Environment

More Stories in Environment

  1. Earth

    Meet the sneaky and surprisingly dangerous squall-line tornado

    These destructive, radar-dodging twisters often form at night. Emerging data from the U.S. Southeast might soon make forecasting the tornadoes possible.

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  2. Earth

    As Yellowstone’s supervolcano slumbers, another big danger lurks

    Superheated water beneath Yellowstone could fuel hydrothermal explosions with the force of an atomic bomb. And lessons from the past suggest they could happen today.

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  3. Tech

    Lasers help put the cork on spilled oil

    Treating cork with lasers made the material able to quickly sponge up oil while repelling water, scientists in China and Israel found.

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  4. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Methane

    Used to cook food and heat homes, this potent greenhouse gas accounts for 30 percent of the warming of our climate.

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  5. Environment

    To limit pollution, new recipe makes plastic a treat for microbes

    Microplastics made from fossil fuels take centuries to disappear. But the plant- and algae-based plastic can break down in weeks to months.

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  6. Chemistry

    Air pollution can make it harder for pollinators to find flowers

    Pollutants that build up in night air can break down the scents that attract pollinating hawkmoths to primrose blooms, disrupting their pollination.

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  7. Chemistry

    Turning jeans blue with sunlight might help the environment

    When dipped in indican and exposed to sunlight, yarn turns a deep blue. This process is more eco-friendly than the current denim dyeing method.

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  8. Earth

    Experiment: Can plants stop soil erosion?

    Soil erosion washes pollutants into streams and rivers — but plants may help limit that.

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  9. Environment

    Scientists Say: Carbon capture

    Carbon capture technology tackles climate change by stomping out carbon dioxide at the source.

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