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EartherConservationThese Whales Are Shrinking, and It’s Our Fault
Whales are some of the biggest animals on the planet, but new research shows that at least one endangered species is shrinking. The study, published in the journal Current Biology on Thursday, examines changes in the length of North Atlantic right whales’ bodies over the past several decades. The findings indicate that fishing gear entanglements … Continued
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EartherEnergyYou’ve Almost Certainly Never Heard of the Fossil Fuel Industry’s Biggest Methane Polluter
When it comes to the U.S. oil and gas industry’s greenhouse gas pollution, I tend to think of well-known and much-hated oil giants like Chevron and Exxon. But a new analysis released Tuesday shows that when it comes to the energy sector’s methane emissions, these massive firms aren’t the only major contributors. Small, relatively unknown … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangeThe First Constitutional Fight Over Oil Drilling in the Caribbean Ramps Up in Guyana
Two Guyanese climate activists are taking their nation’s government to court. Late last month, the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit alleging that a deal Guyanese officials struck with Exxon allowing the energy company to expand its oil production off the country’s coast violates their right and the right of future generations to a healthy environment. “These … Continued
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EartherConservationThis Bobcat Family Calling a Burned Out Tree Home Is All of Us
In a part of California badly scorched by the devastating Woolsey Fire, the National Park Service found three bobcat kittens—bobkittens, if you will—inside the charred cavity of an oak tree. It’s a sweet sign that animals are finding ways to adapt to the climate crisis, but also a sad reminder that they shouldn’t have to … Continued
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EartherEnergyNewly Revealed Emails Show Utilities Are Desperate to Avoid Gas Bans
The fight to ban natural gas in new buildings is heating up—and so is the opposition. Newly revealed documents show that the gas industry is behind state lawmakers’ coordinated resistance. Over the past three years, major American cities including Berkeley, San Francisco, and San Jose in California; Seattle; and New York City have passed similar … Continued
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EartherConservationScientists Are Racing to Save These Sea Stars From Extinction
Since 2013, a disease exacerbated by overheating oceans has been decimating sea star populations, especially those of one particularly striking variety: sunflower sea stars. Over the course of three years, the illness killed off nearly 91% of the sunflower species’ global population. Now, scientists are fighting to restore the beautiful creatures before it’s too late. … Continued
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EartherConservationA Giant Galapagos Tortoise Species Thought Extinct for a Century Lives
Researchers in Ecuador have found a long lost friend. This week, government officials and conservation associations confirmed that a giant tortoise found three years ago belongs to a species that was previously thought extinct for a century. “Hope is intact” for the species, the country’s head of the Ministry of the Environment and Water, Gustavo … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangeWe’re Speeding Toward Climate Hell, UN Warns
The world may surpass the key 1.5-degree-Celsius (2.7-degree-Fahrenheit) global warming threshold within the next five years, a major new outlook on climate trends shows. It’s the latest sign that we’re speeding toward the grim future that climate scientists have warned about for years unless we change course. The report released by the World Meteorological Organization … Continued
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EartherFarmed Salmon Could Be Spreading a Deadly Disease to Their Wild Counterparts
If you’re the type who only buys wild fish to eat and would never touch the farmed stuff, just know the two may not be as separate as you think. New research published in Science Advances on Wednesday found that an infectious virus known as Piscine orthoreovirus-1, or PRV-1, may have spread from Atlantic salmon … Continued
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EartherEnergyIt’s All Coming Together for Floating Wind Turbines
Everything’s coming up floating wind turbines. On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced plans to open up the waters off California to wind energy, signalling that the new technology is going to emerge. “Today’s announcement reflects months of active engagement and dedication between partners who are committed to advancing a clean energy future,” Interior Secretary Deb … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangeThe ‘Sea Snot’ Invasion Has Begun
The climate crisis is making Earth more dangerous with increasingly severe and frequent fires, storms, and droughts. It’s also making the world grosser. Case in point: It’s responsible for a sludgy substance spreading across waters in Turkey. Ew. The stuff, unofficially and disgustingly known as “sea snot,” was first recorded on the Sea of Marmara … Continued
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EartherConservationGiant River Otter Believed to Be Extinct Has Been Spotted in Argentina
Otters are some of the cutest and most fun animals on Earth. It’s always a joy to see them in the wild. That was doubly so for the conservationists at Fundación Rewilding who recently spotted a wild giant river otter swimming in the Bermejo River in Impenetrable National Park, located in the Chaco province of … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeMount Nyiragongo’s Lava Has Stopped Flowing, but the Problems Could Be Just Beginning
In the wake of an unexpected eruption at Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, more than 150 children have been separated from their families and another 170 are feared missing, according to the UNICEF. Tens of thousands of adults are also scattered across the region, including scores that have crossed the … Continued
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EartherConservationHow Sand Mining Could Destabilize the World
The world consumes gargantuan quantities of sand for all kinds of things, which along with related materials like gravel and crushed rock, accounts for 85% of all mineral extraction on Earth. A new study details the massive environmental toll it takes—and how we can fix it. The new study, published in One Earth on Friday, … Continued
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EartherConservationHow I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love—or at Least Tolerate—the Cicadas
I’ve never liked bugs. I frequently have nightmares about swarms of insects. So naturally, I’ve been anxious about the Brood X cicadas re-emergence for months, concerned that they’ll ruin the experience of eating at outdoor restaurants or hanging out on my deck on weekend afternoons. I know the bugs are harmless, but that doesn’t mean … Continued
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