Climate Change

Put on your sunglasses—when in action, this artificial sun is 10,000 times brighter than the usual solar radiation here on Earth.

This New Man-Made Sun Is 10,000 Times More Intense Than Sunlight on Earth

It’s a bright idea that just might help humans create solar fuel

One of the world's most iconic deserts was once lush and green. What happened?

What Really Turned the Sahara Desert From a Green Oasis Into a Wasteland?

10,000 years ago, this iconic desert was unrecognizable. A new hypothesis suggests that humans may have tipped the balance

Asperitas clouds

Cloud Atlas Adds First New "Species" in Almost 70 Years

The update includes 12 new cloud-related features, including volatus clouds, contrails, and wave-like asperitas discovered by citizen scientists

Wildfires Have Already Charred Over 2 Million Acres This Year

The fire season has gotten off to its fastest start in over a decade, with massive grass fires charring the southwest and plains states

A diver documents dead coral in the Great Barrier Reef near Lizard Island in May 2016 after a bleaching event.

Repeat Bleaching Destroys Massive Swaths of the Great Barrier Reef

Rising ocean temperatures have taken a toll on the World Heritage Area

New research strengthens the theory that different climates influenced the shape of the human nose.

How Climate Helped Shape Your Nose

New research shows how the width of our nasal passages is literally shaped by the air we breathe

Commuters in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam use makeshift face masks to protect them from smog. Doctors are warning that climate change will affect human health, in part by increasing air pollution.

Doctors Warn That Climate Change Makes People Sick

Medical associations join forces to sound the alarm on climate change and human health

Check Out the Most Detailed Tornado Simulation So Far

A supercomputer created a simulation of the F5 "El Reno" tornado which devastated part of Oklahoma in 2011

Computer-simulated global view of Venus.

The Case for Going to Venus

Sending a probe to Earth’s lifeless twin could help us understand how life rises—and falls—on faraway planets

This image, taken from space last summer, shows a long swath of dead mangroves on Australia's northern coast.

What Killed Northern Australia’s Mangroves?

Last year’s massive die-off was the largest ever observed

Coralline algae of the genus Clathromorphum are specific to the Arctic and Subarctic, and they have critically important stories to tell about their ocean and how it has changed over the centuries.

In Its Layers, This Stunning Pink Coralline Algae Holds Secrets of Climates Past

Unseen and unsung for centuries, these underwater species of coralline algae are providing scientists with an unparalleled new archive of information

A close call at Lake Oroville raises questions about the safety of America's dams.

Failure at One of These 15,000 American Dams Would Be Fatal

A quiet crisis is afoot as the nation's infrastructure ages

Emissions from steel production in eastern China are fertilizing nearby oceans.

Human Pollution May Be Fertilizing The Oceans. That’s Not a Good Thing

Our iron emissions from coal and steel may be fuelling ocean life, and trapping carbon in the process

Study Shows 84% of Wildfires Caused by Humans

Over the last 21 years, debris burning, arson and campfires have combined with climate change to make the fire season much longer

Bleached coral discovered earlier this month at Maureen's Cove in the Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef Braces for Another Massive Bleaching Event

After the worst die-off in the reef's history in 2016, scientists are worried that high sea temperatures will affect the area again

Three polar bears climbing on a snow-covered pile of bowhead whale bones on Barter Island near Kaktovik, Alaska.

The Politics of Viewing Polar Bears

Tourists flock to this coastal Alaskan town to photograph the vulnerable icons—raising hairy ethical questions

Smarter than we think.

Bees Can Learn to Play “Soccer.” Score One for Insect Intelligence

Small as they are, bumblebee brains are surprisingly capable of mastering novel, complex tasks

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault keeps backups of the world's seeds safe in case of catastrophe.

Syria Just Made a Major Seed Bank Deposit

Seeds from 49,000 types of crops will be backed up in Svalbard once more

E.O. Wilson Urges Tomorrow’s Scientists to Seek Earth’s Undiscovered Riches

In a Smithsonian talk, the eminent biologist argued for more protected areas and greater efforts to map the diversity of life

Our global greenhouse gas emissions may not be any lower overall, but the historic treaty established a framework for an international plan of action.

Twelve Years Ago, the Kyoto Protocol Set the Stage for Global Climate Change Policy

The predecessor of today’s Paris Agreement got us one step closer to an international plan of action on climate change

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