A look at our changing environment.
Lithium-ion batteries are used to power computers and cellphones and, increasingly, vehicles. The batteries contain lithium as well as various other valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese. Like other batteries, lithium-ion batteries have a finite lifetime before they can no longer perform their intended function. Recycling lithium-ion batteries to recover their critical […]
Solar and wind farms are spreading rapidly around the world. Many economists believe that solar power has crossed the threshold where it is generally cheaper than other ways to make electricity and will become the dominant energy source in the next couple of decades. As a result, both solar and wind farms are gobbling up […]
Vacationers love beaches with shallow water. They are great for families with small kids and for less confident swimmers. Such beaches often attract intense coastal development. However, they are also fragile habitats that are disappearing around the world. A new study led by the University of South Florida highlights the need to protect these marine […]
Many experts say that combating global warming will require both drastically reducing the use of fossil fuels and permanently removing billions of tons of CO2 already in the atmosphere. Developing practical, large-scale technologies for carbon removal is a significant challenge. There is a nearly inexhaustible supply of minerals that are capable of removing carbon dioxide […]
Life is a struggle for survival from the moment a sea turtle hatches. In fact, only one sea turtle out of every 1,000 typically reaches adulthood as a result of natural predators and other challenges. Those fortunate enough to make it to adulthood face serious threats from humans. For example, sea turtles are hunted for […]
Refrigeration is based on heat transfer mediums that absorb heat from the area being cooled and transfer it to the outside environment. The earliest refrigerants were dangerous substances like ammonia. In the 1930s, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) like Freon became the standard refrigerant for use in refrigeration systems and even in aerosol cans. When these substances were […]
According to a recent forecast from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar panels and batteries will account for more than 80% of new power capacity installed in the U.S. this year. The record growth of these technologies is hastening the decline of coal power in this country. Solar power alone will account for more than […]
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, that come from the breakdown of larger plastics, synthetic fibers, microbeads, and tire wear. Microplastics are found in oceans, rivers, soil, and even the air we breathe. These particles can take hundreds of years to degrade, spreading across ecosystems and accumulating in unexpected places, […]
Sand mining is the world’s largest mining endeavor. It is responsible for 85% of all mineral extraction. It is also the least regulated, possibly the most corrupt, and likely the most environmentally destructive. Sand is the second-most exploited natural resource in the world after water. Its global use has tripled in the past two decades. […]
The Anthropocene is the term that describes the current era in Earth’s history when human activities are having a significant impact on the planet. It is an epoch filled with species extinction and species attrition in both numbers and range. The population of large carnivores are among the most affected species and recovering these animals […]
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority – NYSERDA – recently issued a report on clean energy progress in the state during 2024. The report highlighted continued and increased growth in heat pumps, electric vehicles, and solar energy. Heat pumps, which provide both heating and cooling, have outsold gas furnaces countrywide for three […]
Researchers from the University of Toronto have directly linked the population decline in polar bears living in Canada’s Western Hudson Bay to climate change. Between 1979 and 2021, the polar bear population in this region has declined by nearly 50%. The monitoring data over this period shows that the average size of polar bears has […]
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a new portable tool that may help firefighters battle blazes more efficiently and with less risk. Traditional firefighting methods include chemical foams – which are toxic – and the use of hydrants, which can strain water resources. The recent fires in Southern California demonstrated the need for efficient […]
There are more than 31,000 dams in the northeastern United States. More than 4,000 of them are in the Hudson River watershed. Most of these dams are quite small and were built in the 19th century to form ponds and to power grist, textile, paper, saw, and other kinds of mills as the region developed […]
Human activity has made rats one of the most prolific mammals on the planet. Our waste, buildings, and ships provide food, shelter, and transport. In the United States alone, rats cost the country approximately $27 billion each year in damage to infrastructure, crops, and contaminated food supplies. Additionally, rats carry and spread over 50 zoonotic […]
Harmful algal blooms – HABs – occur when colonies of algae grow out of control and produce toxic or harmful effects on people, marine life, and birds. HABs occur naturally but their frequency and intensity are often associated with increased nutrient loading (mainly phosphorous and nitrogen) in bodies of water that is the result of […]
Ocean waves form as wind blows over the surface of open water. Globally, waves contain tremendous amounts of energy. Theoretically, the energy generating potential of waves off the coasts of the U.S. would meet more than 60% of the country’s electricity needs. There are a variety of methods and technologies for tapping into this energy […]
Sharks and rays belong to a group of cartilaginous fish called elasmobranchs, which have been swimming in the world’s oceans for 450 million years. The resilient species have survived five mass extinction events, and are older than dinosaurs, trees, and Mount Everest. But despite their resilience, many species of sharks and rays today are threatened […]
Americans experienced unusually cold and wintery weather in January. Places like southern Louisiana and Florida saw appreciable amounts of snow. For those who experienced January’s Arctic blast, it was a cold January. But despite that, January was the world’s warmest on record, extending a run of extraordinary heat in which 18 out of the last […]
Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long and typically far smaller than that. They come from a variety of sources, often from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. There are also microbeads, which are tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added to various health and beauty […]