MS-ESS3-3

Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.

  1. Oceans

    Going bright may help corals recover from bleaching

    When some corals bleach, they turn neon colors. Flashy hues may be part of a response that helps these corals recover and reunite with their algae.

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  2. Plants

    Silk-based microneedles may help treat diseased plants

    Engineers have invented silk microneedles to inject medicines into plants. One day farmers might use drones to dart their sick plants with meds from the air.

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  3. Environment

    Fossil fuels appear to release far more methane than we thought

    Ice cores reveal less methane than expected. This suggests today’s fossil fuel industry is responsible for nearly all of the methane emissions from natural sources today.

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  4. Science & Society

    CO2 emissions have nosedived as COVID-19 keeps people home

    The COVID-19 pandemic restricted travel that can pollute the air. By April, travel-related daily emissions of greenhouse gases was back to 2006 levels.

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  5. Environment

    Pesticides can have long-term impact on bumblebee learning

    Pesticide-laced nectar and pollen can permanently harm the brains of baby bumblebees.

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  6. Materials Science

    This ‘living’ concrete slurps up a greenhouse gas

    Microbes help harden a mix of sand and gelatin into a living concrete that could interact with people and the environment in great new ways.

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  7. Environment

    Laundry tweaks can help clothes last longer and pollute less

    Clothes washed in cooler water and for less time shed less dye and fewer fibers, a new study finds. That’s better for clothes — and the environment.

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  8. Animals

    Drones might one day capture a dolphin’s breath in midair

    High-speed footage of dolphin spray reveals that droplets blast upward at speeds close to 100 kilometers per hour.

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  9. Earth

    Help for a world drowning in microplastics

    Microplastic pollution in our oceans and lakes is a problem. Scientists are testing solutions — from more biodegradable recipes to nanotechnology.

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  10. Oceans

    Healthy coral reef sounds attract fish searching for a home

    Playing the sounds of a healthy reef can help attract fish to dying corals, helping rebuild their community.

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  11. Climate

    5 things to know about the climate-saving benefits of tree planting

    A recent analysis of the benefits of massive efforts to plant more trees triggered a firestorm of controversy.

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  12. Environment

    Don’t toss that vape!

    Plenty of people talk about potential risks of vaping. But this teen habit also saddles schools with lots of trash — some of it quite toxic.

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