Climate Change Breaks Plant Immune Systems. Can They Be Rebooted?
When temperatures rise, plants mysteriously lose their ability to defend against invading pathogens—but there may be a fix.
Scientists Are Trying to Grow Crops in the Dark
Powering plant growth with solar panels instead of photosynthesis could be a more efficient way of using the Sun’s energy for food. But it’s not all good news.
The Race to Build Wind Farms That Float on the Open Sea
There’s huge potential to generate renewable energy far out in the ocean. But designing turbines that can survive rough waters isn’t exactly a breeze.
The Supreme Court Is Jeopardizing Federal Climate Action
The court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA doesn’t go as far as some climate activists feared it might. But it’s a road map for future challenges.
The World Can’t Wean Itself Off Chinese Lithium
China dominates the global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. Now rival countries are scrambling for more control over “white oil.”
A Warming Climate Takes a Toll on the Vanishing Rio Grande
Rising temperatures and an unprecedented drought pose a grave and growing peril to the river and its ecosystems.
What Polar Bear Genomes May Reveal About Life in a Low-Ice Arctic
Two new studies use whole genome sequencing to explore how the animals have fared in warmer conditions, raising questions about climate and adaptation.
This Year’s Extreme Weather Is Just Getting Started
Climate change and natural variability are making 2022 a year of big weather events—so get ready for more heat waves, droughts, and hurricanes.
A Photographer Captures Earth as a Strange New World
Inspired by an 18th-century naturalist, Christopher Edward Rodriguez set out to document our climate-changed planet with fresh eyes.