Environment

The Amazon rainforest has been degraded by a much greater extent than scientists previously believed with more than a third of remaining forest affected by humans, according to a new study published on January 27 in the journal Science.... Read more

Most of us have felt either too hot or too cold at some point in our lives. Depending on where we live, we may feel too cold quite often each winter, and too hot for a few days in summer. As we're writing this in late January 2023 many southern... Read more

For decades, hexavalent chromium has provided the silvery showroom finish to countless consumer products, from automobile bumpers and grilles to kitchen faucets and light fixtures. It has also served as an indispensable rust-resistant coating for aviation components, such as airplane landing gear.... Read more

Blue carbon is becoming an increasingly popular term, but what exactly does it mean? The answer may vary slightly depending on who you ask. But broadly speaking, according to the National Ocean Service, "blue carbon is simply the term for carbon captured by the world's ocean and coastal ecosystems."... Read more

European Union (EU) consumers are "exporting" negative environmental impacts to their Eastern European neighbors, while keeping the bulk of economic benefits linked to consuming goods and services, a new study reveals.... Read more

China is a nighttime "hot-spot" for the production of nitrate radicals (PNO3) that could have a major impact on health-threatening ozone and fine particulates (PM2.5) in the atmosphere, a new study reveals.... Read more

A new study published today in PNAS Nexus revealed for the first time that Indigenous peoples, with officially recognized rights to their territories in Brazil's embattled Atlantic Forest, reduced deforestation and improved forest cover, outperforming territories that lack formal tenure.... Read more

A year after the most destructive wildfire in the state's history scorched nearly 1,100 homes, Colorado lawmakers are considering joining other Western states by adopting artificial intelligence in hopes of detecting blazes before they burn out of control.... Read more

Rescuers were headed to the site of a magnitude 5.5 earthquake Thursday in a region of southwestern China at the base of the Tibetan plateau that is prone to deadly quakes.... Read more

The number of millionaires in the world is steadily increasing, and their emission patterns make it difficult, if not impossible, to meet the Paris Agreement's target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. According to a new study by tourism professor Stefan Gössling, the millionaires will, within just a... Read more

The 2.4 million people who live along Utah's Wasatch Front experience some of the most severe winter particulate matter air pollution in the nation. Now, analysis of measurements taken during National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research flights in 2017 indicates that emissions from a single source, a magnesium refinery,... Read more

Wildfire damage to drinking water systems can significantly delay a community's economic recovery. The costliest disaster in Colorado's history, the Marshall Fire of 2021, resulted in more than $2 billion in losses. Six drinking water systems were directly in the fire's path.... Read more

The Amazon rainforest and basin are crucial for the balance of the Earth's environmental systems that enable life as we know it. The world's largest rainforest covers 6.7 million square kilometers and encompasses the largest network of forests and rivers in the world, housing around 10% of the world's biodiversity... Read more

Labeling the carbon footprint of food prompts people to eat more sustainably: This was the key finding for TRR 266 Accounting for Transparency researchers from LMU Munich, HU Berlin and Aalto University in Finland in a recent field trial. How the information is presented turned out to be the critical... Read more

During the week-long Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, work is suspended, businesses close and nearly three billion people leave cities to join their families in rural areas for traditional gatherings. The holiday is the largest short-term suspension in human activity on Earth and, according to... Read more