60-Second Earth: Recent Episodes
Scientific American
Leading science journalists provide a weekly one-minute report on the science of the environment and the future of energy. Scientific American offers three other podcasts: the daily "60-Second Science" and the weekly "60-Second Psych" as well as "Science Talk." To view all our archived podcasts please visit: www.scientificamerican.com/podcast
National Park Service researchers recorded ambient sound from all over the country to find out where there’s still stillness. David Biello reports
Life thrives even deep inside Earth and scientists are beginning to suspect extensive connections among those underground environments. David Biello reports
The long-term winter warming of Russia’s far north has gotten a boost from industrialization. David Biello reports
The biggest single source of global warming pollution actually started to shrink in 2014. David Biello reports
The value of recycling depends on the material in question and whether all hidden costs and benefits go into the analysis. David Biello reports
Desire for gold has made mining in tropical forests financially worthwhile, leading to ecosystem destruction. Cynthia Graber reports
Low oil prices present an opportunity to come to grips with our crumbling infrastructure and the cost of climate change. David Biello reports
Researchers announced the discovery of 98 beetle species previously unknown to science. David Biello reports
The Sundarbans, part of the world's largest mangrove forest and stretching across India and Bangladesh, have been tarnished by a 350,000-liter oil spill. David Biello reports
Good news for gas and oil consumers can be bad news for the environment. David Biello reports
The pattern that stores a film on a Blu-ray disc also can help improve photovoltaics. David Biello reports
When the Sun's magnetic field is pointed away from Earth, lightning strikes in the U.K. go up 50 percent. Christopher Intagliata reports
A new tool may help officials crack down on the illegal wildlife trade. David Biello reports
Protected land and sea areas serve the wildlife within them as well as the humans who live near them. But countries are backtracking on their financial commitments to these vital regions. Steve Mirsky reports
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 's new synthesis report adds urgency to the need to cut additional greenhouse gas pollution
Plastic-removal machines will enable Ghana's e-waste recoverers to get at valuable metal guts without burning off the exteriors. David Biello reports
A breakthrough in fusion could solve the world's energy problems, but remains improbable. David Biello reports
Infected gorillas and chimps butchered for meat may be behind Ebola outbreaks. David Biello reports
A World Wildlife Fund report estimates losses of 40 percent of all individual land and sea animals, and a 70 percent population crash of all river animals, since 1970. David Biello reports
Participlants in the People's Climate March in New York City September 21st hope to persuade world leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit that follows. David Biello reports
The world united to combat the ozone hole, can we do the same for climate change? David Biello reports
The mighty blue whale is back after being nearly hunted to extinction. David Biello reports
The first step in solving the world's forest problem is recognizing the world's forest problem. David Biello reports
Legal ivory markets that are supposed to only deal in stockpiles and antiques inevitably launder poached ivory. Close them all, says WCS vice president for species conservation. David Biello reports
Cyanobacteria fed by nutrients carried over the Atlantic in African dust may have initiated the process by which, over millions of years, calcium carbonate collected to build the Bahamas. David Biello reports
Of four common corals and algae tested, three still produced shells in conditions that mimic oceans if atmospheric CO2 concentrations reached 1,000 ppm. David Biello reports
At test sites, the exposure of rock by ants accelerated the absorption of atmospheric CO 2 by the rock by as much as 335 times compared with ant-free areas. David Biello reports
How existing cities expand and new cities emerge will determine how humanity fares in the 21st century. David Biello reports
Environmental destruction—from smuggling elephant tusks to illegal dumping of toxic waste—generates as much as $213 billion annually for criminals and terrorists. David Biello reports
Computer models show that increased levels of greenhouse gases, along with their trapped heat, will make the atmosphere more stagnant, leading to many more days of unhealthy air. David Biello reports.
The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution calls for a war against pollution to save the lives of more than eight million people annually. David Biello reports
Thanks to us humans, there's a new type of rock in the geologic record. And it's part plastic. David Biello reports
When gas mileage cost was explicitly revealed on new car window stickers, potential consumers were more likely to choose the most efficient vehicle. David Biello reports.
In a May 21 speech Pope Francis warned that despoiling the environment would come back to haunt humanity. David Biello reports
A building-sized poem shows how billboards could help cut pollution from cars. David Biello reports
Since the 1970s the locations where tropical cyclones (hurricanes and typhoons) reach their maximum intensities have shifted toward both poles at a rate of about 35 miles per decade. David Biello reports
Corn plants bred to be planted very close together thrive in good weather but appear to be particularly vulnerable to the droughts predicted in the coming decades. Cynthia Graber reports
A meta-analysis of ecosystems finds that species losses in any given place do not yet translate to large changes in the number of different species in that place. David Biello reports
Some fish living in waters with currently naturally high levels of CO2 lose their sense of smell, and with it their ability to perceive predators—a possible portent to a global situation in the near future. David Biello reports
Building on light-cloaking work, physicists took a small step toward the goal of shielding cities from earthquakes by deflecting incoming energy. David Biello reports
Smartphones, cheap satellite imaging and crowdfunded enterprises have made citizen oversight possible that was undreamed of by past transparency advocates and environmentalists. David Biello reports
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has a working prototype for a space-based solar energy collector and distributor that would beat the cloudy-day problem. David Biello reports
A consideration of the role of sootlike particulates and ozone implies that the climate should will not be insensitive to increasing levels of greenhouse gases. David Biello reports
Bats ate less fruit in lit areas than in dark ones, which may lessen their seed-dispersal activities needed to bring back slashed rainforests. Cynthia Graber reports.
The U.S. government has given industry permission to use of lethally loud seismic devices up and down the east coast. David Biello reports
A new study attempts to quantify CO 2 emissions if economic growth continues. David Biello reports
As more people move to cities, careful planning could mean a happy home for both humans and a substantial amount of wildlife. David Biello reports
More rain related to a warming climate soaks Magellanic penguin chicks to the skin before their waterproof feathers grow in, killing them from hypothermia. Allie Wilkinson reports
Lunar New Year means tens of millions of travelers in China, mostly by bus but increasingly by car, which is bad news for air quality. David Biello reports
A host of factors determine the role of electric and hybrid cars in reducing greenhouse gas pollution, such as whether coal is their ultimate fuel source. David Biello reports
A new analysis calculates each of the world's countries total amount of CO2 pollution, along with responsibility for the ensuing global warming
The temperature outside governs most people's response to climate change. David Biello reports
David Biello looks back at the big environmental stories of the year covered on 60-Second Earth
E-waste is a large--and growing--problem that can be addressed by thoughtful disposal, David Biello reports
The annual Christmas Bird Count is revealing big changes in the avian world, thanks to us ground-dwellers. David Biello reports
New research suggests a link between the precipitous meltdown of Arctic summer sea ice and broiling heat waves. David Biello reports
Toxicity testing on shampoo that fights flakes reveals that it's bad for plants and animals once it's in wastewater. David Biello reports
A new study examines the links between environmental degradation and human illness. David Biello reports
Five years later, what lessons have been learned from the Christmas coal ash spill? David Biello investigates
The Montreal Protocol aimed to fix the ozone hole but it also delayed global warming. David Biello reports
If the world's growing population embraces a throwaway culture, human civilization may drown in garbage. David Biello reports
While most fertilizer nitrogen ends up in plants, plenty sits in the soil for decades. David Biello reports
From climate records to penguin counts, the shutdown of the U.S. government will have lasting science effects. David Biello reports
Game theory suggests that punishment for pollution has to come at the local level. David Biello reports
Airplanes may only contribute roughly 2 percent of the greenhouse gases warming the atmosphere. But they are one of the fastest growing sources. David Biello reports
New technologies will be needed for photovoltaics to become cheap. David Biello reports
Cutting down on greenhouse gas pollution could deliver health benefits. David Biello reports
Changes in the weather mean changes in ecosystems and a new report maps vulnerability. David Biello investigates
The red cedar trees of West Virginia reveal just how effective U.S. clean air laws have been. David Biello reports
Look to the shells of marine algae to find the answer to historical global cooling. David Biello reports
University of Minnesota undergraduate Daniel Crawford studies geography and environmental science. He's also a cellist. He converted more than a century of global temperature data to create A Song of Our Warming Planet. Mark Fischetti reports.
Megafauna extinctions prove a key factor in reduced soil fertility. David Biello reports
Planting the shrub jatropha in arid regions worldwide could sequester enough carbon to offset the annual CO2 pollution of China, the E.U. and the U.S. combined. David Biello reports
A new material for protecting nuclear fuel could cut down on the risk of explosions. David Biello reports
Demand for A-C is only going to grow, so we'll need better technologies. David Biello reports
A warmer planet means that heat-seeking microbes will elbow out those that prefer life a bit more chilly, with unknown effects on the planet's ecology. Karen Hopkin reports
Living in a landscape of fear means more of the greenhouse gas driving climate change gets stored in plants. David Biello reports
The world is not on track to reduce, or even restrain global warming. David Biello reports
A new survey reveals that trash from our activities on land litters the bottom of the ocean, from shallow to deep. David Biello reports
Humans are using and abusing freshwater resources at an accelerating rate. David Biello reports
U.S. taxpayers have so far borne the brunt of climate change costs. David Biello reports
A new method to make steel using electricity rather than flame could produce virtually no carbon emissions. David Biello reports
A new study shows that sediments fouled with oil from the blowout in the Gulf of Mexico caused problems for fish embryos. David Biello reports
Proposals to open the U.S. east coast for oil and gas exploration mean an increasingly noisy neighborhood for marine life. David Biello reports
More than 40 years after Earth Day, human civilization is still far from the ideal of sustainability. David Biello reports
Reducing certain kinds of air pollution could limit the rise of ocean waters and buy time to address CO2 emissions. David Biello reports
Although climate change will cause massive disruption, it could benefit some species, such as the Adelie penguin. David Biello reports
The tools of synthetic biology offer hope for the resurrection of extinct species. David Biello reports
New Pope Francis I called for protecting the environment, but it remains to be seen how that might happen. David Biello reports
An analysis of the deepest spot in the oceans finds signs of microbial life. David Biello reports
Hugo Chavez's death may have an impact on the global oil market--and thus on the global climate as well. David Biello reports
Water demands continue to inch up year after year even as climate change queers supply. Can civilization cope? David Biello reports
Machine-to-machine communication offers an opportunity to make the modern world more energy efficient. David Biello reports
Spend a little more time observing meteors or combating climate change, spend a little less time worrying about global catastrophes. David Biello reports
From water use to carbon emissions, raising and distributing roses has an environmental impact worse than many other crops. David Biello reports
The earthworm invasion of North America is increasing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions from the soil. David Biello reports
Almost seven million birds are killed each year when they fly into communication towers. David Biello reports
In his second inaugural address, Pres. Barack Obama said the U.S. must respond to the threat of climate change and lead the development of sustainable energy
Federal guidelines will dictate that electric vehicles start making more noise at low speeds. David Biello reports
The grounding of a drilling rig in Arctic waters illustrates the risks of pushing the boundaries of oil exploration and recovery. David Biello reports
Superstorms, electric cars, alternative fuels and Arctic sea ice all made environmental news in 2012. David Biello reports
Research shows that what laid low Mayan society was climate change, which brought prolonged drought. David Biello reports
The world is on track for warming of at least 2 degrees Celsius, according to a leaked draft of the next IPCC report. David Biello reports
As climate change negotiations drag on, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, fulfilling scientists' predictions. David Biello reports
Heated grains of coated sand turn water to steam without having to boil the whole pot. David Biello reports
As the world gathers in Doha, is progress being made in reducing greenhouse gas pollution? David Biello reports
Fuel from algae is being sold in California, a first step toward a future of advanced biofuels. David Biello reports
A survey of environmental groups finds that Teddy Roosevelt was the president with the highest environmental cred, followed by Richard Nixon. David Biello reports
The U.S. east coast is enduring what's been dubbed a "Frankenstorm" for its combination of multiple different types of weather systems. David Biello reports
The bright lights of the big city currently rely on fission, but a new study suggests efficiency and renewables could do the job instead. David Biello reports
A new analysis reveals that coral cover on the world's largest biological construct has declined by more than 50 percent since 1985. David Biello reports
How can we break the ice and get a political conversation started about climate change, David Biello asks
An analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientsts finds that 93 percent of climate info on Fox News prime time and 81 percent on The Wall Street Journal opinion pages is misleading. Steve Mirsky reports
To improve shelf life, Scotts Miracle-Gro used a pesticide toxic to birds in its bird seed. David Biello reports
New estimates decrease the likely number of microbes beneath the sea, but the truth is that we still don't really know. David Biello reports
Romney wants "energy independence," Obama prefers an "all of the above" approach. What's the difference? David Biello reports
Scientific analyses are beginning to unravel the biological consequences of the radioactive particles released during the Fukushima meltdowns. David Biello reports
As Shell prepares to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea, what are the risks? David Biello reports
Fifteen percent of a sample of 136 trout caught near the Great Barrier Reef showed evidence of melanoma, with UV exposure the likely culprit. Christopher Intagliata reports
A new analysis shows how the summer Olympics helped clear the air in Beijing--and combat climate change. David Biello reports
Pathologists have found the first evidence of wildlife poisoned by a cash crop--and not in a traditional agricultural area. David Biello reports
Scientists explore whether artificial volcanoes might beat the heat. David Biello reports
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been working for 35 years to make solar power and other technologies a reality. David Biello reports
Climate change may not only unleash fiercer wildfires but also ultimately replace Western forestland with grasslands. David Biello reports
The widely used economic measure grossly distorts the environmental and social costs of some growth, David Biello reports
The human transformation of the planet is now bigger than the end of the last ice age. What does that mean for the planet? David Biello asks
Fossil-fuel burning power plants aren't only causing climate change, they're likely to suffer from such global warming. David Biello reports
From lingering pollution to feeding soldiers on bushmeat, war can be tough on the environment. David Biello reports
The U.S. has placed tariffs on Chinese solar panels in a bid to protect American solar companies. David Biello reports
Massachusetts may ban big institutions from discarding food in the trash in a bid to cut down on the methane from landfills. David Biello reports
As the globe warms, communities across the world are providing examples of how to adapt. David Biello reports
New research suggests that the waste from dairy farms may be a bigger source of smog in Los Angeles than the region's millions of cars. David Biello reports
Scientists are suggesting that the present day is part of a new era in the planet's history. David Biello reports
Baseball teams across the country are investing in renewable power for their stadiums. David Biello reports
There are a wide variety of life forms that can come back to life. David Biello reports
The ocean surface is warming. Using records going back more than a century to the British Challenger expedition, researchers calculate that the deep ocean is experiencing its own temperature rise. David Biello reports
By encouraging and discouraging certain animals, human noise has an effect on vegetation. David Biello reports
One of the promises of renewable energy is its ability to displace polluting fossil fuels, but is it fulfilling that pledge? David Biello reports
Newly released audio takes us through the first week of the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi on this first anniversary of the crisis. David Biello reports
Researchers impregnate layers of plastic with fungus to produce a living--and self-cleaning--material. David Biello reports
New research suggests the drag on falling precipitation helps slow atmospheric circulation. David Biello reports
The Keystone XL pipeline wouldn't be a major environmental calamity, but oil addiction is. David Biello reports
The fate of an island chain's president may mean more--or even less--progress to combat climate change. David Biello reports
A new system combines the power of plants and photovoltaics to make solar power cheap and durable. David Biello reports
Battery chargers are everywhere these days, wasting electricity. California aims to change that. David Biello reports
Scientists are uncovering more and more evidence that the air in buildings can be bad for you. David Biello reports
The U.S. can no longer afford to ignore sewage as a source of drinking water, scientists argue. David Biello reports
Penn State climate modeler Michael Mann talks about what computer models can tell us--and what they don't need to. David Biello reports
Given the profits made from filming the natural world, can a scheme be worked out to pay for this ecosystem service? David Biello reports
As time ran out on the latest international climate change negotiations, an agreement was reached that includes all significant countries in the effort to reduce greenhouse gases. David Biello reports
Despite decades of warnings, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, warming the world. Can such pollution peak this decade? David Biello asks
The world wastes more food than all of sub-Saharan Africa produces. Can that be stopped? David Biello reports
Washing machine wastewater carries tiny pieces of plastic to the oceans, where they wind up in sea life. David Biello reports
A new era in aviation dawned this week in the U.S. with the first flights powered by biofuels. David Biello reports
After yet another coal ash spill, is there anything that can be done to deal with the toxic waste? David Biello reports
The Central Intelligence Agency is working on climate change, but you'd never know it. David Biello reports
The environmental and social impacts of all our gadgets are not insignificant. David Biello reports
The removal of two dams on the Elwha River will help restore once-abundant salmon runs. David Biello reports
The melted down reactors are stabilizing, but the real work of repair has yet to begin. David Biello reports
The first car mostly made in China has arrived for sale in the U.S. David Biello reports
A growing body of research suggests nature walks may be more restorative than traditional stimulants like caffeine. David Biello reports
New experiments show that firing lasers into the air might help induce or reduce rain. David Biello reports
Have conservatives abandoned their roots as environmental leaders? David Biello investigates
Once fragmented forests are growing back together, do tropical birds follow? David Biello reports
New analyses show that equipping consumers with real-time information about electricity prices could crash the grid. David Biello reports
The answer to an invasive fish species in the Atlantic and Caribbean may just be overfishing. David Biello reports
Butte College in California hosts a massive solar array, which allows it to produce more electricity than it uses. David Biello reports
Ecologists document the negative ripple effects of removing top predators from ecosystems. David Biello reports
Whisper-quiet electric and hybrid cars may need an artificial sound boost to let pedestrians know they're there. David Biello reports
A look at the environmental burden of our favorite summer beverages. David Biello reports
Warmer temperatures in the North are allowing species to shift from ocean to ocean. David Biello reports
Changes to the sunspot cycle will have an impact on our weather and climate--but not a very big one. David Biello reports
Paved roads and sprawl are likely to blame for summertime smog buildup. David Biello reports
Depends on whether one worries about climate change or persistent plastics in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. David Biello reports
For the fourth consecutive year, roughly one third of managed honey bees died last winter. David Biello reports
It is now clear that at least one reactor at Fukushima experienced a full core meltdown, so what does that mean for similar nuclear power plants in the U.S.? David Biello reports
With every year of inaction the risks posed by climate change grow, according to a new report requested by Congress. David Biello reports
A variety of species of whales have been rediscovered in the vicinity of New York City. Is it because they love musicals? David Biello investigates
A new study finds that photovoltaic systems provide a premium for houses. David Biello reports
Introducing animal analogues of their extinct cousins might help repair otherwise irreparable ecosystem damage. David Biello reports
Could taxing environmental ills prove more of a solution to pollution than dilution? David Biello investigates
A new analysis suggests lightning and volcanoes helped make life possible. David Biello reports
Next month marks Chernobyl's 25th anniversary, and the site is now accepting tourists. Christie Nicholson reports
BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico didn't just foul the ocean, it also tainted the air. David Biello reports
A new study shows that the invasive species has spread not from its original home in South America but from its beachhead in the southeastern U.S., David Biello reports
The thawing of a thin layer of frozen Arctic soils will exacerbate global warming. David Biello reports
Harnessing Earth's heat to make electricity is an underrated renewable resource. David Biello reports
The background music in stores and shopping malls designed to spur sales also spur emissions of greenhouse gases. David Biello reports
Forget CO2, the toxic aftermath of coal burning might be responsible for the worst mass extinction event the world has ever known. David Biello reports
Banding penguins to track them is bad for their health, a new study reports. David Biello investigates
It's not just driving our cars that harms the environment, parking them also poses a problem. David Biello reports
What's worse than a hangover? The environmental impact of your drinking and mine. David Biello reports
Physics Nobel laureate and U.S. energy secretary, Steven Chu, offers his thoughts on the paired challenge of climate change and clean energy in Cancun. David Biello reports
After Copenhagen, the world reconvenes to try to combat climate change. David Biello reports
Doom and gloom doesn't motivate action on environmental problems, but is there hope for behavior change? David Biello reports
The International Council for Science has narrowed down five top challenges the world needs to meet in order to sustain our planet. Christie Nicholson reports
Soil samples taken from a 50-mile radius around the Macondo well reveal striped layers of thick goo, possibly containing oil. Christie Nicholson reports
A woman from Hancock, Maine, discovered that a tourist snapshot of a humpback whale on Flickr matched with photos documented in the Allied Whale research catalogue, providing proof that this whale had traveled 6,000 miles, the longest documented distance of any humpback. Christie Nicholson reports
Despite being the voice of the world's flora and fauna, will the delegates at the 10th meeting of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity actually bring real change? David Biello reports
The innovative research and development program known as ARPA-e is in imminent danger of losing funding--and putting the U.S. even further behind in its bid for a clean-energy economy. David Biello reports
Automobiles go back to the future and become electric, but are they too quiet? David Biello reports
Wasting food isn't just bad in its own right, it also represents a profound waste of energy. David Biello reports
So-called geothermal power has been around for more than a century. What will it take to heat up this energy source? David Biello reports
A newly discovered extremophile can subsist on a modicum of energy. David Biello reports
This year could be a very bad year for coral reefs, thanks to warm waters as a result of El Nino and climate change. David Biello reports
Transportation is the fastest-growing source of emissions of carbon dioxide. The U.S. aims to change that with stickers. David Biello reports
It's not just the inconveniences of traffic jams that may last for months outside of Beijing, it's also the global climate. David Biello reports
Warming temperatures will exacerbate crop-destructive events, ranging from fires to floods. David Biello reports
The United Nations partners with Ecuador in a bid to pay for the privilege of keeping oil underground and a tropical forest undisturbed. David Biello reports
Adding biochar to soil might be a good way to cut pollution from agriculture while improving fertility. David Biello reports
Yet more scientific research highlights ongoing climate change--as the U.S. enjoys the hottest July on record. David Biello reports
China is now the world's number-one user of energy--unless you ask the Chinese. David Biello reports
The seas are already overlapping islands and coasts from Panama to India. David Biello reports
Ocean-based wind turbines don't need to be firmly anchored to the seafloor, according to a new study. David Biello reports, with narration by Christie Nicholson
Scientists predict a bigger than average dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico this year. David Biello reports (with narration by Christie Nicholson)
The cities of the future might be greener, cleaner and more vibrant if people are put before automobiles. David Biello reports
A group of endangered sperm whales live in the vicinity of the oil spill--and now one of them has turned up dead. David Biello reports
The ongoing oil spill is just one cost of our ongoing addiction to fossil fuel. David Biello reports
Infrared cameras have enabled scientists to determine what makes for a successful cricket sex life. David Biello reports
A new proposal would limit whaling, by permitting small amounts of it. David Biello reports
As bad as it is, BP's Gulf oil spill dwindles compared with gushers of the past. David Biello reports
The Earth Day test flight of a partially biofuel-powered F/A-18 Green Hornet was another example of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus's commitment to decreasing the military's consumption of foreign fossil fuels. Steve Mirsky reports
Warming temperatures have already impacted wheat yields--in the U.S. David Biello reports
By failing to curb trade in the endangered ocean giant, the international community may have doomed it to extinction. David Biello reports
Some argue that major technical breakthroughs are needed to make electricity from sunshine cheap. Are they right? David Biello reports
Global trade, outsourcing and climate change prove how interconnected economic and environmental problems are. David Biello reports
Does the U.S. need an advanced research projects agency for energy? David Biello reports
A new technique to shatter shale and get the gas within offers promise--and peril. David Biello reports
No single weather event proves or disproves the fundamental science of climate change, but extreme weather is what scientists expect from global warming. David Biello reports
The doughty predator is dwindling, thanks seemingly to less snow as a result of global warming. David Biello reports
The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change goofs in predicting total meltdown by 2035. But the roof of the world is still losing its icy coat. David Biello reports
Satellite collars are letting scientists track these mysterious denizens of the far north during the long winter night. David Biello reports
David Biello offers a semimusical look back at the year just had by the Earth and its people
How many greenhouse gas emissions does negotiating a climate change treaty take? David Biello reports
The oceans may be largely overlooked at the climate conference in Copenhagen, but they will bear the brunt of climate change. David Biello reports
A new theory suggests that algae might be to blame for the Earth's greatest mass extinctions. David Biello reports
From phasing out leaded gasoline to minimizing mercury poisoning, the answer appears to be yes. Christie Nicholson reports, with research, reporting and writing by David Biello
Urban bird dwellers change their song over time to help the them be heard over the big city noises. David Biello reports
The European country--not known for its abundant sunshine--has become the world leader in solar know-how. David Biello reports
Students vie to be named top decathlete, but the real winners could be homeowners. David Biello reports
Are national governments prepared to offer more than hot air on climate change in Copenhagen this December? David Biello reports
Can the world tackle poverty and the biodiversity crisis at the same time? It'd better, David Biello reports
International agencies are coming together to provide climate forecasting to countries without it, particularly because they may be hardest hit. David Biello reports
From mimicking a volcanic eruption to mirrors in space, some geoengineering schemes are pretty far out there. David Biello reports.
New research shows that some plastics may be leaching toxic chemicals into seawater. David Biello reports
One year later, plastic bag use is down--but by no means gone--in China. David Biello reports.
The best thing you can do for the planet might be having fewer children, a new study argues. David Biello reports
How we perceive the future of our Earth may depend on an individual's view of nature and on their own human nature. Christie Nicholson reports
The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium reports that the dead zone in the Gulf is much smaller this year than expected. Christie Nicholson reports
Intensive farming not only degrades our soils, but it also contributes to climate change. David Biello reports
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration officially announced that we will experience the El Nino phenomenon this year through to 2010. Christie Nicholson reports
From spider silk in goat's milk to tomato genes in salmon, genetically modified animals are proliferating--in the lab. David Biello reports
The government is pushing for it, but are high speed trains even possible in the U.S.? David Biello reports
In VORTEX2, the largest scientific study of tornadoes, scientists are trying to understand just what causes a twister to form. It's more complicated than you might think. Christie Nicholson reports
Are biofuels going to play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions? David Biello reports.
Jeff Wolfe, the CEO of groSolar, a leading U.S. solar energy distribution and installation company, explains why Germany is developing solar energy at a faster pace than the U.S. Steve Mirsky reports
There is a host of existing technologies that could radically improve the internal combustion engines that power our cars. David Biello reports
Is the government's new plan to pay people to trade in old, inefficient cars and trucks an environmental bane or boon? David Biello reports
Some have linked the new strain of H1N1 to an industrial hog farm in Mexico, David Biello reports
Trees and other plants suck up carbon dioxide, so we might think planting forests will halt global warming. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. David Biello reports
Genetic modification has been touted as a solution to hunger, but does it really boost yields? David Biello reports
Honeybees: A European import vital to food production--or are they? David Biello reports
The U.S.--and the world--has an abundant supply of coal. So does it make sense to turn it into a replacement for oil? David Biello reports
Sea level rise looks likely to come faster--and be worse--than even scientists anticipated. David Biello reports
Everyone from motorists to television producers are buying offsets to save the climate. But do they work? David Biello reports
Simply using instead of losing energy, the U.S.--and the world--could power its way out of crisis. David Biello reports
You may never have heard of ecosystem services, but you'd be hard-pressed to live without them. David Biello reports
Despite cooling in some regions, overall Antarctic temperatures are increasing. David Biello reports
That is the question facing the U.S. Supreme Court in a case on the waste from mining. David Biello reports
U.S. states are beginning to attack another major source of global warming pollution besides power plants: your car. David Biello reports
Light-emitting diodes are beginning to replace the old-fashioned light bulb as well as newer compact fluorescent models. David Biello reports.
The ice is melting across the Arctic—and Antarctica is starting to thaw, too. David Biello reports
When deciding on real or fake trees for the holiday season, think through the green pros and cons. David Biello reports
Traditional Chinese medicine could eliminate the big striped cats. David Biello reports
Seems like when the economy's bad, the environment improves, but history shows otherwise
There is an environmental price for our love of chocolate on Halloween, but it may not be what you think
Bisphenol A, a common compound found in many plastics, has been listed as a toxic substance in Canada but is still deemed safe in the U.S.