Climate

Climate

U.S. records reveal the last 30 years were the hottest on record

New ‘climate normals’ show that average temperatures increased notably just since 1990.

Earth

‘Tree farts’ make up about a fifth of greenhouse gases from ghost forests

Heat-trapping gases from dead trees play an important role in the environmental impact of “ghost” forests.

Animals

Common parasite may help mussels survive heat waves

By whitening shells, the organism helps the shellfish stay cool on sunny days, a new study suggests.

Earth

Let’s learn about lightning

Around 100 times a second, every hour of every day, lightning strikes somewhere on Earth. It’s beautiful — and deadly.

Climate

Climate may have sent drift of the North Pole toward Greenland

This mid-1990s shift in the pole’s movement was driven by glacial melt. And that was triggered in part by climate change, a new study reports.

Environment

Local glacier could be gone in a decade, young scientist finds

A teen calculated the volume of a glacier by drilling into it with jets of steam — then used that to estimate how long before all its ice will be gone.

Ecosystems

Urchin takeover underlies California’s vanishing kelp forests

Some 95 percent of kelp forests along its northern coast are gone. Meanwhile, sea otters are helping slow the loss of surviving kelp farther south.

Climate

Surfing the winds would make future jet travel greener

Simple route changes could drastically cut fuel use and greenhouse-gas emissions, a new study finds.

Environment

The world wastes roughly a sixth of the food produced each year

A new United Nations report shows where wastes can be reduced, which would decrease hunger and emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases.

Animals

Analyze This: Cows burp less methane after early-life treatment

Calves that receive the 14-week treatment belch less of the greenhouse gas, possibly due to shifts in their gut microbes.

Climate

Changing climate now threatens northern lakes year round

Lakes in northern climes are getting warmer, and that’s not good for people, plants or animals.

Environment

COVID-19 cut pollution in 2020, warming the atmosphere

Pandemic-related lockdowns briefly warmed the planet. The reason: The cleaner air carried fewer planet-cooling aerosols.