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Environment + Energy – Articles, Analysis, Opinion

Displaying 1151 - 1175 of 2433 articles

Backyard chickens may seem free and happy, but are at increased risk of contracting diseases from wild birds. Bruce Turner/Flickr

Why it’s wrong to blame livestock farms for coronavirus

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some critics say livestock farms promote diseases that spread from animals to humans. An animal scientist explains how well-run farms work to keep that from happening.
When deadly tornadoes struck the Southeast in April, residents in Prentiss, Mississippi, struggled to keep up coronavirus precautions while salvaging what they could from their damaged properties. AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

Can your community handle a natural disaster and coronavirus at the same time?

If the forecasts are right, the US could be facing more natural disasters this year – on top of the coronavirus pandemic. Local governments aren’t prepared.
Surface detail of the Tomanowos meteorite, showing cavities produced by dissolution of iron. Eden, Janine and Jim/Wikipedia

Tomanowos, the meteorite that survived mega-floods and human folly

Tomanowos, aka the Willamette Meteorite, may be the world’s most interesting rock. Its story includes catastrophic ice age floods, theft of Native American cultural heritage and plenty of human folly.
Discolored water can be caused by heavy metals, such as iron or copper. Iron can also act as a nutrient for organisms to grow in the pipes. Kyungyeon Ra/Purdue University

The coronavirus pandemic might make buildings sick, too

Office buildings have been left mostly empty for weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic, leaving standing water in pipes where harmful organisms can grow. What happens when those buildings reopen?
Sunlight, ventilation and relative humidity all affect the microbiome of indoor spaces. iStock / Getty Images Plus

Buildings have their own microbiomes – we’re striving to make them healthy places

We spend 90% of our lives indoors, and every building has its own indoor microbiome. Can we learn to manage them in ways that support helpful microbes and suppress harmful ones?
The first Earth Day in 1972 spurred other countries to support global environmental action. Callista Images/Getty

The first Earth Day was a shot heard around the world

April 22, 2020 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, which catalyzed action to protect the environment not just in the US but internationally.
Researchers use Atlantic mackerel for bait on long-lining fishing sampling expeditions in the Gulf of Mexico.. C-IMAGE Consortium

Scientists have found oil from the Deepwater Horizon blowout in fishes’ livers and on the deep ocean floor

The Deepwater Horizon oil disaster catalyzed a decade of research on oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico, from surface waters to the seabed, with surprising findings.