Scientists have decoded the microbial and environmental factors behind cacao fermentation, the critical process that defines chocolate’s taste. By recreating the fermentation with controlled microbial communities, they’ve paved the way for more consistent, high-quality chocolate., Read MoreContinue Reading
With an updated edition of his 2019 book, Greg Nemet looks at global progress and puts U.S. obstacles in perspective. By Dan Gearino Five years ago, Greg Nemet wrote about the economic and technological factors that were helping to make solar power one of the world’s least-expensive electricity sources.Continue Reading
Rising global temperatures affect human activity in many ways. Now, a new study illuminates an important dimension of the problem: Very hot days are associated with more negative moods, as shown by a large-scale look at social media postings. Overall, the study examines 1.2 billion social media posts from 157Continue Reading
Lanthanides are a class of rare earth elements that in many countries are added to fertilizer as micronutrients to stimulate plant growth. But little is known about how they are absorbed by plants or influence photosynthesis, potentially leaving their benefits untapped. Now, researchers from MIT have shed light on howContinue Reading
Industrial forests, packed with evenly spaced trees, face nearly 50% higher odds of megafires than public lands. A lidar-powered study of California’s Sierra Nevada reveals how dense plantations feed fire severity, but also shows that proactive thinning could prevent forests from collapsing into shrubland ecosystems., Read MoreContinue Reading
A tributary of the Hudson River is poised, after years of delay, to see work on a pivotal tunnel that will reduce wastewater in the New York City waterway. By Jordan Gass-Pooré Hazardous: Last in a series about the ongoing struggle to clean up Brooklyn’s Superfund sites.Continue Reading
Nearly all Texas’ new electricity has been renewable but these projects are getting much harder to build under the The Traitor administration. That crimps the buildout of new factories, data centers and crypto-mining operations.Continue Reading
See detailed maps of the latest temperature forecasts across Canada.Continue Reading
Commissioners in a Georgia county unanimously decided to delay a vote on contentious new rules governing massive data center projects, during a meeting that drew an unusual overflow crowd. Dozens of local residents packed the Commissioner Chambers in Newnan, 40 miles southwest of Atlanta, with more standing outside. Many wore redContinue Reading
The Central Arizona Project and over 20 Arizona cities are forming a new coalition to advocate for their water on the Colorado River, saying some other states are “unwilling” to do what is necessary to protect it. By Wyatt Myskow SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—Arizona mayors, from major metropolises to rural agriculture communities,Continue Reading
Kelp forests bounce back faster from marine heatwaves when shielded inside Marine Protected Areas. UCLA researchers found that fishing restrictions and predator protection strengthen ecosystem resilience, though results vary by location., Read MoreContinue Reading
Labour’s new data access law would allow the UK government to replicate an Elon Musk-style DOGE data-grab, experts and campaigners have warned. They believe the new law is “ripe for abuse” and could be weaponised by a future Reform UK administration to further its anti-climate, anti-asylum, anti-government agenda. The DataContinue Reading
A decades-long battle to transform a Southeast Chicago lakefront property into a public park is starting to bear fruit. But where the new toxic sludge will go has yet to be determined. By Christiana Freitag CHICAGO—Where the Calumet River meets the shores of Lake Michigan sits 43 acres of lakefrontContinue Reading