Ecology
U.S. Carbon Emissions Spiked 3.4% in 2018, Second-Largest Increase Since 1996
Carbon emissions in the U.S. experienced a sharp upswing in 2018, despite a record number of coal-fired power plant closings, according to new data. An analysis released by the research firm Rhodium Group Tuesday shows that emissions rose by 3.4 percent last year—the…
Your Christmas Tree Could Be Recycled Into Paint or Sweeteners
Gifts have been opened, cookies have been eaten, Christmas has come and gone. Still, the last vestige of holiday festivities remains: the slowly decaying Christmas tree husk in your living room. Even as fake tree sales rise, as many as…
10 Worst-Case Climate Predictions if We Don’t Keep Global Temperatures Under 1.5 Degrees Celsius
The summer of 2018 was intense: deadly wildfires, persistent drought, killer floods and record-breaking heat. Although scientists exercise great care before linking individual weather events to climate change, the rise in global temperatures caused by human activities has been found…
Vital Ecosystems in Tidal Flats Lost to Development and Rising Sea Levels
Coastal development and sea level rise are causing the decline of tidal flats along the world’s coastlines, according to research that has mapped the ecosystems for the first time. Scientists from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the…
2018: A Year of Fighting Plastic Waste
The plastic pollution crisis has been building for some time now, to the point where around eight million tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans each year. In response, a movement to cut down on plastic waste has also been…
Could Wrapping Presents Get Us in a Sticky Situation?
UK waste collection firm Business Waste suggests sticky tape can pose a real environmental hazard. Could wrapping presents put the environment in a sticky situation? UK waste collection firm Business Waste claims sales of sticky tape soar in the lead…
Climate Change Is Causing More Storms – but Could Trees Adapt?
New ecological research suggests trees could grow more efficient leaves to compensate for storm damage. Climate change is causing more storms – but could trees adapt? Ecologists at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in South Carolina have conducted…