When it comes to understanding China’s relationship with the environment, the way we frame the question can change everything. A new editorial published in the Chinese Journal of Sociology argues that researchers need to think more carefully about “scale” — meaning the size, level, and reach of the environmental processes and systems— in order to […]
Asian Mountain Rivers Are Changing and Better Climate Data Can Help Us Prepare
Billions of people across Asia depend on rivers fed by glaciers and snowpack high in the mountains. But as the climate warms, those rivers are changing — and predicting exactly how, is harder than it sounds. A new study takes a closer look at how we can improve those predictions, and why it matters for […]
Are “Eco-Friendly” Plastics Really Better for the Environment?
You’ve probably seen products labeled “biodegradable” or “compostable” at the store and assumed they were better for the planet than regular plastic. But a new study suggests it’s not that simple. Researchers reviewed dozens of studies on bioplastics — plastics made from plant or biological materials rather than fossil fuels — to find out whether […]
Antarctic Plankton Are Adapting to a Brighter Ocean — And It’s Telling Us Something Important About Climate Change
Tiny plant-like organisms (phytoplankton) living in the ocean waters around Antarctica are changing the way they handle sunlight — and the reason why reveals just how much climate change is reshaping one of Earth’s most remote ecosystems. A new study published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography found that over the past 27 years, microscopic […]
Can Financial Tools Save Biodiversity? A New Review Says “Not So Fast”
The world is losing plants, animals, and ecosystems at an alarming rate, with several causes of this biodiversity decline including habitat loss, climate change, and overexploitation. However, reversing these trends will likely require substantial amounts of funding. Experts estimate the gap between what’s currently being spent on biodiversity protection and what’s actually needed is at […]
Reading the Ocean’s Past to Understand Our Climate Future
To understand how Earth’s climate is changing, we first need to understand how it has changed before. One of the best tools for doing that sits at the bottom of the ocean — tiny, fossilized shells of microscopic, single celled creatures called foraminifera. A new study published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology takes a […]
Hidden Patterns in Fish Movement and Life History Strategies Revealed
Scientists have developed a powerful new statistical approach that can reveal complex patterns in how fish move and adapt to their environments—information that’s been hiding in plain sight within fish ear stones. A study published in the journal Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries introduces an advanced framework to analyze chemical signatures in fish otoliths—small […]
Can Penguins Help Teach Kids About Climate Change? New Research Says Yes
Penguins waddling across Antarctic ice might seem far removed from a classroom in New Jersey, but a new study shows that these charismatic birds can be a powerful hook for teaching young people about climate change — and inspiring them to see themselves as future scientists. The study was led by researchers at Rutgers University, […]
New Model Shows How Plants Optimize Photosynthesis From Top to Bottom of Canopy
Plants are remarkably good at adjusting how they capture sunlight and produce food through photosynthesis. A new computer model helps scientists better understand these adjustments by looking at what happens at different heights within a plant canopy, from the sun-drenched leaves at the top to the shaded leaves near the ground. Chi Chen, assistant professor […]
Does Framing Climate Change as a Racial Issue Backfire?
New research finds that news stories about who is most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change can have very different effects — depending on whether they focus on race or income. Climate change doesn’t harm everyone equally. Flooding, heat waves, and other extreme weather events tend to hit lower-income communities and communities of color […]
