The US Can Halve Its Emissions by 2030—if It Wants To
The economics are clear: Renewables are cheap enough for the country to rapidly decarbonize. Less evident is the political will to pull it off.
How Ants Inspired a New Way to Measure Snow With Space Lasers
Photons wander through snow like ants through a nest. That inspired a clever new NASA technique for measuring the fluffy stuff from orbit.
Carbon-Rich Peat Is Disappearing. But Is It Also Growing?
Scientists have discovered “proto-peat” forming in the Arctic as the Earth naturally sequesters carbon, but it could take centuries to mature.
A Powerful ISS Instrument Will Hunt for Minerals in Dusty Lands
NASA’s EMIT mission will better analyze the grime from dust-spewing regions, a critically understudied factor in climate change.
Burning Crops to Capture Carbon? Good Luck Finding Water
The technique uses plants as fuel and sequesters the emitted CO2, removing it from the atmosphere. But scaling up would use gobs of water and land.
Extreme Heat Is a Disease for Cities. Treat It That Way
The “urban heat island effect” creates extra-hot temperatures that kill. But cities can prescribe powerful treatments, like green spaces and reflective roofs.
Oceans Aren’t Just Warming—Their Soundscapes Are Transforming
Humans are polluting the seas with sound, while warming waters change how noise propagates. What does that mean for whales and other animals?
Scientists Spy on Mount Etna With Fiber Optic Cables
Researchers can detect volcanic activity by watching how light moves through the same kinds of fibers that bring you internet.
A Killer Parasite Is Wiping Out Hordes of Ants—in a Good Way
A microsporidian pathogen is annihilating tawny crazy ants, an invasive menace of the highest order.