How did whales that feed on tiny prey evolve into the largest creatures on Earth? And why don't they get even bigger?
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
How whales became leviathans
Analysis and Comment
Love it or hate it, winter means snow and ice for much of the US. In many places, though, snow is becoming a scarce resource.
Due to inefficiencies in global energy systems, energy falls short of even making it to the consumer, often lost in the form of waste heat.
Government agencies have detailed plans for responding to disasters, but one piece doesn't get enough attention: cleaning up the mess that's left behind.
It's now officially the end of hurricane season, but the rebuilding of the Bahamas continues, slowed by the risks imposed by a history of colonialism and class division.
If you're craving that freshly-cut tree smell, shop early and don't be too choosy.
Along with climate change and drought, invasive grasses are promoting wildfires across the US, even in areas that don't normally burn.
An animal's poop may seem like something to avoid, but it's full of information about the creature that left it there.
Democratic candidates are keen to burnish their climate credentials by calling for grand electric vehicle plans. But there are both economic and political reasons for going slowly.
As the effects of climate change become clearer and more ominous, fossil fuel companies face a choice: Defy warnings of catastrophic climate change, or envision their roles in a post-carbon world.
Americans recycle only about one-third of the solid waste we generate. A behavioral scientist argues that with the right motivators, we could do more.
President Trump has confirmed that the US will leave the Paris Agreement on climate change on the earliest allowable date: Nov. 4, 2020. Will this hobble efforts to slow global warming?
Emperor Penguins thrive in harsh conditions, but a new study shows that their fate depends on human action to slow global warming and associated loss of sea ice.
The Trump administration has moved to allow electric bikes on all federally owned trails where normal bikes are allowed. A public lands scholar weighs in on the issues this could cause.
Scientists have tracked endangered species for years. Now they're figuring out how to highlight animals and plants that have recovered – but what does that mean?
Economic and political trends are driving a shift away from coal. What kind of assistance do coal workers and communities need?
Brazilian evangelicals are politically conservative, but they still believe in climate change. Turning them into climate activists, however, will be a challenge for the environmentalist movement.
Long before Apple vs. Microsoft or Facebook vs. Google, there was Edison vs. Westinghouse.
Farmers worldwide say Monsanto's policy of charging for every use of its genetically modified seeds violates their planting rights. But judges in these patent law cases aren't so sure.
Scientists who were appointed to advise the EPA on air pollution kept meeting independently after the agency dissolved their panel. They say current regulations aren't strict enough.
Instead of suppressing wildfire, the Karuk Tribe in the Pacific Northwest is using it as an integral part of its climate change management plan. Federal, state and local agencies are taking note.
What can we do as individuals to help save the planet? Acting locally is satisfying because we can see the results, but a geographer argues that large-scale solutions often make the most difference.
How are oil companies positioning themselves for a post-carbon world? So far, cautiously.
Electric cars gets lots of attention, but in the developing world, electric two-wheelers have the potential to spread quickly – if batteries continue to improve on performance and cost.
To save what’s left of nature on this increasingly human planet, conservation needs to become a top priority around the world, from the wildest of wildlands to the densest of cities.
Yerba mate is a wildly popular South American tea with a growing global market. Can this 'superfood' save Paraguay's tropical forests, too?
Take a look at the first high-resolution map of the US food supply chain.
Americans eat more meat on average than citizens of any other nation, but new survey findings show that plant-based meat products are winning fans across the US.
Investing in farming methods that improve lands and water, and in rural infrastructure and markets, could bring new prosperity to agricultural communities.
Hundreds of bishops, priests, missionaries and tribal leaders are at the Vatican for the Synod of the Amazon, a three-week meeting focused on the environmental crisis threatening Amazonian peoples.
As climate change intensifies the risk of wildfires in California, insurers are dropping coverage for many homeowners.
China is betting that a massive set of investments around the world will bring it economic prosperity and international political power.
All the Great Lakes are at, or close to, record highs. But it is us, not the water, that needs to move out of the way.
Two fire researchers argue that recent fires in Northern and Southern California show why health and social equity need to be part of fire preparedness.
Two scholars report on how conservation policies designed to protect reindeer are harming the nomadic Tsaatan people who rely on them.
The gravity and force of this Category 5 hurricane that lashed the Florida Panhandle and other Southern states may never have fully registered on the public’s radar.
Meat producers are lobbying in many states to keep the word 'meat' off labels of plant-based products like the Impossible Burger. But this may not clarify shoppers' choices.
In some places, the ocean is almost 7 miles deep. Scientists exploring the ocean floor have found strange sea creatures, bizarre geologic formations and records of Earth's history.
The Trump administration is supporting new mines in Alaska and Minnesota that many opponents say could devastate sensitive areas around them.
Wild things thrive in transmission pathways that crisscross states.
As climate change speeds up tropical storm cycles, rivers and bays have less time to process nutrients and pollutants that wash into them after each event.
Decarbonizing the global economy would help the climate change problem – but also many others. Would putting all those additional co-benefits center stage help drum up support for climate action?
Small-scale fisheries buffer poverty and hunger in coastal countries.
In just five Florida Panhandle counties, sea level rise could swamp more than 500 archaeological sites that tell the story of when and how Native Americans lived along the Gulf Coast.
California's new plan to fight global climate change is innovative. But it raises tricky ethical questions with no easy answers.
A new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report makes clear human-induced climate change threatens the health and function of the ocean and cryosphere - the frozen regions of the Earth.
A 2006 Supreme Court ruling created widespread confusion about which wetlands and other waters are federally protected. The Trump administration's latest action isn't likely to clear things up.
Reversing the damage from fires in Brazil's rainforest is not as simple as allowing trees to grow back. Decades of research shows how fires degrade their long-term health and utility.
Big storms with lots of flooding, like hurricanes Dorian and Maria, actually restore the Caribbean's delicate balance between native and nonnative fish species, new research finds.
Energy-wise, the fallout from the attack on Saudi oil facilities has so far been very muted. The surge in oil production in the US over the past decade helps explain why.
Shifting the capital of Indonesia and other countries may actually send the wrong message that cities too can be discarded.
Carbon dioxide makes up less than one-twentieth of 1% of Earth's atmosphere. How does this relatively scarce gas control Earth's thermostat?
The typical American's annual household carbon footprint is over five times the world per capita average.
Should lakes, rivers and other resources have legal rights? New Zealand, Ecuador and other countries have taken this step. Now Toledo, Ohio is a US test case.
Conservatives worldwide favor carbon pricing, cap-and-trade systems and other innovative environmental plans – just not in the United States.
As deforestation rates in Brazil rise, it's worth asking whether the country can repeat the successes of the last decade. Current trends don't bode well.
Poverty and violence are often cited as the reasons people emigrate from Central America, but factors such as drought, exacerbated by climate change, are driving people to leave too.
Social media make it easier to push information out quickly during disasters, but also create challenges for public information officers, who have to judge which reports are credible enough to share.
Newark is the latest US city to struggle with high lead levels in drinking water. Ending this public health crisis will require more money and enforcement, plus stricter water testing standards.
As Hurricane Dorian approaches Florida, we share three articles on predicting hurricanes' paths and evacuating from harm's way.
Two energy scholars who have studied the extent of methane leaks in the oil and gas industry explain what rescinding methane emissions regulations will mean to the climate and industry.
Don't blame climate change for the 39,000 forest fires now incinerating huge tracts of the Brazilian Amazon. This environmental catastrophe is human-made and highly political.
If the Amazon rainforest functions as our planet's lungs, what do raging wildfires threaten? An atmospheric scientist explains why the fires, though devastating, won't suffocate life on Earth.
InterContinental Hotels Group plans to switch miniature toiletries for bulk products, but it isn't likely to do as much for the environment as activists might think.
Some climate scientists have spoken out about the dangers of climate change. But a new study shows those voices may not be very influential.
More than one-fifth of global warming emissions come from land use. Sustainable farming can make soil healthier and better able to soak up carbon, while saving energy and boosting food production.
A new report calls land key to solving climate change. The good news is that there are strategies for reducing carbon emissions from land use that can also produce economic and social benefits.
The Trump administration is changing implementation of the Endangered Species Act in ways that conservationists say would reduce protection for some of America's most threatened wildlife.
New research forecasts that climate change will make multiyear stretches with low snow levels more common across western North America – bad news for water managers, farmers, foresters and skiers.
A tick expert explains his work trying to understand why the abundance of the parasites vary so much from location to location and year to year.
Many practicing U.S. Christians do not believe that human activities are warming the Earth, but they hold diverse views about the environment. Effective climate conversations recognize those nuances.
Climate change isn't just a technical challenge – it also involves ethics, social justice and cultural values. Insights from literature, philosophy and other humanities can produce better solutions.
Media coverage of sharks often exaggerates risks to people, but more than 500 shark species have never been known to attack humans, and there's lots to learn about them.
July 29, 2019 is 'Earth Overshoot Day,' a date coined by the nonprofit Global Footprint Network to publicize overuse of Earth's resources. But their estimates may actually understate the problem.
Iran's leaders are threatening to breach a 2015 agreement that froze their country's nuclear program. What is uranium enrichment, and what would it mean for Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons?
Hagfish have been called the most disgusting creatures in the ocean. But what are they?
Hot weather kills more Americans yearly on average than floods, tornadoes or hurricanes. Three scholars explain how cities can prepare and help residents stay cool.
Birds spend a lot of time and energy singing, but they don't do it the same way in every season of the year. And some can't sing at all. What's the purpose of birdsong?
At a time when storms are becoming more frequent and severe, relying on levees for flood control can create as many problems as it solves.
Western states adopted a 7-year plan in May 2019 to manage low water levels in the Colorado River. Now they need to look farther ahead and accept that there will be less water far into the future.
Scientists are predicting major algae blooms in Lake Erie and large dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico this summer. Nutrient pollution from industrial corn farming is a major driver.
Flint's highest recorded lead levels were typical for water systems that report problems. What's more, a number of cities haven't reported their lead issues.
Three scholars argue that agriculture is failing to sustain either the land or American farmers. They propose a modern version of the New Deal that centers on ecology and economic fairness.
Getting everyone whose lives were thrown off-track back takes a lot of personal effort, paired with work done by a constantly shifting mix of nonprofits and governmental agencies over many years.
In a study that cultivated coral 'gardens' with varying numbers of species, plots with more species were healthier. This finding could inform strategies to help coral reefs survive climate change.
Every year the US burns more than 34 million tons of garbage in incinerators. These plants are major pollution sources, and most are clustered in disadvantaged communities.
The 6-3 ruling challenges some common political assumptions about conservatives and liberals.
Many current and former US military leaders call climate change a serious national security threat, but few of them mention the Defense Department's big carbon footprint.
Federal and state agencies are carrying out a 35-year, multi-billion-dollar plan to restore Florida's Everglades, but have not factored sea level rise or other climate change impacts into their plans.
North Atlantic right whales are headed toward a traumatic extinction, but could rebound if humans can get out of their way.
A grade of 92 is an A at most schools, but for tap water it means that millions of Americans drink water that fails to met federal standards.
An engineering professor explains why rural areas are especially vulnerable to hurricanes, and what they can do to ensure that no one is left without help.
For the start of Atlantic hurricane season on June 1, scholars explain weather forecasting, evacuation orders, inland flooding risks and how social ties influence decisions to stay or flee.
By appealing to the hearts and minds of their white neighbors, Native Americans are carving out common ground. Together, these different groups are building unity through diversity.
North Korea is a major military threat to the US and its Asian allies, but exactly how powerful are its nuclear weapons? An earth scientist explains why it's hard to answer this question.
The 'thin green line' of resistance against any new infrastructure for shipping oil, gas and coal abroad has won many battles.
Research and News
The technician who gave you that shiny manicure may be inhaling dangerous levels of toxic chemicals on the job.
Researchers like myself are finding transformative new ways to help planners, leaders and first responders tackle disasters from afar.
Protected from development, natural landscapes worldwide are emerging from the violence of war.
As climate change intensifies, much of the nation's building stock will need upgrading to strengthen it against flooding, snowstorms and other weather hazards.
The US President pledged ambitious growth in the fossil fuel industry on his 2016 campaign trail – but new data shows that the green economy was already growing almost three times as fast.
'Two polar bears walk into a bar ...' is an unlikely opener for a joke, but memes and parodies are surprisingly effective ways to get people talking about climate change.
Fish can't read maps, and their eggs and larvae drift across national boundaries. Recent research shows that local problems in one fishery can affect others across wide areas.
A team of researchers tried to gauge public perceptions of climate activists and faith in humanity's ability to work together on issues like climate change.
The United Nations is calling on world governments to step up action against climate change. Can China, the world's biggest carbon emitter, fulfill its pledges?
A recent survey in Indiana finds broad concern about climate change and support for addressing it in this red state, with one catch: Many Hoosiers don't realize their neighbors agree with them.
Feral pigs are a destructive invasive species across much of North America. In a recent study, forest patches where feral pigs were present had fewer mammal and bird species than swine-free zones.
As the oceans warm, fish are moving to stay in temperature zones where they have evolved to live. This is helping some species, hurting others and causing a net reduction in potential catch.
We have all the technologies needed to make the electric grid run on renewables and lower pollution. What are they and what are the barriers to adopting them widely?
Climate change threatens the water supply of nations around the world. But it's difficult to measure whether a region has sufficient water to satisfy the people who live there. Could satellites help?
Millions of Americans rely on groundwater for their lives and livelihoods, but regulation is piecemeal. A new study maps groundwater wells nationwide and finds that they are drilling steadily deeper.
Shared e-scooter programs may seem like a green way to get around, but these small vehicles can have big environmental footprints.
Once hunted into corners of North America, black bears have expanded across the continent since the early 1900s. But bears that end up living near people aren't seeking close encounters.
'Building back better' refers to making communities more disaster-proof and resilient after they take a hit. But instead, some US owners are building back bigger homes in vulnerable places.
Protecting land from being developed intuitively may seem like a drag on local economies, but research in New England finds that it has the opposite effect.
As climate change alters temperature and rainfall patterns, yields of some crops are increasing while others decline. The net result: less food, especially where it's most needed.
Restoring tropical rainforests is good for the climate, wild species and humans. But where to start? A new study pinpoints locations that will maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts.
Weeds are serious problems on sports fields, parks and other sites covered with turfgrass. A new strategy uses mechanical force to kill them instead of chemical herbicides.
Climate change
Over the past 20 years, Great Lakes water levels have gone from sustained multiyear lows to multiyear highs. Climate change is accelerating the transition between dry phases and wet phases.
Climate change science was driven by curiosity in the past. Now climate researchers need to focus on managing the risk of global warming's ill effects.
Plastics
A year after China stopped accepting most scrap material exports, other Asian countries are following Beijing's lead, forcing wealthy nations to find domestic solutions for managing their wastes.
Many communities are banning single-use plastic shopping bags to reduce pollution, but a study in California shows that some consumers responded by purchasing more heavy plastic trash bags.
Under the sea
Tiny calcified formations inside fishes' ears can be used to trace a fish's life history – and potentially, how climate change has affected its growth and development.
Protecting forests and wetlands, which absorb and store carbon, is one way to slow climate change. Scientists are proposing similar treatment for marine animals that help store carbon in the oceans.
Politics and the environment
How does reporting on the environment promote democracy? A US journalism professor describes conditions in the republic of Georgia, where the media isn't equipped to cover issues like pollution.
These youngsters have ample fervor, and they are dramatically photogenic. Dismissing them as being fake or lightweight can spell trouble for members of the establishment.
Research and Expert Database
Border wall construction through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona is encroaching on a site where people from many cultures have interacted for thousands of years.
The Earth may be entering an era in which natural and human-generated fire together are reshaping the planet.
China, which once processed much of the world's scrap, has slashed imports of "foreign garbage." What can the US do to step up recycling at home?
US cities were designed and engineered around cars. Now some are working to increase walking and biking, but the shift isn't easy.
It will be hard and complicated to replace Venezuela's heavy sour crude.
Urban farming can make it easier for city residents to obtain healthy, affordable food. But to raise big yields from small pieces of land, farmers need training and support.
Climate change is happening and will intensify in coming decades. Some experts say it's time for a triage strategy that focuses investments where they are most likely to have an impact.
Major US environmental organizations have promised to diversify their staffs and boards for more than 20 years, but moved slowly. Will workplace scandals make a difference?
A new report shows that coral reefs reduce damage from floods across the United States and its trust territories by more than $1.8 billion every year – and pinpoints that value state by state.
This collective fundraising technique helps defuse anti-cyclist sentiment before it dooms protected bike lanes and other new infrastructure.
Research shows that moving from a larger dwelling to a tiny home can change behavior in surprising ways.
Patriotism means pride in country, but what are we proud of? A former national park ranger suggests that visiting historic sites can remind Americans of the heritage, good and bad, that they share.
Many people think climate change caused Classic Maya civilization to collapse abruptly around 900 A.D. An archaeologist says that view is too simplistic and misses the bigger point.
Californians love their coast and strongly oppose offshore drilling. Will they support converting old oil rigs to artificial reefs – a policy that benefits both marine life and oil companies?
A new study lays out a road map for protecting and restoring 50% of Earth's surface, targeted to preserve biodiversity and maximize natural removal of carbon from the atmosphere.
Most Read past week
- Trump’s border wall threatens an Arizona oasis with a long, diverse history
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- Christmas tree shopping is harder than ever, thanks to climate change and demographics
- ‘Robotic blacksmithing’: A technology that could revive US manufacturing
- Nail salon workers suffer chemical exposures that can be like working at a garage or a refinery
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