Environment | Science News for Students

Environment

a Syrian boy sitting in a refugee camp with his head on his hand

A Syrian boy sits in a refugee camp after civil war destroyed towns and rural areas throughout his country. Some scientists believe climate stresses could have played a role in triggering or worsening the Syrian conflict.

cloverphoto/iStock/Getty Images plus

Science & Society
 
May 23, 2019
Could climate change worsen global conflict?
a photo of food cooking on a stovetop with a turkey in the background

Cooking for Thanksgiving or other holidays releases lots of chemicals into the air. Some are good, and some not so good.

skynesher/E+/Getty Images

Environment
 
May 13, 2019
Studies show how homes can pollute indoor air
a photo of the Pyrenees mountains in Europe

This part of the Pyrenees mountains in Europe looks remote and clean. But tiny bits of plastic fall here every day, scientists are finding.

G. Le Roux

Environment
 
May 7, 2019
Microplastics are blowing in the wind
a pile of haddock fish

Increasing ocean temperatures have caused populations of many fish and shellfish to plummet. As a result, the amount that can be caught without depleting fish populations has declined by an average of 4.1 percent worldwide.

NEFSC/NOAA

Oceans
 
Apr 11, 2019
Oceans’ fever means fewer fish
a photo of a path through a forest lush with greenery

When most people think about life on Earth, they imagine animals. But animals are only a small part of the planet’s life, at least as measured by mass. Overall, green plants dominate.

quickshooting/iStockphoto

Environment
 
Mar 28, 2019
Life on Earth is mostly green
a photo of a scientist measuring permafrost along a lakeshore in northern Alaska

As climate change brings warmer temperatures to the Arctic, the permafrost along this lakeshore in northern Alaska is thawing and falling apart.

Benjamin Jones/USGS

Earth
 
Feb 22, 2019
Earth’s permafrost is heating up
a photo of Steve Perlman rappeling down a verdant cliff over turquoise waters

Steve Perlman rappels down a cliff in the Wailau Valley on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. He is a botanist who has spent the last 45 years searching for, and protecting, rare plants

Hank Oppenheimer

Plants
 
Feb 7, 2019
Rare-plant hunters race against time to save at-risk species
a photo of a three stages of blood moon eclipse from July 2018 showcasing a very red moon in the middle image

During a "total" lunar eclipse, the moon will remain partially visible in the sky but take on a dark red hue.

Bernd Thaller/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Weather & Climate
 
Jan 17, 2019
Distant volcano could turn latest lunar eclipse dark red
an lillustration of a bird sitting on a branch during a snowfall, with the text "2018 Reader's Top Picks" in the middle of the image

What were you all reading this year? Read on!

Nancy Moulding/SNS

Science & Society
 
Dec 21, 2018
Here’s the science you loved in 2018
an image showing an illustration of snowy trees and mountains with the text "2018 Editors' Top Picks" overlaid at the top of the image

Here’s our top-10 list of important events and discoveries — ones not to be missed.

Nancy Moulding/SNS

Science & Society
 
Dec 20, 2018
ICYMI: 2018’s top science offerings