Pollution

Older, soot-covered horned larks on the left and cleaner specimens on the right

Sooty Bird Feathers Reveal a Century of Coal Emissions History

A story of pollution hides in the grime of museums' birds specimens

The cloud was first reported at Birling Gap, located about 70 miles from central London.

A Mysterious Chemical Cloud Descended on the British Coast

150 people were treated for stinging eyes, irritated throats and vomiting

What Should You Do With Your Used Eclipse Glasses?

There are several options, including recycling, upcycling and donating them to children in the path of the next eclipse

Humpback whales sounding in Windham Bay, Alaska.

What Humpback Whales Can Teach Us About Compassion

Are these orca-fighting, seal-saving good Samaritans really just in it for themselves?

An unlit church in Sweden

Lights Are Driving Bats From Their Belfries

The trend of pointing floodlights at churches in Sweden has driven some long-eared bat colonies out of their historic roosts

The algal scrubber in action.

Smithsonian Scientists Are Using Algae to Revitalize America’s Waterways

Walter Adey’s algal turf scrubber filters pollutants to clean water

Angelenos wearing smog masks at a banquet, circa 1954.

This 1943 “Hellish Cloud” Was the Most Vivid Warning of LA’s Smog Problems to Come

Southern California–and LA in particular–continue to struggle with smog

Of the 9 billion tons of plastic the world has produced, only nine percent is recycled.

Humans Have Produced Nine Billion Tons of Plastic and Counting

Over half of that material was created in the last decade

Thousands of Mysterious Yellow "Sponges" Wash Up On French Beaches

Though experts were initially stumped, the substance has now been identified

Coral reefs, like this one off the coast of South Africa, are rich both in hue and aquatic sounds.

Coral Reefs Sound Like Popcorn, and That’s a Good Thing

The oceans boast a vibrant soundscape, but we may be slowly silencing their symphonies

Art Installation Recreates the Smell of Cities Around the World

The Pollution Pod project emphasizes the unequal air quality divide between rich and poor cities

Trapped inside this ice core is evidence that suggests humans have been polluting the atmosphere with lead for thousands of years.

Humans Polluted the Air Much Earlier Than Previously Thought

Ice cores suggest that humans have been polluting the air with lead for at least 2,000 years

Henderson Island, world's garbage can.

This Remote Island Is Covered with 37 Million Pieces of Your Trash

Immaculate no more, the island now looks more like a dump than a pristine paradise

A woman wears a mask to protect against air pollution in Anyang. New research shows that Northeastern China could get more polluted when there is lest dust in the air.

Dust May Help, Not Harm, Air Pollution in China

When it comes to some of Earth’s smoggiest cities, less dust isn’t necessarily better

White plastic horse, 3. Plamacina retroversta ic. III. Specimen collected from Cobh shoreline, Cove of Cork, Ireland

These Haunting Photographs Call Attention to Plastic Trash Swirling in the Ocean

Award-winning photographer Mandy Barker explores the beauty and tragedy of marine plankton and plastic waste

Environmental chemists are developing a method that could suck toxic metals out of marine environments.

How Electrified Steel Could Suck Toxic Metals From the Ocean

After a century of strip mining and deforestation, New Caldonia researchers are working to de-contaminate marine waters

U.K. Killer Whale Contained Staggering Levels of Toxic Chemical

Lulu had one of the highest concentrations of PCBs ever recorded in a marine mammal

Stunning Map Shows Changes in Light at Night Around the World

The satellite images show where the most light is making night skies bright

A piece of plastic after 10 worms nibbled it for 30 minutes

This Caterpillar Can Eat Plastic

The find could lead to new techniques for breaking down our ever-growing plastic waste

Microplastics mixed in with plankton from an Arctic Ocean sample

Ocean Currents Are Sweeping Billions of Tiny Plastic Bits to the Arctic

Currents are acting like a conveyor belt for plastic, dumping the bits in pristine northern waters

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