The summer of 2023 was the warmest in non-tropical areas of the Northern Hemisphere for 2,000 years, a new study shows. In this vast land area, spanning Europe, Asia and North America, surface temperatures in June, July and August 2023 were more than 2°C higher than the average summer temperature between 1 AD. and 1890, … Read more
Nearly 40% of people in the U.S. live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and the country is backsliding on clean air progress as the effects of climate change increase, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. The organisation’s report – the 25th annual analysis of the country’s ‘State of … Read more
It’s no secret that farmers and the agricultural sector are currently facing a host of overlapping environmental crises. Temperature changes, increasingly extreme weather events and increasing natural disasters threaten crop yields, soil health, the length of growing seasons and overall productivity. These changes necessarily have profound economic consequences for individual farmers and the industry as … Read more
When the 50-meter-high upper stage of the SpaceX spaceship crashed into the Indian Ocean last week during its third test flight, environmentally conscious observers wondered whether the stainless steel vehicle, which may have contained hundreds of pounds of residual fuel, could endanger marine life . The good news is: not really. Starship uses one of … Read more
There is a crisis looming in the systems that feed us. More than a third of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the way we produce, process and package food. It is also the biggest cause of the declining diversity of life on Earth. Solving these problems will require a thorough reform of agriculture. But … Read more
The Biden administration has frozen pending decisions on permit applications for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to countries other than U.S. free trade partners. During this pause, which will last up to 15 months, the government has promised to “take a hard look” at the economic, environmental and national security issues related to LNG exports. … Read more
It has come to this. With the Earth at its hottest point in history and humans still not doing nearly enough to stop its overheating, a small but growing number of astronomers and physicists are proposing a possible solution that could have jumped off the pages of science fiction: the equivalent of a gigantic parasol, … Read more
A group of Israeli scientists want to send a giant sail into space to block out some of the sun’s radiation. The shading in this artist’s rendering has been enhanced to illustrate the concept. (Technion Israel Institute of Technology and Asher Space Research Institute) It has come to this. With the Earth at its hottest … Read more
Urban agriculture is expected to be a key feature of 21st century sustainability and can have many benefits for communities and cities, including providing fresh produce in neighborhoods with few other options. One of these benefits is that growing food in backyards, community gardens or urban farms can reduce the distance that fruits and vegetables … Read more