climate change
Scientists Are Studying the Funky Environmental Impacts of Eclipses—From Grid Disruptions to Unusual Animal Behavior
Yesterday, all eyes pointed toward the sky as millions of people across parts of the U.S., Canada and Mexico witnessed the moon temporarily shroud the sun. People traveled from around the country and world into the “path of totality” for this rare celestial event. Analysts projected that spending surrounding the total solar eclipse—such as booking […]
Read MoreAs fires ravaged Indonesia in 2023, some positive trends emerged, data show
JAKARTA — 2023 saw the worst fire season in Indonesia since 2019, with an area the size of Qatar going up in flames, according to official government data. A total of 1.16 million hectares (2.87 million acres) of land and forest were burned last year, with an intense El Niño weather pattern a major factor. […]
Across the US, Awe Unites During the Darkness of a Total Solar Eclipse
ROLAND, Ark.—First came the gasps. As the final sliver of sunlight disappeared behind the persistent moon, eclipse viewers at the Pinnacle Mountain State Park visitors’ center outside Little Rock were left in awe. Nancy Carr had driven six hours from McCalla, Alabama, just outside Birmingham, to view the spectacle. As the sun’s corona began its […]
Read MoreBiden Administration Pressed to Act on Federal Contractor Climate Disclosure
It was a key pledge in President Joe Biden’s effort to show renewed international leadership on climate change: The U.S. government, the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, would require its contractors and suppliers to disclose their carbon emissions and climate risks. The biggest contractors would need to set carbon reduction targets […]
Read MoreZambians Feel the Personal Consequences of Climate Change—and Dream of a Sustainable Future
CHONGWE, Zambia—Benson Chipungu sits in a leather armchair and reaches for the remote to switch off the news. Pieces of fabric hang over the windows, darkening the room against the heat. A gas-powered hand-plough is parked in the corner. On the floors behind his chair, dozens of ears of corn are spread out, a display […]
Read MoreAs Messy Side Effects of Klamath River Dam Removal Continue, Officials Stress That Short-Term Pain Will Yield Long-Term Gain
After years of heated debates and delays, the world’s largest dam removal is currently underway on the Klamath River across the California-Oregon border. Established in the early to mid-1900s by energy company PacifiCorp, the four dams have stored water and generated electricity for the region. But they’ve also prevented endangered salmon from reaching critical habitat […]
Read MoreHow NASA Spotted El Niño Changing the Saltiness of Coastal Waters
New findings have revealed a coastal realm highly sensitive to changes in runoff and rainfall on land. After helping stoke record heat in 2023 and drenching major swaths of the United States this winter, the current El Niño is losing steam this spring. Scientists have observed another way that the climate phenomenon can leave its […]
Read MoreGlobal Warming Will Enable Tropical Species From the Atlantic to Colonize the Mediterranean Sea
If global warming continues at its current pace, a new study warns, tropical species could take over parts of Mediterranean marine ecosystems by the end of the century. The research analyzed a detailed fossil record showing how tropical mollusks replaced then-existing Mediterranean populations starting about 135,000 years ago, signaling a dramatic climate-driven and systemic reorganization […]
Read MoreVeronica T. Pinnick Put NASA’s PACE Mission through Its Paces
To achieve the impossible, Veronica T. Pinnick, who put NASA’s PACE mission through its prelaunch paces, says you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Name: Dr. Veronica T. Pinnick Title: Plankton Aerosol, Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Integration and Test (I&T) manager Formal Job Classification: Chemist Organization: Integration and Test Branch, Electrical Engineering Division […]
Read MoreBird Flu Is Picking its Way Across the Animal Kingdom—and Climate Change Could Be Making it Worse
On Monday, Texas health officials confirmed an individual who had “direct exposure to dairy cattle” has contracted bird flu, marking the second reported human case of the H5N1 virus in U.S. history. The person has only exhibited eye inflammation so far, and the CDC says risk to the public remains low. However, this highly pathogenic […]
Read More