Earth and Human Activity

  1. Oceans

    Analyze This: Climate change may worsen the spread of ocean noise

    Some parts of the ocean may become five times as loud in the future.

    By
  2. Artificial Intelligence

    To ‘green’ AI, scientists are making it less resource-hungry

    Energy demands of ChatGPT and similar AI tools can threaten Earth’s climate. So researchers have begun redesigning how to run data centers and build AI.

    By
  3. Climate

    Warmer seas trigger skyrocketing ice loss in 3 Antarctic glaciers

    Destabilized by waves and vanishing sea ice, one of the glaciers lost 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of ice in 16 months — a possible hint of worse to come.

    By
  4. Tech

    Balsa wood transistors could usher in ‘greener’ electronics

    Researchers in Sweden coaxed wood to conduct electricity, then used it to make a climate-friendlier building block of electronics.

    By
  5. Chemistry

    Pollution power? A new device turns carbon dioxide into fuel

    Scientists made a device that converts the greenhouse gas into formate. This salt can then run a fuel cell to make electricity.

    By
  6. Tech

    Offshore wind farms could do far more than just make clean power

    Offshore wind farms cost more than onshore ones. But their ability to make ‘green’ hydrogen and capture carbon dioxide could help this wind power pay off.

    By
  7. Life

    Has the Endangered Species Act saved species from extinction?

    After 50 years, this landmark law has kept many species alive — but few wild populations have recovered enough to come off the “endangered” list.

    By
  8. Environment

    New ultrathin materials can pull climate-warming CO2 from the air

    To slow global warming, we’ll need help from CO2-trapping materials. Enter MXenes. They’re strong and reactive — and they love to eat up CO2.

    By
  9. Oceans

    Shading corals during midday heat can limit bleaching

    Shading coral reefs during the sunniest part of the day may help corals survive marine heat waves.

    By
  10. Tech

    How green is your online life?

    From the manufacturing of our favorite devices to using them for social interactions, our digital lives can have a big climate impact.

    By
  11. Tech

    Bits of trees can make and store energy for us to use

    This cellulose and lignin, two major building blocks of trees, could lead to greener electronics.

    By
  12. Tech

    Bionic plants and electric algae may usher in a greener future

    Some can aid the climate by removing pollutants. Others would just avoid dirtying the environment in the first place.

    By