The Okefenokee, a vast blackwater swamp, is under consideration for UNESCO World Heritage status, as scientists and advocates point to its rare peatlands, biodiversity and long history of ecological resilience. By Ryan Krugman FOLKSTON, Ga.—The world’s smallest heron hops from blade to blade in a patch of tall grass, testingContinue Reading
A “heat dome” is driving unusually high temperatures across Europe, pushing readings well above seasonal norms. The UK and France have already set May records while Spain and Italy are facing heat alerts and limits on outdoor work. Scientists say climate change is making these kinds of extreme heat events more common…Continue Reading
Great apes appear to build friendships much like humans do. By studying grooming behavior, researchers discovered that chimpanzees and bonobos form close inner circles along with wider networks of weaker social connections. Chimpanzees focus on a few trusted partners and become more selective with age, while bonobos maintain a moreContinue Reading
Wildfire resiliency advocates warn that reduced funding could leave California more vulnerable to devastation, and are calling on California leaders to act.Continue Reading
With a puny snowpack in the Western mountains and a widespread drought, the nation is a tinderbox. A reorganization of federal firefighting efforts and the departure of many staff qualified to join the fight are heightening concern. By Peter Aldhous As bad as things got in Los Angeles in JanuaryContinue Reading
Scientists have uncovered a surprising navigation system in pigeons: iron-filled immune cells in the liver that may act like tiny magnetic sensors. Birds deprived of these cells struggled to find their way home under overcast skies, indicating they rely on Earth’s magnetic field for guidance. The discovery could solve aContinue Reading
On the 20th anniversary of the release of his documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ Former Vice President Al Gore talks about how his mission to align policy makers across the aisle to work together for climate solutions has evolved.Continue Reading
Coastal Louisiana may be ground zero for climate migration in the U.S., but a new study argues that planning now could turn displacement into agency. By Avery Schuyler Nunn The shoreline of Louisiana has never been still or fixed, though recent generations have treated it as such.Continue Reading
Classrooms can be particularly vulnerable amid climate change, as the hottest times of the year increasingly overlap with the academic calendar.Continue Reading
The president rescinded two executive orders that led to prohibitions on the use of the vehicles in most national parks.Continue Reading
A dozen MIT students recently set out for Barcelona — not just to study climate resilience, but to experience it firsthand. As part of STS.S22 (How to Grow Resilient Futures: Regenerative Agriculture and Economies in Catalunya, Spain), an Independent Activities Period course taught by Kate Brown, the Thomas M. Siebel DistinguishedContinue Reading
In a study focused on New York City, MIT researchers have shown that existing sensors and mobile data can be used to generate a near real-time, high-resolution picture of auto emissions, which could be used to develop local transportation and decarbonization policies. The new method produces much more detailed dataContinue Reading
A newly discovered raptor-like dinosaur from Patagonia is changing how scientists think about ancient predators. Named Kank australis, the 70-million-year-old dinosaur appears to have hunted fish much like modern herons, using a long, flexible neck and specialized vertebrae adapted for swift, precise movements., Read MoreContinue Reading