Environmental Science

Clean coal -- isn't that an oxymoron? Not anymore. See how energy companies are using coal in cleaner ways to generate massive amounts of electricity. Alternative fuels may be making headway, but coal isn't used up yet. Find out why.

By Sarah Dowdey

Mount Everest dangers include an increase in development, tourism, and potential damage from global warming. Read about Mount Everest dangers.

By Jacob Silverman

Green roofs, long popular in Europe, are making their way into the United States. Find out what a green roof is and how it can solve some problems conventional roofs have.

By Sarah Dowdey

A lake in South America has disappeared and has left scientists wondering where all the water went to. Is it possible that a lake can abruptly vanish?

By Jacob Silverman

Vertical farming is a method of large-scale farming in an urban environment. Learn about the benefits of a vertical farm and vertical farming technology.

By Jacob Silverman

For more than 40 years, scientists have tried to figure out what's causing large parts of Canada to be "missing" gravity. The force of gravity around Hudson Bay is lower than surrounding areas. Learn about two theories that may explain the phenomenon.

By Jacob Silverman

A map is a type of language, a graphic way of representing information, whether it's to show population density or tell you how to get from Point A to Point B. Here's how they're made.

By Tracy V. Wilson & Alia Hoyt

Scientists working with Foster's Brewing Company have made a fuel cell using bacteria and the brewery's waste water. They claim that their fuel cell generates non-polluting power as it cleanses the water. But is the "beer battery" simply a novelty?

By Jacob Silverman

What would you need to explore an ocean on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons? Among other things, you'd need a submersible vehicle to explore the ocean and relate findings back to Earth. Stone Aerospace is developing just such a vehicle: the DEPTHX.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

In "Back to the Future," Doc Brown throws garbage into Mr. Fusion, powering his time machine. We might be closer than you think to generating electricity for our homes using trash.

By Jonathan Strickland

On February 17, NASA launched a rocket with a record-setting five satellites onboard. The $200 million mission is to discover the source of an atmospheric phenomenon known as the geomagnetic substorm.

By Julia Layton

While some of us are stocking up on duct tape and bottled water, the government of Norway is preparing for the event that doomsday leaves some long-term survivors who need to rebuild. The Arctic vault in Svalbard is preparing for the worst case scenario.

By Julia Layton

Have you ever wondered what would happen if we were able to flip a switch and turn the Earth's gravity off for a day? The end result may surprise you.

By Marshall Brain

Hazardous waste disposal is an ongoing struggle that's monitored by the EPA. How is meant to be disposed of, and what happens when something goes wrong?

By Julia Layton

Bottled water is currently an $8 billion industry in the United States alone, but for a seemingly basic food product, it has its share of detractors. Find out why.

By Julia Layton

When the wind blows, particles in the gust of air are moving quickly. And that motion carries kinetic energy, which can be captured and harnessed to create electricity. The principle behind a wind-electric turbine isn't too different from an ordinary dam -- only it's capturing wind instead of water.

By Julia Layton

It’s no secret that we love cool gadgets and crazy vehicles here at HowStuffWorks, and today Popular Science dished up an article on an especially cool all-terrain motorbike: the Hyanide.

By Cameron Lawrence

Manufacturers -- whether they make corn ethanol fuel, biodiesel fuel, pancake syrup or even frozen pizza -- produce waste and polluted water. Now there's a completely new process called Activated Carbon Facilitated Oxidation, or AC FOX that can handle water that is polluted with organic material. Learn all about AC FOX.

By Marshall Brain

Even though it's tiny compared to the rest of the universe, the Earth is enormous, and it's extremely complex. Systems powered by the sun are able to sustain the various life forms living on Earth. Learn what ties all the parts of the Earth together.

By Tracy V. Wilson

When people talk about "the Ice Age," they generally mean the most recent one, but Earth has experienced them off and on for the last 600 million years. Are we on the brink of a new ice age?

By Tracy V. Wilson & Stephanie Watson

You probably know that the North Pole does not stay in the same spot. The North and South Poles can actually change positions. What causes this? Find out in this article.

By Tracy V. Wilson

The Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest aquarium. How did they build habitats for all the animals, and what does it take to keep them fed and healthy? Find out about the aquarium and learn about the animals that call it home.

By Tracy V. Wilson

We'd be up a creek without Earth's atmosphere and the greenhouse effect it provides, but it turns out that an overactive greenhouse effect can result in a similarly devastating outcome.

By Julia Layton & Ed Grabianowski

You hear about global warming all the time on the news. If you wanted to help, what could you do? Well, you could start with a light switch.

By Ed Grabianowski

Global warming has become a common term, but it’s not commonly understood. Learn about global warming and the greenhouse effect.

By Jonathan Strickland & Ed Grabianowski