Nuevo Laredo was dumping millions of gallons of sewage a day into the Rio Grande. The U.S. and Mexico worked together to find a solution. By Martha Pskowski, photos by Brenda Bazán For years, raw sewage has flowed into the Rio Grande from a beleaguered wastewater treatment plant in NuevoContinue Reading
Researchers have uncovered a new species of wolf snake on Great Nicobar Island and named it Lycodon irwini in tribute to Steve Irwin. The glossy black, non-venomous snake grows up to a meter and appears confined to a small area. Scientists warn its limited habitat makes it vulnerable. The findContinue Reading
The class-action lawsuit is the first of its kind to target Big Oil over rising home insurance costs. By Dana Drugmand Two homeowners in Washington state who have seen sharp increases in their home insurance premiums in recent years have brought a new lawsuit against major oil and gas companies—theContinue Reading
With global power demand from data centers expected to more than double by 2030, the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) in September launched an effort that brings together MIT researchers and industry experts to explore innovative solutions for powering the data-driven future. At its annual research conference, MITEI announced the Data CenterContinue Reading
Older buildings let thousands of dollars-worth of energy go to waste each year through leaky roofs, old windows, and insufficient insulation. But even as building owners face mounting pressure to comply with stricter energy codes, making smart decisions about how to invest in efficiency is a major challenge. Lamarr.AI, bornContinue Reading
Private cleanup crews were dispatched to the scene at the San Ardo Oil Field, which was ‘contained to the immediate area,’ according to reports from field operator Aera Energy.Continue Reading
Scientists have discovered that complex life began evolving much earlier than traditional models suggested. Using an expanded molecular clock approach, the team showed that crucial cellular features emerged in ancient anoxic oceans long before oxygen became a major part of Earth’s atmosphere. Their results indicate that early complexity developed slowlyContinue Reading
The Family Forest Carbon Program pays landowners not to timber their trees, then sells the additional growth as carbon credits. But critics question whether it leads to overall emissions reductions. By Theo Peck-Suzuki David Funk has spent decades working to restore the native forest ecosystems of southeast Ohio. Now, he’sContinue Reading
Three women in Jamaica whose lives were upended by the destructive force of a hurricane which battered the Caribbean island are looking to rebuild their futureContinue Reading
Extreme weather has battered Pakistan in recent months, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Lives have been lost, livelihoods destroyed, and millions displaced. Continue Reading
A destructive storm in 2020 prematurely shut down Iowa’s only nuclear plant. With Google’s plans to reopen it to power nearby data centers, will extreme weather threaten the reactor’s safety? By Anika Jane Beamer When a derecho slammed into the Duane Arnold nuclear plant in 2020, Diana Lokenvitz had timeContinue Reading
Ancient anaconda fossils show that the snakes became giants soon after emerging in Miocene South America. Their size has stayed stable for over 12 million years, even though other huge reptiles went extinct. Surprisingly, warmer periods didn’t make anacondas bigger—just more widespread. Today they remain large thanks to surviving patchesContinue Reading
Countries are still debating whether to mine the seafloor for minerals, but exploratory efforts have already begun. By Kiley Price As demand for critical minerals surges around the world, countries are debating whether to mine the untapped deep-sea reserves of cobalt, copper and manganese, miles below the surface. But aContinue Reading