Environment

Microbes

Let’s learn about useful bacteria

Bacteria do many useful jobs almost everywhere on Earth, from the soil to the seafloor to our stomachs.

Environment

Bottled water hosts many thousands of nano-sized plastic bits

The finding emerges from tests of a new tool that identified smaller-than-ever tiny plastic bits in three brands of bottled water.

Oceans

Analyze This: Climate change may worsen the spread of ocean noise

Some parts of the ocean may become five times as loud in the future.

Animals

Which way is up? Insects may lose track near artificial lights

Flying insects may use light to figure out where the sky is. But artificial lights can send them veering off course, high-speed video suggests.

Climate

Warmer seas trigger skyrocketing ice loss in 3 Antarctic glaciers

Destabilized by waves and vanishing sea ice, one of the glaciers lost 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of ice in 16 months — a possible hint of worse to come.

Life

Has the Endangered Species Act saved species from extinction?

After 50 years, this landmark law has kept many species alive — but few wild populations have recovered enough to come off the “endangered” list.

Environment

New ultrathin materials can pull climate-warming CO₂ from the air

To slow global warming, we’ll need help from CO2-trapping materials. Enter MXenes. They’re strong and reactive — and they love to eat up CO2.

Environment

Pumping cold water into rivers could help fish chill out

Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish sought shelter from summer heat in the human-made cool zones. These areas may help fish adapt to river warming.

Tech

Bits of trees can make and store energy for us to use

This cellulose and lignin, two major building blocks of trees, could lead to greener electronics.

Tech

Bionic plants and electric algae may usher in a greener future

Some can aid the climate by removing pollutants. Others would just avoid dirtying the environment in the first place.

Climate

Some tree leaves are finding it too hot for photosynthesis

Earth’s ongoing fever threatens to push entire forests toward this heat limit — and possible death.

Environment

This ecologist is looking at the Amazon’s past to save its future

Carolina Levis researches how local communities influence the Amazon. She’s interested in how Indigenous knowledge can help protect the rainforest.