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

Whirlpool wants you to trash your old composting methods and buy a fancy food recycler

Environment

Whirlpool wants you to trash your old composting methods and buy a fancy food recycler Whirlpool wants you to trash your old composting methods and buy a fancy food recycler

By Eleanor Cummins

Acipenser sinensis (Chinese sturgeon)

Environment

Ten of the ugliest animals threatened by climate change Ten of the ugliest animals threatened by climate change

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Ancient humans farmed the Amazon too

Environment

Ancient humans farmed the Amazon too Ancient humans farmed the Amazon too

By Mary Beth Griggs

Pandas have cute markings because their food supply sucks

Environment

Pandas have cute markings because their food supply sucks Pandas have cute markings because their food supply sucks

By Sara Chodosh

EPA are we better off?

Environment

From Kumbaya to Battleground: How’d the EPA get so political? From Kumbaya to Battleground: How’d the EPA get so political?

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Environment

Just 63 amazing animal photos from the Department of the Interior’s archives Just 63 amazing animal photos from the Department of the Interior’s archives

By Mary Beth Griggs

cat sits next to scratching post

DIY

Keep your cat overlord happy with this easy DIY scratching post Keep your cat overlord happy with this easy DIY scratching post

Wild elephants will sleep when they’re dead

Environment

Wild elephants will sleep when they’re dead Wild elephants will sleep when they’re dead

By Mark D. Kaufman

A micrometer robot at rest and activated

Technology

Researchers in Japan just created a tiny, amoeba-inspired robot Researchers in Japan just created a tiny, amoeba-inspired robot

By Kelsey D. Atherton

The woolly mammoth die-off was even sadder than you think

Environment

The woolly mammoth die-off was even sadder than you think The woolly mammoth die-off was even sadder than you think

By Eleanor Cummins

Why hasn’t anyone invented electricity-generating rain gutters?

Technology

Why hasn’t anyone invented electricity-generating rain gutters? Why hasn’t anyone invented electricity-generating rain gutters?

By Sara Chodosh

A Tesla charging station

Technology

The worst thing about electric cars might not be an issue for much longer The worst thing about electric cars might not be an issue for much longer

By Marlene Cimons

Man-made earthquakes will continue to shake the country

Environment

Man-made earthquakes will continue to shake the country Man-made earthquakes will continue to shake the country

By Mary Beth Griggs

Fun facts about giraffe sex to keep you occupied while you wait for that giraffe baby

Environment

Fun facts about giraffe sex to keep you occupied while you wait for that giraffe baby Fun facts about giraffe sex to keep you occupied while you wait for that giraffe baby

By Sara Chodosh

Lasers reveal the secrets of a feathered dinosaur fossil

Science

Lasers reveal the secrets of a feathered dinosaur fossil Lasers reveal the secrets of a feathered dinosaur fossil

By Mary Beth Griggs

Half of your bread’s environmental impact comes from fertilizer

Environment

Half of your bread’s environmental impact comes from fertilizer Half of your bread’s environmental impact comes from fertilizer

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Earth’s first continent? Probably a giant continental crust

Environment

Earth’s first continent? Probably a giant continental crust Earth’s first continent? Probably a giant continental crust

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Environment

Humans are responsible for the vast majority of wildfires in the U.S. Humans are responsible for the vast majority of wildfires in the U.S.

By Mary Beth Griggs

Environment

Resurrecting extinct animals might do more harm than good Resurrecting extinct animals might do more harm than good

Does the weirdly warm weather mean spring is already here?

Environment

Does the weirdly warm weather mean spring is already here? Does the weirdly warm weather mean spring is already here?

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

horse in front of chemical company

Environment

This is what America looked like before the EPA cleaned it up This is what America looked like before the EPA cleaned it up

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Smog over Louisville

Environment

What would America be like without the EPA? What would America be like without the EPA?

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Fracking fluid is leaking more often than we thought

Environment

Fracking fluid is leaking more often than we thought Fracking fluid is leaking more often than we thought

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Drone America Savant Drone From Underneath

Technology

Will drones pull rain from desert clouds? Will drones pull rain from desert clouds?

By Kelsey D. Atherton

Watch scientists train bees to play with tiny soccer balls

Environment

Watch scientists train bees to play with tiny soccer balls Watch scientists train bees to play with tiny soccer balls

By Mary Beth Griggs

That giant crack in Antarctica just keeps getting bigger

Environment

That giant crack in Antarctica just keeps getting bigger That giant crack in Antarctica just keeps getting bigger

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Environment

Taking manatees off the endangered species list doesn’t mean we should stop protecting them Taking manatees off the endangered species list doesn’t mean we should stop protecting them

By Sara Chodosh

Sondrestrom Glacier

Environment

This one simple trick predicts when an ice age will pause This one simple trick predicts when an ice age will pause

By Mary Beth Griggs

Cat poop parasites don’t actually make you psychotic

Health

Cat poop parasites don’t actually make you psychotic Cat poop parasites don’t actually make you psychotic

By Sara Chodosh

Middle Eastern seed bank re-deposits backups into Svalbard’s doomsday vault

Environment

Middle Eastern seed bank re-deposits backups into Svalbard’s doomsday vault Middle Eastern seed bank re-deposits backups into Svalbard’s doomsday vault

By Mary Beth Griggs

Why can whale nerves stretch and turn like bungee cords?

Environment

Why can whale nerves stretch and turn like bungee cords? Why can whale nerves stretch and turn like bungee cords?

By Claire Maldarelli

Should we mine the deep ocean?

Environment

Should we mine the deep ocean? Should we mine the deep ocean?

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Flint: a day by the bottle

Health

Flint: a day by the bottle Flint: a day by the bottle

By Rachel Feltman

Environment

La Paz adapts to a world without water La Paz adapts to a world without water

By Leslie Kaufman

Scoles My Week water dump

Environment

I spent a week exploring how we’ll have to live in post-water America I spent a week exploring how we’ll have to live in post-water America

By Sarah Scoles

In photos: Dubai’s massive desalination plant

Environment

In photos: Dubai’s massive desalination plant In photos: Dubai’s massive desalination plant

By Kelsey D. Atherton

The EPA has a new leader, and the outlook for science is not good

Environment

The EPA has a new leader, and the outlook for science is not good The EPA has a new leader, and the outlook for science is not good

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

We might have an eighth continent. Here’s why that matters.

Environment

We might have an eighth continent. Here’s why that matters. We might have an eighth continent. Here’s why that matters.

By Sara Chodosh

Health

No, the woolly mammoth won’t actually be resurrected by 2019 No, the woolly mammoth won’t actually be resurrected by 2019

By Mary Beth Griggs

Here are the teams competing to map the ocean for $7 million in prizes

Environment

Here are the teams competing to map the ocean for $7 million in prizes Here are the teams competing to map the ocean for $7 million in prizes

By Mary Beth Griggs

A small city in Iowa is devoting 1,000 acres of land to America’s vanishing bees

Environment

A small city in Iowa is devoting 1,000 acres of land to America’s vanishing bees A small city in Iowa is devoting 1,000 acres of land to America’s vanishing bees

El Niño swept away huge chunks of the west coast last winter

Environment

El Niño swept away huge chunks of the west coast last winter El Niño swept away huge chunks of the west coast last winter

By Mary Beth Griggs

What is happening with the Oroville Dam spillway?

Environment

What is happening with the Oroville Dam spillway? What is happening with the Oroville Dam spillway?

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Environment

The test used to see if animals are self-aware might not actually work The test used to see if animals are self-aware might not actually work

By Sara Chodosh

Even animals deep below the ocean are being poisoned by toxic chemicals

Environment

Even animals deep below the ocean are being poisoned by toxic chemicals Even animals deep below the ocean are being poisoned by toxic chemicals

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

How New Zealand is avoiding hundreds of exploding whale corpses

Environment

How New Zealand is avoiding hundreds of exploding whale corpses How New Zealand is avoiding hundreds of exploding whale corpses

By Sara Chodosh

Delightful pictures of zoo animals playing in the snow

Environment

Delightful pictures of zoo animals playing in the snow Delightful pictures of zoo animals playing in the snow

How the Pacific Ocean changes weather around the world

Environment

How the Pacific Ocean changes weather around the world How the Pacific Ocean changes weather around the world

By Simon Winchester

Environment

Not just cockroaches: Here are other crazy objects found in people’s skulls Not just cockroaches: Here are other crazy objects found in people’s skulls

By Claire Maldarelli

Drones are setting their sights on wildlife

Technology

Drones are setting their sights on wildlife Drones are setting their sights on wildlife

By Kate Baggaley

rusty-patched bumblebee

Environment

The rusty patched bumblebee is probably doomed The rusty patched bumblebee is probably doomed

Sorry, but these pollinating robots can’t replace bees

Environment

Sorry, but these pollinating robots can’t replace bees Sorry, but these pollinating robots can’t replace bees

By Mary Beth Griggs

Climate change and overfishing set a deadly trap for young penguins

Environment

Climate change and overfishing set a deadly trap for young penguins Climate change and overfishing set a deadly trap for young penguins

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

NASA bets the farm on the long-term viability of space agriculture

Environment

NASA bets the farm on the long-term viability of space agriculture NASA bets the farm on the long-term viability of space agriculture

By Eleanor Cummins

Mysterious geoglyphs can teach us about the Amazon’s past—and its worrisome future

Environment

Mysterious geoglyphs can teach us about the Amazon’s past—and its worrisome future Mysterious geoglyphs can teach us about the Amazon’s past—and its worrisome future

By Rachel Feltman

Droughts actually make West Nile virus worse

Health

Droughts actually make West Nile virus worse Droughts actually make West Nile virus worse

By Mary Beth Griggs

This newly discovered gecko can literally squirm right out of its skin

Environment

This newly discovered gecko can literally squirm right out of its skin This newly discovered gecko can literally squirm right out of its skin

By Mary Beth Griggs

Environment

What animal has the craziest camouflage? What animal has the craziest camouflage?

By Kate Baggaley

A killer whale swims amid floating ice in the Ross Sea.

Environment

Do not buy the House Science Committee’s claim that scientists faked data until you read this Do not buy the House Science Committee’s claim that scientists faked data until you read this

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Environment

Hunters may need to keep their paws off Wisconsin wolves Hunters may need to keep their paws off Wisconsin wolves

Environment

Scientists may have actually found a lost continent Scientists may have actually found a lost continent

By Mark D. Kaufman

How to make eggs without any chickens

Environment

How to make eggs without any chickens How to make eggs without any chickens

By Jason Lederman

*Lybia leptochelis*

Environment

Boxer crabs go to crazy lengths to keep a pair of pom-poms Boxer crabs go to crazy lengths to keep a pair of pom-poms

By Mary Beth Griggs

Frogs use elastic tongues and reversible spit to catch prey

Environment

Frogs use elastic tongues and reversible spit to catch prey Frogs use elastic tongues and reversible spit to catch prey

By Eleanor Cummins