Latest science news in Earth & Climate
Are tipping points suitable concepts for developing environmental policies?
Many policies tackling the consequences of global environmental change rely on the concept of tipping points: If an impact, such as biodiversity loss, becomes too large, an ecosystem might flip...
New model for pricing carbon will help meet net-zero climate change goals
An article released today by researchers at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy in the journal Nature Climate Change introduces a new approach for pricing carbon—Near-term to Net Zero....
Researchers develop new way to study ocean life
Like spirits passing between worlds, billions of invisible beings rise to meet the starlight, then descend into darkness at sunrise. Microscopic plankton's daily journey between the ocean's depths and surface...
Sustainable biosynthetic transparent films developed for plastic substitute
Nowadays there is no getting away from plastics. We are producing over 300 million tons of plastic every year, over 40% of which is manufactured into films for packaging. Many...
Desert greenhouses offer growth opportunities
Emerging technologies can be harnessed to use the strengths of hot, humid coastal deserts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to grow food and other crops.
Climate change worsens effects of nutrient pollution on marine ecosystems
New research suggests the damage caused by excess nutrients in coastal marine ecosystems is magnified by other human activities, including overfishing and climate change.
Pneumatic wins final Kentucky Derby prep
The 45th -- and last -- stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby went to Pneumatic, but it's no sure bet he'll go to the Run for the Roses.
We composted 'biodegradable' balloons. Here's what we found after 16 weeks
After 16 weeks in an industrial compost heap, we unearthed blue and white balloons and found them totally unscathed. The knots we spent hours painstakingly tying by hand more than...
Australia's move to store carbon in soil is a problem for tackling climate change
To slow climate change, humanity has two main options: reduce greenhouse gas emissions directly or find ways to remove them from the atmosphere. On the latter, storing carbon in soil—or...
Climate stabilization: Lessons from the pandemic
The dynamics of the current COVID-19 pandemic could offer valuable insights for the efforts to mitigate climate change. Highlighting the parallels between the global health and the climate emergency, a...
Watch: Karen Huger on Candiace Dillard's controversial tweets
Karen Huger discussed her "Real Housewives of Potomac" co-star Candiace Dillard following controversy about Dillard's past tweets.
Death Valley heats to potential Earth-record 130 degrees
Death Valley, Calif., experienced on Sunday what might have been the hottest temperature ever recorded on the Earth, experts say.
'Canary in the coal mine': Greenland ice has shrunk beyond return, study finds
Greenland's ice sheet is likely to melt away no matter how quickly the world reduces climate-warming emissions, new research suggests.
COVID-19 pandemic stalls further exploration of Franklin wrecks
For only the second time in 12 years, Marc-Andre Bernier and his underwater archeology team at Parks Canada will not be heading north this month to explore the wrecks of...
Lebanon judge to open inquiry into deadly Beirut explosions
A Lebanese judge is expected to start an investigation Monday to the explosions this month that leveled a port in Beirut and killed at least 200 people.
Death Valley records highest global temperature in over 100 years
A thermometer at Death Valley's Furnace Creek in the Southern California desert has soared to 54.4 C (130 F), the highest global temperature in more than a century, the U.S....
Australia reports most COVID deaths; New Zealand delays election
Australia on Monday reported its deadliest day of the coronavirus, with more than two dozen deaths, while neighboring New Zealand postponed its general election for a month.
'Hottest temperature on Earth' as Death Valley, US hits 54.4C
A reading of 130F (54.4C) recorded in Death Valley could be the highest reliable recording ever.
Ocean microbes could interact with pollution to influence climate
Oceans cover almost three-quarters of the globe, yet little is known about how gases and aerosols made by ocean microbes affect weather and climate, or how human-produced pollution could influence...
Effects of nutrient pollution in marine ecosystems are compounded by human activity
Excessive nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, have devastating effects on coastal marine ecosystems by causing algal blooms that deplete oxygen in the water, killing marine life. Such nutrients can...
Boosting canopy carbon dioxide assimilation, water-use efficiency
Crops grow dense canopies that consist of several layers of leaves—the upper layers with younger sun leaves and the lower layers with older shaded leaves that may have difficulty intercepting...
Australia reports deadliest day of pandemic; New Zealand delays election
Australia reported its deadliest day to the coronavirus with 25 deaths in the past 24 hours while New Zealand delayed its General Election a month as an outbreak in its...
Famous birthdays for Aug. 17: Sean Penn, Taissa Farmiga
Actor Sean Penn turns 60 and actor Taissa Farmiga turns 26, among the famous birthdays for Aug. 17.
On This Day, Aug. 17: Earthquake in Turkey kills 17,000
On Aug. 17, 1999, an earthquake in a densely populated region of northwestern Turkey killed at least 17,000 people and injured about 40,000.
Corvonavirus death toll surges past 770,000 as no European nation in top 4
Coronavirus deaths in Europe have stabilized and case spikes, the result of vacationers traveling elsewhere, are substantially lower than the pandemic situation in Latin America, the United States and India.
Jazz's Mike Conley leaves NBA bubble for son's birth; Bruins' Tuukka Rask opts out
Utah Jazz veteran point guard Mike Conley has left the NBA's bubble in Orlando, Fla., for the birth of his son, while Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask exited the NHL's...
Northern California wildfire spawns rare firenado
Northern California was alerted to a rare tornado warning unlike any other by the National Weather Service -- a fire tornado.
Israel conducts airstrikes in Gaza after intercepting Hamas missile fire
The Israeli Defense Forces said it struck a military compound in Gaza in response to two rockets that were fired from the region on Saturday night.