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

America’s been rolling back natural land protections since 1892—but never like this
Environment

America’s been rolling back natural land protections since 1892—but never like this

By Marion Renault

The Philippines wants to make planting trees a graduation requirement
Environment

The Philippines wants to make planting trees a graduation requirement

By Eleanor Cummins

A warming climate spelled doom for giant ice-age beavers
Environment

A warming climate spelled doom for giant ice-age beavers

By Tessa Plint/The Conversation

fish shoal close up
Environment

A 50-million-year-old school of fish is etched forever in this rare fossil

By Donavyn Coffey

highveld mole rat droptail ant
Science

The naked mole rat’s furry cousin also feels no pain

By Sara Chodosh

Snow might be the next clean energy source
Environment

Snow might be the next clean energy source

By Marlene Cimons

Wildfire smoke is particularly bad for you—here’s why
Environment

Wildfire smoke is particularly bad for you—here’s why

By Nicole Wetsman

Eco-friendly packaging could be poisoning our compost
Environment

Eco-friendly packaging could be poisoning our compost

By Ula Chrobak

Humans fueled last summer’s deadly heat
Environment

Humans fueled last summer’s deadly heat

By Marlene Cimons

colony of Termites
DIY

11 gross animals you can eat in a survival situation

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

Birds might follow their noses home
Environment

Birds might follow their noses home

By David Barrie

Doctors are prescribing the great outdoors, but that’s not great for everyone
Health

Doctors are prescribing the great outdoors, but that’s not great for everyone

By Eleanor Cummins

Scientists caught chimps smashing tortoises like walnuts for future snacking
Science

Scientists caught chimps smashing tortoises like walnuts for future snacking

By Lydia Luncz, Alexander Piel, and Fiona Stewart/The Conversation

Connecting the dots on hurricanes and mental health issues
Environment

Connecting the dots on hurricanes and mental health issues

By Nicole Wetsman

The hidden fish keeping coral reefs alive
Environment

The hidden fish keeping coral reefs alive

By Marlene Cimons

chinook salmon ear stone otolith
Environment

The secret to saving salmon is lodged in their ears

By Ula Chrobak

We need a greener way to die
Environment

We need a greener way to die

By Nicole Wetsman

Hurricane season is early—again
Environment

Hurricane season is early—again

By Alex Schwartz

Tigers don’t want to eat humans, but we’re not giving them much choice
Environment

Tigers don’t want to eat humans, but we’re not giving them much choice

By Nayanika Mathur/The Conversation

This spider’s exoskeleton looks like a helmet for a very tiny alien
Environment

This spider’s exoskeleton looks like a helmet for a very tiny alien

By Alex Schwartz

Small improvements to California’s air quality made a big difference in asthma rates
Environment

Small improvements to California’s air quality made a big difference in asthma rates

By Nicole Wetsman

Baby sharks are eating the birds that live in your backyard
Environment

Baby sharks are eating the birds that live in your backyard

By Jessica Boddy

The Maya dealt with a form of climate change, too. Here’s how they survived.
Environment

The Maya dealt with a form of climate change, too. Here’s how they survived.

By Kenneth Seligson/The Conversation

Scientists want to limit climate change by releasing more CO2
Environment

Scientists want to limit climate change by releasing more CO2

By Ula Chrobak

All the buzz about NASA’s new fleet of space bees
Science

All the buzz about NASA’s new fleet of space bees

By Kat Eschner

Plastic chemicals could harm the ocean bacteria that produce 10 percent of our oxygen
Environment

Plastic chemicals could harm the ocean bacteria that produce 10 percent of our oxygen

By Ula Chrobak

Listen to a haunting song composed using climate data
Environment

Listen to a haunting song composed using climate data

By Alex Schwartz

Dog pee on the sidewalk does more than just piss off your neighbors
Environment

Dog pee on the sidewalk does more than just piss off your neighbors

By Kat Eschner

Plastics are hurting the planet in another unexpected way
Environment

Plastics are hurting the planet in another unexpected way

By Sarah Sax

The world isn’t light on helium, but mining it is no party
Environment

The world isn’t light on helium, but mining it is no party

By Claire Maldarelli

‘Record-setting’ doesn’t do our CO2 levels justice. This chart does.
Environment

‘Record-setting’ doesn’t do our CO2 levels justice. This chart does.

By Alex Schwartz

Meet the ‘Oyster Wench’—a single mom fighting pollution with the power of clams and kelp
Environment

Meet the ‘Oyster Wench’—a single mom fighting pollution with the power of clams and kelp

By Marlene Cimons

With humans out of the way, Chernobyl’s wildlife thrives
Environment

With humans out of the way, Chernobyl’s wildlife thrives

By Germán Orizaola/The Conversation

Most large rivers don’t flow freely anymore
Environment

Most large rivers don’t flow freely anymore

By Ula Chrobak

Freight trains are our future
Environment

Freight trains are our future

By Michael E. Webber

Why do cats—and so many other animals—look like they’re wearing socks?
Environment

Why do cats—and so many other animals—look like they’re wearing socks?

By Eleanor Cummins

The UN’s devastating extinction report, explained in 5 charts
Environment

The UN’s devastating extinction report, explained in 5 charts

By Alex Schwartz

What kids learn in school can sway their parents’ beliefs
Environment

What kids learn in school can sway their parents’ beliefs

By Ula Chrobak

11 stories about poop to fix your crappy day
Environment

11 stories about poop to fix your crappy day

By Rachel Feltman

What to expect from the 2019 hurricane season
Environment

What to expect from the 2019 hurricane season

By Ula Chrobak

hummingbird in a purple flower
Environment

Thomas Midgley, Jr. may have been the most environmentally disastrous person of all time

By Tom Phillips

Europe’s ban on palm oil might actually hurt the environment
Environment

Europe’s ban on palm oil might actually hurt the environment

By Elizabeth Robinson and Herry Purnomo/The Conversation

Birds, bats, and beluga whales: An incomplete list of animal spies
Environment

Birds, bats, and beluga whales: An incomplete list of animal spies

By Eleanor Cummins

Old mascara wands are saving adorable Appalachian animals
Environment

Old mascara wands are saving adorable Appalachian animals

By Alex Schwartz

The world secretly runs on hippo poop
Environment

The world secretly runs on hippo poop

By Eleanor Cummins

Are biodegradable bags better than plastic? It’s complicated.
Environment

Are biodegradable bags better than plastic? It’s complicated.

By Ula Chrobak

Indonesia’s capital is sinking, but climate change isn’t the only culprit
Environment

Indonesia’s capital is sinking, but climate change isn’t the only culprit

By Alex Schwartz

African swine fever has killed a million pigs—and isn’t slowing down
Environment

African swine fever has killed a million pigs—and isn’t slowing down

By Kaitlin Sullivan

California’s tap water could be a cancerous cocktail of pollutants
Health

California’s tap water could be a cancerous cocktail of pollutants

By Nicole Wetsman

Carbon capture could keep global warming in check—here’s how it works
Environment

Carbon capture could keep global warming in check—here’s how it works

By Ula Chrobak

Tropical forests could soon lose their ‘enchanted mist’
Environment

Tropical forests could soon lose their ‘enchanted mist’

By Marlene Cimons

Inside the global fight over a 2,500-ton heap of garbage
Environment

Inside the global fight over a 2,500-ton heap of garbage

By Kat Eschner

Meet the experts trying to keep nuclear material out of the wrong hands
Environment

Meet the experts trying to keep nuclear material out of the wrong hands

By Sarah Scoles

oil milkshake
Environment

It’s hard to know how much oil we have left, but this is our best guess

By Jennifer Lu

Your car’s exhaust is giving kids asthma
Environment

Your car’s exhaust is giving kids asthma

By Marlene Cimons

Rats love climate change
Environment

Rats love climate change

By Molly Taft

two new white-eyes
Environment

Two newly discovered birds are a product of Indonesia’s ‘evolutionary playground’

By Alex Schwartz

The weirdest things we learned this week: Rats with fetishes and America’s first banana
Science

The weirdest things we learned this week: Rats with fetishes and America’s first banana

By Claire Maldarelli, Eleanor Cummins, and Rachel Feltman

Researchers sequenced giant redwood genomes to kickstart a 23andMe for trees
Environment

Researchers sequenced giant redwood genomes to kickstart a 23andMe for trees

By Ula Chrobak

Grass isn’t always greener—here’s what to plant instead
DIY

Grass isn’t always greener—here’s what to plant instead

By Eleanor Cummins and Kaitlin Sullivan

Greenland’s ice sheet is melting faster than we thought and shows no signs of stopping
Environment

Greenland’s ice sheet is melting faster than we thought and shows no signs of stopping

By Alex Schwartz

Meal kits are full of wasteful packaging—but they might still beat the grocery store
Environment

Meal kits are full of wasteful packaging—but they might still beat the grocery store

By Kat Eschner

The fastest animal for its body size probably isn’t what you’d expect
Environment

The fastest animal for its body size probably isn’t what you’d expect

By Jillian Mock

Flint residents are using fruits and vegetables to combat lead poisoning
Environment

Flint residents are using fruits and vegetables to combat lead poisoning

By Marlene Cimons

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