Anthropocene

High in the sky, aerosols from airplane exhaust become encased in ice and form the bright contrails seen in a plane’s wake.

Airplane Contrails May Be Creating Accidental Geoengineering

Dissipating haze from plane exhaust alters how sunlight reaches the Earth and may be unintentionally affecting our climate

Rainbow Collars Could Help Keep Cats From Wiping Out Birds

This colorful trick may stop Fluffy from murdering local songbirds

Is Global Warming Changing How Fast the Earth Spins?

New research suggests that as glaciers melt, the planet's axis is shifting

On the last day of the climate conference in Paris, thousands of people gathered to demonstrate for global climate justice and against climate change.

Four Things to Know About the Paris Climate Deal

The strengths and limitations of the roadmap for fighting climate change

Marburg virus is one of the pathogens the WHO recently identified as most dangerous.

These Are the World’s Most Dangerous Emerging Pathogens, According to WHO

You may not know their names, but health officials are concerned about the epidemic potential of these illnesses

Divers approach a bull shark in the water off Mauritius. Though environmental conditions are much the same in Mauritius and neighboring La Réunion, the latter is one of the most dangerous shark-attack spots in the world.

Why Is This Indian Ocean Island a Hot Spot for Shark Attacks?

La Réunion has seen way more attacks than its neighbor Mauritius, and scientists are struggling to figure out why

The "Great Garuda" seawall will be shaped like Indonesia's national symbol—a mythical, birdlike creature.

Jakarta Is Building a Gigantic Bird-Shaped Seawall

But will the Great Garuda project be enough to save a sinking city?

The Lake Mills reservoir gets drawn down in March 2012 as part of the Elwha River Restoration, which involved the largest dam removal project in U.S. history.

Removing a Dam Can Be a Net Win for the Planet

Once hailed as clean power sources, dams are sometimes more costly to maintain than they are to tear down

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Video: What Is the Anthropocene and Why Does It Matter?

This animation explains why scientists think we've entered a new chapter in Earth's history

Lake Titicaca in myth is the birthplace of humanity, and the people who live on its shores depend on it for their livelihoods.

What Are North American Trout Doing in Lake Titicaca?

The famous lake between Bolivia and Peru is struggling due to pollution, overfishing and the misguided intentions of almost 100 years ago

A floating platform in Skadar Lake entices pelicans to build their nests here, protecting them from floods.

How Floating Nests May Save One of the World's Largest Water Birds

Designed to withstand floods, the rafts are helping the Dalmatian pelican make a comeback in Montenegro and Albania

The ruins of an ancient Norse settlement still stand near Hvalsey Fjord in Greenland.

Did Climate Change Make the Norse Disappear From Greenland?

Evidence from glacial deposits adds a new twist to the tale of the mysterious lost settlements

Water gushes out of Aswan Dam in Egypt.

Humans Are Draining Even More of Earth's Freshwater Than We Thought

Ironically, building dams and irrigation systems may end up driving food and water shortages

New Mapping Technology Helps Arctic Communities “Keep on Top” of Sea Ice Changes

Buoys are being deployed in the bays of Labrador, Canada, with sensors that track ice thickness, to stop Inuit from breaking through

A map of human impacts around the globe where green areas show areas with the least amount of human influence and red and purple show the areas with the greatest.

Explore the Complexities of Climate Change with These Interactive Maps

Understanding the ins and outs requires some strong visualizations

A dry boat dock sits in Huntington Lake after the water receded, in the High Sierra, California. The state is in its fifth year of drought, and more and more, California is turning to Australia—which endured a ten-year drought earlier this century—for solutions.

What Can Australia Teach California About Drought?

With the Golden State entering its fifth year of drought, people are looking Down Under for solutions

A crowd sends aloft a balloon representation of Earth at Piazza Venezia during a climate change rally in Rome a day before the COP21 conference in Paris.

What Will Make the Paris Climate Talks a Success?

This episode of Generation Anthropocene explores the history of the UN climate summit and what's different at this year's event

Clouds of smoke pour from a smokestack

Which Countries Are Most Open to Curbing Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

A new study shows large gaps between concern about climate change and the willingness to act

Thick-billed murres gathering on Coats Island in the Canadian Arctic. New research is finding that these and other birds are bringing ocean pollution back onto land; the birds eat contaminated fish and poop out the chemicals.

Seabirds Are Dumping Pollution-Laden Poop Back on Land

Chemicals we've poured into the ocean are coming back to sting us thanks to seabirds defecating in their onshore colonies

With the recent opening of the Northwest Passage in the Arctic due to melting sea ice barriers, Smithsonian research biologist Seabird McKeon and his team report increasing numbers of animals making the journey into new territories.

If Atlantic and Pacific Sea Worlds Collide, Does That Spell Catastrophe?

While the Arctic ice melt is opening up east to west shipping lanes, some 75 animals species might also make the journey

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