Environment

The changes and wonders of the natural world—and how human interaction influences animals, the ocean, and the rest of the environment.

Latest in Environment

Green New Deal explainer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Environment

What the heck is the Green New Deal? What the heck is the Green New Deal?

Climate change is making winter colder in the Northeast

Environment

Climate change is making winter colder in the Northeast Climate change is making winter colder in the Northeast

By Jeremy Deaton

Black truffles imperiled by climate change

Environment

Black truffles imperiled by climate change Black truffles imperiled by climate change

By Marlene Cimons

leatherback turtle with a man

Environment

When Isla meets Florence: Tracking sea life in a hurricane When Isla meets Florence: Tracking sea life in a hurricane

By Mary Beth Griggs

DIY

Weird things you didn’t know you could recycle Weird things you didn’t know you could recycle

Hurricane Gilbert hospital ruins Jamiaca

Technology

This is how hospitals are preparing for hurricane season This is how hospitals are preparing for hurricane season

By Eleanor Cummins

Great hammerheads haunt Cuba’s pristine reefs

Environment

Great hammerheads haunt Cuba’s pristine reefs Great hammerheads haunt Cuba’s pristine reefs

ant on stilts illustration

Environment

I glue stilts to ants I glue stilts to ants

By Sara Chodosh

You’re less likely to get a tick bite if you steer clear of these spots

Environment

You’re less likely to get a tick bite if you steer clear of these spots You’re less likely to get a tick bite if you steer clear of these spots

By Kate Baggaley

DEVELOPMENT EXAMPLE: The botany in Obama’s official portrait represents his history

Environment

DEVELOPMENT EXAMPLE: The botany in Obama’s official portrait represents his history DEVELOPMENT EXAMPLE: The botany in Obama’s official portrait represents his history

By Eleanor Cummins

Green jobs in Chicago help the environment while transforming communities

Environment

Green jobs in Chicago help the environment while transforming communities Green jobs in Chicago help the environment while transforming communities

There’s a lot more to the Keystone XL fight than just oil

Environment

There’s a lot more to the Keystone XL fight than just oil There’s a lot more to the Keystone XL fight than just oil

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Environment

Safety or Stomach? The Complex Life of Cows Safety or Stomach? The Complex Life of Cows

By Cassidy Mayeda

Environment

How to Sell Solar Power to Your Neighbors (VIDEO) How to Sell Solar Power to Your Neighbors (VIDEO)

By Jeremy Deaton

The Wondrous World of Roald Dahl’s Imagination

Environment

The Wondrous World of Roald Dahl’s Imagination The Wondrous World of Roald Dahl’s Imagination

Why Big Animals Can’t Take a Little Rain

Environment

Why Big Animals Can’t Take a Little Rain Why Big Animals Can’t Take a Little Rain

By Marlene Cimons

The Deadly Serious Problem That We Can Make Better With a Little Laughter

Environment

The Deadly Serious Problem That We Can Make Better With a Little Laughter The Deadly Serious Problem That We Can Make Better With a Little Laughter

By Jeremy Deaton

Environment

Specialized Cosmetics Protect Skin From Air Pollution Specialized Cosmetics Protect Skin From Air Pollution

By Alexandra Ossola

Why Can Humans See In Color?

Science

Why Can Humans See In Color? Why Can Humans See In Color?

By Alexandra Ossola

If Snow And Rain Come From The Ocean, Why Aren’t They Salty?

Science

If Snow And Rain Come From The Ocean, Why Aren’t They Salty? If Snow And Rain Come From The Ocean, Why Aren’t They Salty?

By Sophie Bushwick

Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Ferry Coming To Bay Area

Environment

Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Ferry Coming To Bay Area Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Ferry Coming To Bay Area

By Stephen Edelstein/Green Car Reports

Scorched Earth: How Centralia Burned

Environment

Scorched Earth: How Centralia Burned Scorched Earth: How Centralia Burned

By Mary Beth Griggs

Scientists Can Now Revive The Wooly Mammoth

Health

Scientists Can Now Revive The Wooly Mammoth Scientists Can Now Revive The Wooly Mammoth

By Beth Shapiro

Meteor Crater, Arizona

Environment

Extreme Science: Meteor Crater Extreme Science: Meteor Crater

By Mary Beth Griggs

Environment

Guard birds Guard birds

By Matt Ransford

Clementines: A Yummy Result of Genetic Experimentation

Environment

Clementines: A Yummy Result of Genetic Experimentation Clementines: A Yummy Result of Genetic Experimentation

By Lydia Ramsey

Environment

Clone of Animals Like Us Clone of Animals Like Us

By Charles Siebert

Pumping Up A Gene For More Gasoline

Environment

Pumping Up A Gene For More Gasoline Pumping Up A Gene For More Gasoline

What’s In Your Dog’s Dinner?

Environment

What’s In Your Dog’s Dinner? What’s In Your Dog’s Dinner?

Close up detail of a grey wolf.

Environment

Wisconsin permitted people to hunt a contentious species. That might change next year. Wisconsin permitted people to hunt a contentious species. That might change next year.

By Phil Bourjaily/Field & Stream

sperm whales seen from above

Environment

Sperm whales have a surprisingly deep—and useful—culture Sperm whales have a surprisingly deep—and useful—culture

By Ellie Shechet

sea lion chasing a school of fish

Environment

Protecting 30 percent of the oceans would benefit the entire planet Protecting 30 percent of the oceans would benefit the entire planet

Stacks of logs against skyline.

Environment

Burning wood pellets won’t help us fight climate change Burning wood pellets won’t help us fight climate change

By Shaena Montanari

Greenland's ice sheet

Technology

How a top-secret nuclear project became a gold mine for data on Greenland’s ice sheet How a top-secret nuclear project became a gold mine for data on Greenland’s ice sheet

By Ellie Shechet

a man and a woman lay sleeping in bed

Science

You get brainwashed whenever you go to sleep (and that’s a good thing) You get brainwashed whenever you go to sleep (and that’s a good thing)

By Popular Science Team

Woman applying lotion in mirror

Health

Are ‘clean’ cosmetics better for us than other beauty products? Are ‘clean’ cosmetics better for us than other beauty products?

By Sara Kiley Watson

Airplane wing in flight with clouds

Environment

Plane rides of the future could be fueled by table scraps Plane rides of the future could be fueled by table scraps

By Shaena Montanari

mosquito on skin

Environment

Catnip and grapefruit are ushering in a new era of insect repellants Catnip and grapefruit are ushering in a new era of insect repellants

By Philip Kiefer

Chick sitting on woodchips in a wire pen

Environment

US egg producers could save billions of chicks a year. So why aren’t they? US egg producers could save billions of chicks a year. So why aren’t they?

By Jonathan Moens/Undark

Male blue ghost fireflies in a forest in North Carolina

Environment

Firefly tourism has a surprising dark side Firefly tourism has a surprising dark side

By Ellie Shechet

A coyote in the snow.

Environment

Eastern coyotes are increasingly common—here are 5 facts to know about them Eastern coyotes are increasingly common—here are 5 facts to know about them

By Bob Humphrey/ Outdoor Life

cranes building a skyscraper

Environment

Making buildings energy efficient just got harder Making buildings energy efficient just got harder

illustration of hatchling lamprey

Science

These fossilized lamprey hatchlings disprove an age-old evolutionary theory These fossilized lamprey hatchlings disprove an age-old evolutionary theory

By Philip Kiefer

investigator examines Reactor Unit 3 at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant

Environment

10 years after Fukushima, outdated nuclear power plants are still the norm 10 years after Fukushima, outdated nuclear power plants are still the norm

By Kurokawa & Meshkati/The Conversation

Urban city square with park and planted trees.

Environment

Can planting more trees keep cities from heating up? Can planting more trees keep cities from heating up?

By Shaena Montanari

Hawadax Island in Alaska

Environment

How scientists helped Alaska’s “Rat Island” shake off its namesake rodents How scientists helped Alaska’s “Rat Island” shake off its namesake rodents

By Ellie Shechet

A gas pipeline under construction in a clear-cut strip of forest

Environment

Oil and gas companies are making old pipelines the landowner’s problem Oil and gas companies are making old pipelines the landowner’s problem

By Kate Wheeling/Nexus Media

Jacqueline Oakley hippo illustration

Environment

Pablo Escobar’s hippos might be filling an ancient ecological niche Pablo Escobar’s hippos might be filling an ancient ecological niche

Electric vehicle plugged into a charging station

Environment

Companies may soon pay a higher price for emitting carbon. But will it be high enough? Companies may soon pay a higher price for emitting carbon. But will it be high enough?

By Ramin Skibba/Undark

miami beach seen from the air

Environment

Humans are altering Earth’s tides, and not just through climate change Humans are altering Earth’s tides, and not just through climate change

By Philip Kiefer

A skunk standing in the grass.

Environment

Watch a black bear take on a striped skunk in a surprising faceoff Watch a black bear take on a striped skunk in a surprising faceoff

By Bill Heavey/Field & Stream

Environment

Treefrogs have noise-cancelling headphones built into their ears Treefrogs have noise-cancelling headphones built into their ears

Plastic water bottles and aluminum soda cans in a bin

Environment

Will we ever be able to recycle all our plastic? Will we ever be able to recycle all our plastic?

By Candice Wang

A rafter and his black Lab on the New River in West Virginia.

Environment

The story behind our new national park and its unique legacy The story behind our new national park and its unique legacy

By Natalie Krebs/ Outdoor Life

social distancing

Health

Animals are better at social distancing than we’ll ever be Animals are better at social distancing than we’ll ever be

By Ellie Shechet

Natural gas stove lit up

Environment

Gas stoves are bad for the environment—but what if the power goes out? Gas stoves are bad for the environment—but what if the power goes out?

By Sara Kiley Watson

three black-footed ferrets

Environment

The fight to save America’s most endangered mammal The fight to save America’s most endangered mammal

peregrine falcon perched on a rock

Environment

A peregrine falcon’s power to migrate may lie in its DNA A peregrine falcon’s power to migrate may lie in its DNA

By Philip Kiefer

sika deer in nara park, japan

Health

How the pandemic has helped and hurt animals around the world How the pandemic has helped and hurt animals around the world

Environment

Conservation and ecology research tackles global issues without global input Conservation and ecology research tackles global issues without global input

By Ellie Shechet

thylacines at national zoo

Environment

Identifying animals in photos is trickier than you might think Identifying animals in photos is trickier than you might think

By Philip Kiefer

wisconsin wolf hunt

Environment

Wisconsin hunters have already killed more gray wolves than allowed Wisconsin hunters have already killed more gray wolves than allowed

By Alan Clemons/ Outdoor Life

tiny plants growing out of stacks of coins

Environment

Sci-fi carbon coins could actually save our planet Sci-fi carbon coins could actually save our planet

Science

What underwater sounds can tell us about the state of coral reefs What underwater sounds can tell us about the state of coral reefs

By Ellie Shechet