Environmental Science

Riparian buffers are critical for protecting our local waterways from polluted runoff. So what exactly are they and how do they work?

By Sharise Cunningham

This ancient rock adorns King Tut's coffin and the Sistine Chapel. And at one time it was more precious than gold. What is it about this deep blue rock that has drawn us in for centuries?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Purdue University researchers have developed an ultra-white paint that reflects more than 98 percent of sunlight and could reduce the need for energy-consuming air conditioning.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The UK is considering taxing frequent fliers to help lower airline emissions. But will a tax even help curb greenhouse gases?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Earth Day is the ideal time of the year to form new eco-oriented habits. Here are 10 things you can do to celebrate Earth Day today, and still practice the rest of the year, too.

By Julia Layton & Sarah Gleim

Move over corn and soybeans, there's a better biofuel in town. And this one grows in abundance at the bottom of the ocean.

By Diane Kim, Ignacio Navarrete & Jessica Dutton

Only 25 percent of glass containers used by U.S. consumers were recycled in 2018, the most recent year for statistics. So, why aren't Americans doing better?

By Patrick J. Kiger

In the search for Cleopatra's tomb, a team of archaeologists was surprised by two mummies with gold foil-covered tongues. What was the reason for this strange burial custom?

By Jesslyn Shields

It's not just the size that differentiates a lake from a pond. The real distinctions flow much deeper.

By Sharise Cunningham

Pancake ice is fun and rare in some places, but it might be speeding up the warming of the ocean in the Arctic.

By Jesslyn Shields

A combination of energy deregulation, competitive power markets and the push for low prices are all to blame for taking down the Texas power grid. But what's being done to prevent it from happening again?

By Theodore J. Kury

The Earth is split up into 24 time zones based on longitudinal lines. But those lines all converge at the North and South poles, so what's the time there?

By Mark Mancini

Though a highly publicized 1989 cold fusion breakthrough was subsequently discredited, research is still being conducted in hopes of future success.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Archaeologists have long debated whether Neanderthals buried their dead. Newly interpreted evidence indicates they did.

By Jesslyn Shields

In honor of World Oceans Day today, we're paying tribute to the vast and mighty Pacific Ocean, which covers 30 percent of our planet's surface.

By Mark Mancini

Anyone who's been to the ocean has probably seen the foamy white stuff that clings to the sand after a wave breaks and recedes, but what the heck causes that bubbly foam and is it dangerous?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

There is good news, too, though. If President-elect Joe Biden sticks to his pledge of "net zero" U.S. emissions by 2050, the Paris Agreement goals could be within reach.

By Mark Hertsgaard

It's found all over Earth — and Mars, too. It's the main source of iron but is also used in jewelry and painting. Get to know the amazing mineral hematite.

By Trevor English

NOAA's Argo program distributes floating observatories across the globe. Why? They collect data about the world's oceans that is critical to understanding the planet.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

Since its discovery, the Nebra Sky Disc has been known as the oldest artifact in the world depicting cosmic phenomena. But is the 3,600-year-old disc actually 1,000 years younger than previously thought or is it a fake altogether?

By Mark Mancini

Beavers have long had a bad rap for building dams that wreak havoc on the environment. But now those dams are linked to warming temperatures in the tundra, and that's bad news.

By Robin Young & Allison Hagan

Every minute, the time to do something about global warming gets shorter. In a move reminiscent of the Doomsday Clock, a new art installation, ClimateClock, aims to show this crisis visually.

By Alia Hoyt

The controversial technology of reflecting sunlight away from the planet could help blunt the worst impacts of climate change. Harvard University climate scientist David Keith weighs in.

By Betsy Mason

Drones are helping researchers bolster scientific understanding of the ecology of a greening Arctic.

By Lesley Evans Ogden

Experts expect more than 1 billion climate refugees by the year 2050. Where will they go and how will the world feed, clothe and shelter them?

By Maria Trimarchi & Sarah Gleim