Yessenia Funes

EartherClimate Change

The World Is on Track to See Its Biggest Yearly Drop in Carbon Pollution Ever

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the world is in sleep mode. We already knew that this has resulted in air pollution dropping dramatically, but several analyses are now showing that our greenhouse gas emissions are dropping, too. In fact, the pandemic may lead to the largest annual fall in emissions ever recorded. Carbon … Continued

EartherClimate Change

9 Climate Apocalypse Novels to Take Your Mind Off the Coronavirus Disaster

I spend all day reading (and writing) the news. So when I log off, I don’t want to read any non-fiction. I want to retreat to the world of fiction, but that doesn’t mean I want to forget about the climate crisis. In fact, science fiction that focuses on climate change—dubbed cli-fi—is my absolute favorite … Continued

EartherEarth Science

Cyclone Harold Wreaks Havoc Across the Pacific—And It’s Not Done Yet

Just days after hitting Vanuatu, Cyclone Harold struck Fiji on Wednesday. These island nations are coping with fallout from coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean extreme weather will take it easy on those in its path. That’s certainly been the case with this monster cyclone. The storm first wreaked havoc in the Solomon Islands, where … Continued

EartherEnvironmental Justice

Our First Evidence People Exposed to Pollution Are More Likely to Die From Coronavirus

Health experts had suspected the coronavirus pandemic would kill more people in areas where there’s higher air pollution. Now, they have preliminary data to back it up. A new study released on Saturday but not yet peer reviewed is the first to look at the impact of the novel coronavirus on highly polluted parts of … Continued

EartherClimate Change

‘It’s Horrific’: Climate Change Is Killing the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is under threat by hot waters that have everything to do with our failure to take climate action. The ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at Australia’s James Cook University published its findings Tuesday outlining a mass bleaching event taking place off the coast of Australia. Bleaching occurs when … Continued

EartherEnvironmental Justice

Hurricane Season on Top of a Pandemic Will Be a Nightmare

Trying to evacuate your home before a hurricane hits is hard enough. Now imagine doing it against the backdrop of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. Hurricane season is two months away. And the latest forecast for the 2020 hurricane season shows that the Atlantic is likely to see an above-average number of hurricanes. Meanwhile, the coronavirus … Continued

EartherClimate Change

I Wish Animal Crossing Treated Islands More Like Real Life

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the island getaway we all need. My island paradise is covered in coconut trees, red tulips, and peacock butterflies. It’s perfect… a little too perfect, perhaps. The game presents a glamorous tale of island life when the reality is much more complex. Real-world islands are suffering from sea-level rise, extreme … Continued

EartherEnvironmental Justice

The Coronavirus Is Forcing the Climate Movement to Reimagine Itself

Earth Day was supposed to be part of a week of mass mobilizations in late April. Protestors were going to rally in the streets. Students were going to gather on their university campuses to demand they divest from fossil fuels. Those too young to vote were planning to knock on doors and educate voters about … Continued

EartherEnvironmental Justice

Fracked Up: Drilling Pollutant Could Mess With Testosterone

New research offers another potential downside of fracking: an increased risk of impotence and fertility problems in men, at least according to findings from cells in the lab. This research, which is still being peer-reviewed ahead of publication, was set to be presented during the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, which would have ended Tuesday if … Continued

EartherEarth Science

We Have a New Hole in the Ozone to Worry About

The ozone hole is the problem that never seems to ever go away. And now it turns out we have a second one to worry about over the Arctic. The ozone hole we all know and love (or more accurately, hate) has been slowly but surely recovering. The United Nations reported that the hole is … Continued

EartherEnvironmental Justice

‘It’s Like Bringing Smallpox Blankets In’: Tribes Fight Keystone XL Amid Covid-19

The threat of an unfamiliar virus devastating Native American communities is as old as colonialism itself. When European empires sailed to North American shores in the 15th century, settlers arrived with death as a companion. Diseases such as smallpox and influenza decimated tribal numbers, pushing some to the brink of extinction. Germs were the first … Continued

EartherClimate Change

Hotter Days May Leave You More Stressed, Depressed

The world is warming. That’s no secret. Extreme heat isn’t only dangerous for our physical health, though. New research shows hotter days may hurt our mental health as well. A study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One adds to a growing body of literature showing the way the climate crisis could harm individual mental health … Continued

EartherEnvironmental Justice

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Just Won a Major Court Victory Over the Dakota Access Pipeline

A federal court ruled Wednesday that the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline was built in violation of key environmental laws. To that effect, the Army Corps of Engineers will have to conduct a full environmental impact statement for the 1,172-mile-long crude oil pipeline. That’s what the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe wanted all along. And finally, the … Continued

EartherEnvironmental Justice

‘I’m Just Praying’: Miners Fear the Impacts Covid-19 Could Have in Coal Country

Jimmy Moore barely leaves the house. When he does, the 74-year-old is usually parked outside his local pharmacy in Dorton, Kentucky, until someone brings out his regular meds. As soon as Moore arrives home, he changes his clothes and washes his hands. Religiously. This wasn’t his routine before, but Moore can’t take any chances with … Continued

EartherConservation

These Award-Winning Wildlife Photos Will Calm Your Stressed Spirits

Right now, just about everything feels awful. A pandemic is ongoing. People are self-isolating at home to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading further. Businesses are closed, leaving countless workers without employment. And to top it all off, the climate crisis continues to threaten humanity’s existence. Well, let’s put all that aside just for a … Continued

EartherClimate Change

PG&E Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter for Camp Fire Deaths

California utility PG&E is officially pleading guilty to manslaughter charges related to the deadly Camp Fire in 2018. The utility announced Monday that it had reached a plea agreement with the Butte County District Attorney in a case dealing with the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history. The company is pleading guilty to 84 counts of … Continued

EartherConservation

Trump Administration Hires a Trophy-Hunting Advocate to Protect Wildlife

The Trump administration has done it again. In line with its past hiring decisions, the administration has appointed a former opponent of the Fish and Wildlife Service into a top position at the agency. The Fish and Wildlife Service has chosen Anna Seidman, the former legal advocacy director at Safari Club International, a nonprofit that … Continued

EartherEarth Science

A Second Dust Bowl Could Threaten Global Food Security

A new study paints a scary reality: one where climate change pushes another Dust Bowl-like event to take over the Great Plains, throwing global food security into uncertainty. Published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems Friday, the study simulated what would occur to the global food network if the U.S. suffered a four-year decline in … Continued

EartherEarth Science

Spring Is Here, and It’s Set to Bring a Whole Lot of Flooding

It’s the first day of spring, but that’s nothing to celebrate, unfortunately, as this season is forecast to come with dangerous flooding. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual spring forecast on Thursday. On the bright side, the federal government does not expect flooding this year to be as bad as it was … Continued

EartherClimate Change

The Future May Bring Even More Extreme Storms and Heat Than We Thought

Turns out that global warming may worsen future extreme weather a lot more than researchers previously thought. A study published in Science Advances on Wednesday found that current attribution methods predicting the influence climate change will have on hurricanes, storms, heatwaves, and other weather events are likely underestimating what’s to come. In fact, the warming … Continued