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.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Waste incineration
Analysis and Comment
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?
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.
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.
North Atlantic right whales are headed toward a traumatic extinction, but could rebound if humans can get out of their way.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Only a small share of the vehicles Americans buy are electric. Even if all of them were, it would take until 2040 to phase out the fossil fuels used to power personal travel and road-bound freight.
The Trump administration plan to expand offshore oil and gas production along US coastlines faces serious roadblocks. But there are smarter ways to pursue 'energy dominance.'
The electric utility is seeing rapid changes and threats that affect consumers, from more wind and solar to wildfires. How they react depends in large part on regulators.
Air quality in the US has improved greatly since 1990, but a new report finds progress stalling in some cities. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is rolling back air pollution controls.
Alarm bells went off when several recent studies reported mass insect die-offs in different parts of the world. But reports of an 'insect apocalypse' have been greatly exaggerated.
Trees clean urban air, store carbon, slow floodwaters and can be used to design safer streets. Scholars are starting to calculate what these services are worth – a fitting topic for Arbor Day.
Decades of wildfire suppression have allowed flammable fuels to pile up in US forests. Scientists and managers say careful use of planned fires can reduce risks of large, out-of-control burns.
Are health risks from air pollution less serious than we think? Mainstream scientists call this a fringe view, but it's getting high-level attention at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Recent extreme rains and weather in the Midwest are causing a multitude of problems in the topsoil that much of the nation's food supply relies on.
A collection of millions of bird sightings has identified the best places to invest in conservation.
A scholar who travels regularly to the US-Mexico border finds ecological links and a community on the other side that welcomes American visitors.
What creates such dramatic storms across the US Great Plains? The key factors are topography and temperature differences.
Can presidents undo decisions by their predecessors to protect federal lands from development? A recent court ruling on offshore drilling says no, and could also affect contested lands in Utah.
Globalization is making it harder to identify and trace outbreaks of foodborne illness. Technology can help, but consumers may also have to rethink their food choices.
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.
Starting in 2021, drivers will pay a fee to enter midtown and lower Manhattan during busy times of day. Will this clear New York's air and streets?
Rail advocates often make the case that trains are a cleaner mode of transportation, but why is that so? And what would it take to expand rail in the U.S.?
States are folding the social and economic costs of burning fossil fuels into their electricity policies, giving utilities a financial incentive to reduce greenhouse emissions.
A climatologist who studies precipitation trends explains how climate change is projected to make flooding events in the Midwest more severe and more frequent.
The FDA has given the green light to sell the first genetically engineered animal – farmed salmon –in the US.
What is proof? In both law and science, it's basically a consensus of experts – but they work at very different speeds. That means juries may reach verdicts on an issue before the science is settled.
Unless it sparks joy, go ahead and scratch this task off your spring-cleaning checklist.
Many nations are restoring degraded tropical forests to slow climate change, protect endangered species and improve rural life. But those forests often are cleared again soon afterward.
The 'used water' that flows from our showers, dishwashers and toilets isn't a waste to engineers – it contains valuable materials. The challenge is recovering them and turning them into products.
Even before the British billionaire invested US$1 billion in making the region 'climate-smart,' Jamaica, Barbados and Dominica were pioneering a renewable energy boom in the Caribbean.
In 2004 an underwater avalanche destroyed an oil platform off Louisiana, causing a 14-year spill. An expert on oil and gas seeps in the Gulf of Mexico warns that this could happen in other places.
What raises a common winter storm to the level of 'bomb cyclone'? It's all about rapid, sharp changes in atmospheric pressure – and the scientists who coined the term meant to highlight their power.
Adding industrial chemicals and natural alkaline minerals could slow climate change, but like other geoengineering proposals, it comes with many complex technical and legal challenges.
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?
Many people associate Henry David Thoreau with solitude in the outdoors. But Thoreau understood in the mid-1800s that there was no such thing as nature separate from humans.
Since 2008, Landsat data has been free for the world to use, spurring new applications and scientific research. But that door could soon slam shut.
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.
EPA is moving to regulate two chemicals from a group called PFAS that are contaminating drinking water. A public health expert explains why the agency should take much broader action.
Washington, California and Florida are mulling a permanent switch to DST. Proponents say that doing so could improve health, save energy and prevent crime.
Why do scientists spend so much time and money mapping the DNA of species like white sharks? Single studies may offer insights, but the real payoff comes in comparing many species to each other.
Natural gas supplies are growing, but so are other markets for it besides power generation.
Chemical pollution and hunting pushed Ospreys to the edge of extinction in the mid-20th century. Today, they have rebounded and can be spotted worldwide, often nesting on manmade structures.
Energy storage could prove an inexpensive way for power companies to handle heat waves and other times when consumers use more electricity than usual.
Climate justice policies could potentially double as tools of colonialism that harm people outside the US.
US cities were designed and engineered around cars. Now some are working to increase walking and biking, but the shift isn't easy.
There are precedents regarding power generation and ethanol but no nation has ever achieved as comprehensive and dramatic this fast.
It will be hard and complicated to replace Venezuela's heavy sour crude.
An Obama administration veteran offers some insights from his experience about driving massive increases in clean energy.
It's often more effective, cheaper and less controversial than other efforts to confront climate change.
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.
US agriculture is dominated by large farms that rely on chemical inputs. In contrast, regenerative farming makes land and water healthier by mimicking nature instead of trying to control it.
Whether to attending a conferences or giving in to a meeting, the global research community is keen on air travel. That’s a habit that needs to change.
Can a new government, perhaps by shoring up democracy and oversight, harness this commodity for peace and prosperity?
Dozens of cities, states and nations are enacting bans and restrictions on single-use plastic bags and other items. A legal expert explains how a global treaty could build on these efforts.
The coal, oil and natural gas industries are also connected with human rights violations, public health disasters and environmental devastation.
Polls suggest that the majority of Americans think climate change is real, is caused by humans and needs to be addressed. But climate change isn't a priority when Americans go to vote.
The Trump administration wants to end federal protection under the Clean Water Act for many small streams and wetlands. But as a geoscientist explains, these are critical parts of large river systems.
Marshes, swamps and other kinds of wetlands provide valuable services, such as effective natural flood control. But they are being destroyed for development in many parts of the world.
An atmospheric scientist explains why water can do some strange-looking things at very cold temperatures, and what's different about snowfalls on Mars.
These technologies could turn into a powerful tool for fighting global warming, and they have the potential to address historical climate injustices.
Making electric grids better able to withstand extreme weather events will require teamwork from engineers, researchers and the government.
Life-threatening cold temperatures in the central US are caused by changes in wind circulation in the Arctic that bring cold air south. Climate change could make these events more frequent.
Nearly 1,800 Brazilian dams are at risk of failure, according to the government. Fixing them is expensive – but ignoring aging dams can have considerable social, economic and environmental costs.
Fifty years after a major oil spill in Santa Barbara helped launch the environmental movement, Californians strongly oppose the Trump administration's push to expand offshore drilling.
It's cheaper to prevent biological invasions than to react after they happen. But it's hard to detect invaders while there are still just a few of them. Knowing when and where to look can help.
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.
Snorkeling off the California coast, a high school student found heaps of golf balls on the ocean floor. With a marine scientist, she showed that golf courses were producing tons of plastic pollution.
What is the best way to conserve US national parks in a climate-altered future? One answer is connecting parks and other public lands, so plants and animals can shift their ranges.
Distrusting large federal bureaucracies isn't reserved for conservatives anymore.
There are ways to reduce the risk of protests like France's yellow vests movement.
Fixes for small pieces of massive problems show that overarching crises may be less hopeless than they appear.
Research into volcanic activity in the waters off Indonesia shows how active this region is and how destructive landslide-caused tsunamis can be.
Researchers unpack the vast impact of plastic on our society – from emerging health worries and pollution to recycling and plastic's contributions to modern convenience.
Research and News
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.
Solar and wind can't deliver power on demand. But overbuilding solar and wind, and simply dumping unneeded energy, would go a long way to smoothing out those bumps, study finds.
Thousands of hydropower dams are under construction around the world. New research shows that by cutting off sediment flow, these dams can have big ecological effects on far-off bays and deltas.
Thousands of years ago, carbon gases trapped on the seafloor escaped, causing drastic warming that helped end the last ice age. A scientist says climate change could cause this process to repeat.
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.
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.
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.
Phragmites australis, an invasive reed, has taken over wetlands across the US. But it also stabilizes shorelines and harbors many fish and birds. Is it time to compromise with this alien?
For decades, New England students took field trips out into the Long Island Sound. Their data show how quickly the sound is warming, leading to fewer American lobster, rock crab and winter flounder.
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.
In a global economy, passing laws to conserve forests, fisheries or other natural resources can simply shift demand for those goods to other countries or regions where they aren't as well protected.
Satellites hundreds of miles overheard are helping scientists to predict drought, track floods and see how climate change is changing access to water resources.
Minorities are driving the bicycling boom, but bike infrastructure investments often neglect their needs. A new study explores what riders in low-income and minority neighborhoods want.
Fertilizer is a key source of nitrogen pollution which fouls air and water worldwide. Current regulations target farmers, but focusing on producers could spur them to develop greener products.
Climate change
The results of a study that measured public responses to a policy aimed at reducing carbon emissions contradict a common environmental concern.
As climate change alters temperature and precipitation patterns across the US, it is having especially severe impacts on national parks. These changes could happen faster than many plants and animals can adapt.
Social justice
Communities that are majority black, Hispanic or Native American are over 50 percent more vulnerable to wildfire compared to other communities.
Brazil's new president could clear the way for plans to develop remote areas around the Tapajos River basin over the objections of the indigenous people who live there.
Animal science
How do you pack butterflies for shipping, or frogs for an overland hike to a new habitat? Three scientists explain how they keep threatened species safe on the road and in the air.
Bison once dominated the Great Plains but were nearly wiped out by hunters in the 1800s. Now scientists are learning that bison's presence improves plant and wildlife diversity on the prairies.
Politics and the environment
Data gathered from EPA reports, staffers and retirees show the Trump administration has brought fewer environmental enforcement actions to conclusion and deferred more to states.
Conservative skeptics of climate change may support projects focused on 'resilience' – for example, preparing a community for future major weather events.
Research and Expert Database
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.
Colombian researchers hope to revive an endangered species by rehabilitating monkeys confiscated from smugglers. The captive animals' struggles show that survival is not guaranteed.
Ensuring that everyone doesn't charge their cars simultaneously will make a big difference.
Trump's energy plan may meet the letter of the law but the Affordable Clean Energy Plan reflects the administration's clear agenda to move slowly or not at all on climate change.
Research is yielding strategies for making plastics greener and more sustainable. But without support as they scale up, new versions will struggle to compete with well-established synthetic plastics.
As California reels from another devastating fire season, environmental resource scholars explain how the state – and other fire-prone areas – can better prepare and coexist with wildfires.
The Grand Canyon, which marks 100 years as a national park on Feb. 26, 2019, is known today as an iconic natural wonder. But early European visitors weren't impressed.
From bird songs to wind patterns, sound is a key but often underappreciated element of natural places. Learning how to listen to nature can alert us to changes in the environment before we see them.
Reporters who cover environment and natural resource issues are commonly threatened and harassed around the world. Some have been killed for coverage that threatens powerful interests.
Raising livestock has clear impacts on the environment, but contrary to what many critics say, it is not the biggest driver of climate change.
The fossa, Madagascar's largest predator, is a cat-like carnivore that eats everything from insects to lemurs. Because they are rare and elusive, scientists know very little about them, including how many there are.
The ocean floor holds unique information about Earth's history. Scientific ocean drilling, which started 50 years ago, has yielded insights into climate change, geohazards and the key conditions for life.
A big spill in Michigan's Straits of Mackinac could have devastating consequences. But does replacing the pipeline running beneath it make sense in a warming world?
Most Read past week
- The Defense Department is worried about climate change – and also a huge carbon emitter
- The Supreme Court’s Virginia uranium ruling hints at the limits of federal power
- Climate change is driving rapid shifts between high and low water levels on the Great Lakes
- Is burning trash a good way to handle it? Waste incineration in 5 charts
- At Chernobyl and Fukushima, radioactivity has seriously harmed wildlife
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