspring, and that life’s history has branched like a tree. Now we know otherwise: that the ‘tree' of life isn’t that simple. read more
How different are we after all?
The question “What makes us human?” is typically answered in terms of differences. The traits proposed to define us—tool use, language, empathy, and so on—assume that humanity’s essence resides in what sets us apart from other beings. read more
Do plastic bag bans make a difference?
Do Plastic Bag Bans Make A Difference? Like so many life-cycle assessments, it’s never that simple. The environmental impact of ... read more
A View from Everywhere All the Time
Tech companies are rapidly networking the environment in ways that will transform our perception of nature—just as social media reshaped our relationships with each other. What could possibly go wrong? read more
The Curated Wild
Welcome to the brave new world of artificial intelligence for conservation read more
The Climate Change Apocalypse Problem
Thinking about apocalypse, like thinking about one’s own death, is not something that most of us have much enthusiasm for read more
Water-Harvesting and Arid-Adapted Agrobiodiversity
A revival of rainwater harvesting is occurring around the world, as desert communities restore traditional systems known as rain gardens, ak-chin agriculture, floodwater farming, gavias, karez, qanats and fogarras. read more
Amphibious Architecture
Amphibious structures are not static; they respond to floods like ships to a rising tide, floating on the water’s surface. read more
The Race to Reinvent Cement
The material that built the modern world is due for an upgrade. What if we could transform cement from a climate wrecker into a carbon sponge? read more
Does driving an electric car help decarbonize the economy?
You would need to drive an electric car more than 50,000 km in Quebec and 150,000 km in Germany to outcompete a conventional car in terms of greenhouse gas emissions read more
The Resurgence of Solar Agriculture
Can farmers get the same food production under solar panels that they currently do growing lettuce for your dinner table the old-fashioned way—directly under the sun? There’s an increasing body of research suggesting that they can. read more
Are We Approaching Peak Stuff?
Almost imperceptibly, we are stepping off the consumption treadmill read more
All forests are not equal in the carbon count
To clean up our carbon mess, we don’t just need more forests, we need better forests in the right places read more
Eyes on the High Seas
Illegal fishing is getting harder, thanks to public surveillance from space read more
Milk Without the Cow. Eggs Without the Chicken.
Yeast-derived “animal products” may soon be part of an environmentally balanced diet read more
On Wizardly Prophets and Prophetic Wizards
Ted Nordhaus reviews The Wizard and The Prophet by Charles Mann read more
The Circular Economy Made Real
In more and more pockets of the industrial landscape, the byproducts of one process are becoming the raw materials for another, trash is getting a useful second life, and waste is becoming a thing of the past. read more
Instead of Trump’s Wall, Let’s Build a Border of Solar Panels
A solar border would alleviate a range of binational problems. For one, it would have a civilizing effect. read more
Biophony
Soundscape ecology plunges us into a wilder world beyond the mundane and merely visual read more
An Internet of Wings
Researchers will track migratory animals from the International Space Station to predict the next pandemic read more
How Much Energy Will the World Need?
Any climate plan that doesn’t consider this question is bound to fail. read more
Artificial Intelligence and Decarbonization
New experiments are pushing artificial intelligence and sensor networks into the grid—and into factories, data centers, and transit systems—in order to pull fossil fuels out. read more
Cutting Loose the Climate Future from the Carbon Past
Geoengineering demands a new way of looking at the world—one that can be troubling. read more
When You’re in a Carbon Hole Stop Digging
Here’s a coal retirement plan that doesn’t rely on uninvented technology or science-challenged leaders. read more
Human-Driven Evolution Is a Hallmark of the Anthropocene
The Human Age will be shaped by the species we create and foster as well as the ones we kill off read more
The Great Decoupling
The story of energy use, economic growth, and carbon emissions in four charts. read more
The Rise of the Wooden Skyscraper
New, mass-timber engineering could transform the twenty-first-century city from a carbon source into a carbon sink read more
Is the grass greener on the other side?
Drug legalization could both help and hurt the environment read more
The Carnery
Imagine a culinary future with in vitro meat . . .The real thing may not be as far away as you think read more
The residential macrosystem
Managed collectively, backyards could become more biodiverse landscapes read more
Nanosilver may cut down on odor, but does it make clothing “green”?
Less frequent laundering may not offset the additional environmental impacts of using antimicrobial silver nanoparticles in textiles. read more
Why citizen science may shine, even in Trump’s world
As we brace for fresh environmental onslaughts to be leveled by the incoming administration, a sleeper cell in the federal government itself may just provide resistance—and even resilience—in the face of it. read more
The Global Financial Establishment Is Waking up to Climate Risk
Regulators are beginning to rewrite the economic rules read more
Who’s Winning the Clean-tech Race?
You could be forgiven if you thought the European Union—historically a leader on low-carbon finance and policy efforts—would have a competitive edge in clean energy markets. But you would need to think again. read more
Imagine There’s No Drivers
And no traffic lights. And no parking lots. It isn’t hard to do. read more
Art That Delivers Clean Water & Power
An international competition challenges designers to show that clean energy production and dazzling public art can be one and the same read more
How We Think about E-Waste Is in Need of Repair
China and Ghana are looking less and less like electronic wastebaskets and more and more like leaders in a powerful, informal green economy read more
An Anthropocene Journey
The word “anthropocene” has become the closest thing there is to common shorthand for this turbulent, momentous, unpredictable, hopeless, hopeful time—duration and scope still unknown read more
We should be measuring the footprint of supply chains
Attributing water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions to countries rather than industrial sectors is a leading example of how the supply chain world warps geography. read more
Habitecture
Tiny houses and great cathedrals, carbon-neutral skyscrapers and Airstream trailers: architecture is among the greatest of human crafts. Just imagine if the same ingenuity and vision were devoted to building homes for animals. read more
Ecology for Insiders
The indoor biome covers as much as six percent of the world’s landmass—and we know almost nothing about it. read more
Science Fiction in the Anthropocene
The ultimate literature of the imagination calls upon us to do more than merely invent or imitate the apocalypse read more
Letting Biodiversity Get Under Our Skin
Some aspects of dirty living can be healthy. A new study posits that the decline of plant and animal diversity in cities may be linked to the recent surge of allergies and other chronic inflammatory diseases. read more
Visualizing Carbon
Pictures make a story come alive—and in the climate change story, one of the main characters is invisible. Carbon Visuals helps people “see” the carbon dioxide that’s trapping heat in Earth’s atmosphere. read more
The Future Will Not Be Dry
In a world of melting ice caps, storm surges, and tropical cyclones, the most resilient cities aren’t the ones that fight the water back—but the ones that absorb it. read more
What Food Should Go Nude?
As consumers, we should worry less about the Styrofoam and plastic wrap encasing the ground beef—and take a pass on the shrink-wrapped broccoli. read more
Reality Is Too Confining
We know that nature experiences can change environmental behavior—but it turns out those experiences don’t have to be real. read more
Spies Like Us
Armed with low-cost surveillance technologies, nonprofits aided by “citizen spies” are tracking fracking in Pennsylvania, flaring in North Dakota, and rogue fishing around Easter Island read more
Butter Is Toast
Margarine has a significantly lower environmental impact than butter in four important areas: global warming potential (i.e., carbon footprint), eutrophication potential, acidification potential, and land impact read more
Taming the Blue Frontier
Should the U.S. cultivate giant offshore fish farms in its piece of the sea or keep taking most of the fish we eat from foreign waters? read more
You Pay or We Drill
When Ecuador asked the world for $3.6 billion to not drill for oil, the world balked. But in terms of reining in carbon, Ecuador may be on to something. read more
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