Environment

  1. Environment

    Older diesel school buses linked to more student absences

    Schools that replaced or upgraded old diesel school buses increased student attendance rates, new research shows.

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  2. Environment

    Making yards more diverse can reap big environmental benefits

    Replacing grass with native plants uses less water and fewer chemicals while providing additional benefits to people and wildlife.

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  3. Earth

    Under the ice, a hidden lake hints at its origin — and coming end

    Lake Mercer may serve as a model for better understanding the birth and life of Antarctica’s hundreds of subglacial lakes.

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  4. Earth

    A natural ‘cathedral’ lurks deep under Antarctic ice

    By drilling into this cavern, scientists have opened a window into the mysterious world of hidden lakes, their occupants — and rivers that run uphill.

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  5. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: PFAS

    Non-stick coatings, stain-resistant cloth and other common materials leach long-lived PFAS into soil and water.

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  6. Tech

    Recycling rare-earth elements is hard — but worth it

    As demand for these valuable metals has been skyrocketing, scientists have begun inventing new — and greener — ways to reuse what they have in hand.

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  7. Environment

    Rare-earth mining is dirty but key to a climate-friendlier future

    That’s spurring new research to find a steady but safer supply of these precious metals, including in the United States.

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  8. Environment

    Sea life may suffer as plastic bits alter metals in water

    This interplay between plastics and metals could affect how each affects the environment — and suggests opportunities for controlling their risks.

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  9. Climate

    Creating less new stuff could greatly help Earth’s climate

    Instead of throwing unneeded things away, scientists recommend moving to a cycle of reducing, reusing, repairing and remaking old things into new ones.

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  10. 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.

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  11. Climate

    Eight ways you can cut your carbon footprint

    Learn how you can limit the climate-warming gases associated with what you eat, the products you buy and the energy you use.

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  12. Climate

    The world is aiming for ‘net zero’ emissions of greenhouse gases

    Nations are charting how they might ‘zero’ out their releases of climate-warming gases. Success might greatly lower the risks of climate catastrophes.

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