Environment
Protecting forests may help head off future pandemics
Hungry bats are more likely to shed harmful viruses to people or livestock when they spread out to hunt food. Conserving forests may limit this risk.
Earth and Human Activity
More Stories in Earth and Human Activity
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EnvironmentGas stoves can spew lots of pollution, even when they’re turned off
A new study finds they can leak benzene and other harmful chemicals into homes, sometimes at very high levels.
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EnvironmentFor a better brick, just add poop
Sewage sludge. Cow dung. They’re not just waste — scientists are finding uses for processed poop in construction materials.
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ClimateGreen energy is cheaper than fossil fuels, a new study finds
Switching over to clean, renewable power — and away from fossil fuels — could save trillions of dollars by 2050, a new study finds.
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ClimateExplainer: What is decarbonization?
Lowering carbon levels in our atmosphere to stabilize the climate may start with switching from fossil fuels to greener energy sources.
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ChemistryExplainer: All about carbon dioxide
Animals and other life on Earth exhale carbon dioxide, which plants use for photosynthesis. But too much of this gas can perturb Earth’s climate.
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TechUnderwater cameras get a new power source — sound!
Needing no batteries, a new digital camera can run almost continuously to offer new, deeper insights into the ocean world.
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EnvironmentMicroplastic pollution aids viruses and prolongs their infectivity
The tiny plastic bits give these germs safe havens. That protection seems to increase as the plastic ages and breaks into ever smaller pieces.
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EarthFossil-fuel use is confusing some carbon-dating measurements
Carbon-14 dating of recent artifacts will soon give scientists confusing results. That’s another price society pays for its reliance on fossil fuels.
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ClimateGreenland’s inland ice is melting far faster than anyone thought
Inland melting of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream is accelerating — and may contribute far more to sea level rise than earlier estimates suggested.