The huge, long-lasting wildfires that have become increasingly common in recent years can cause changes in soil chemistry that affect water contamination, air quality, and plant growth. But these changes are poorly monitored and rarely factor into post-fire recovery efforts or risk assessments, according to a review study published May 14 in Nature Reviews Earth … Read more
A young whale’s journey across the Mediterranean highlights the many threats facing ocean animals, researchers say. Scientists from Greenpeace and the universities of Exeter and Haifa studied whales and dolphins in the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Israel. They found Cuvier’s beaked whales, bottlenose dolphins and sperm whales — including a young adult male … Read more
There’s a scientific reason why some things taste great on your flight and why others are just plane awful. Ginger ale is one of the most popular drinks to order on an airplane, according to social media users, and it has to do with the way your tastebuds are altered during your flight, experts told … Read more
Today’s rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years, researchers have found through a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice. The findings, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provide important new understanding of abrupt climate change periods … Read more
A longstanding emissions reduction program may lead to a 50-cent increase in gasoline prices within two years in California, according to a little-known state air quality regulator report. In September, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the state’s primary environmental regulator, reported gas prices will rise next year by about 50 cents a gallon and every year thereafter to … Read more
Bob Wilbur thought he’d found a retirement home that would be a place of peace. Nestled against Admiralty Bay on the western edge of Whidbey Island, the three-story house is surrounded by trees and shoreline. It offers the kind of quiet that only an island can provide. Except when the Growlers fly. As often as … Read more
Six months before Election Day, speculation is rampant about the impact of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Polling at 12% nationally and on the ballot of the critical battleground of Michigan, the Democrat-turned-independent has built a unique coalition that extends beyond those drawn to his famous last name. Kennedy’s tough talk on the southern border, willingness … Read more
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cracks down on insidious “forever chemical” pollution in the environment, military and commercial aviation officials are seeking ways to clean up such pollution from decades of use of fire suppressant foams at military air bases and commercial airports. Fire-suppression foams contain hundreds unhealthful forever chemicals, known by chemists as … Read more
The Canadian wildfires of June 2023 exposed a large portion of the Northeastern United States to unprecedented levels of smoke. A new model that combines wildfire smoke forecasts and data from ground-based sensors may help public health officials plan targeted interventions in areas most at risk for the negative health effects of unexpected smoke events … Read more
New research by the University of East Anglia (UEA) reveals what countries think will be their most difficult to decarbonise sectors when they reach net zero, with agriculture expected to be responsible for the largest remaining emissions. Once countries have taken the ‘easy’ steps to get to net zero — such as switching to more … Read more