By Alan Williams, Phys.Org This image was taken looking out across Plymouth Sound (UK) during Storm Eunice in February 2022. The area was the focus of new research which analyzed existing records on two years of combined sewer overflows into Plymouth Sound, alongside same-day and long-term meteorological and satellite data. …
The Race to Engineer Coral Reef Solutions in the U.S. Virgin Islands
By Teresa Tomassoni, Grist As world leaders gather to address a global marine crisis at the UN Ocean Conference, scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution demonstrate promising tech to monitor and restore dying reefs. ST. JOHN, U.S. Virgin Islands—Thirty-five feet deep in clear turquoise waters, a three-foot-long yellow underwater …
This stratospheric airship is 65,000 feet above Earth and investigating which gas companies are leaking methane
By Adele Peters, Fast Company ‘If we work with an oil company, we can say, Hey, well number 62 has been leaking 68 kilos of methane per hour for the last 12 minutes.” [Photo: Sceye] Inside an airplane hangar in Roswell, New Mexico, a massive blimp-like airship—214 feet long—is getting …
The Unexpected Future of Solar, From Onions to Algorithms
By Tom Idle, Sustainable Brands In this first installment of Innovation Watch, we spotlight five innovations helping solar to power the world even more sustainably. If it feels like solar power is suddenly everywhere, that’s because it is. In 2024 alone, nearly 600 gigawatts of new solar capacity were installed around the world — …
White House Proposal Could Gut Climate Modeling the World Depends On
By Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica Potential funding cuts for NOAA and its research partners threaten irreparable harm not only to climate research but to American safety, competitiveness, and national security. Over the past two months, the Trump administration has taken steps to eliminate regulations addressing climate change, pull back funding for …
Lawmakers propose revolutionary use for old oil wells — here’s what it could mean for the energy sector
By Kritiksha Sharma, The Cool Down The proposal would tackle two big problems. Photo Credit: iStock A new bill in New Mexico is flipping the script on a long-standing major environmental challenge — and transforming it into an opportunity for clean energy development. House Bill 361, introduced by Rep. Andrea …
Trump Official Says It’s Okay to Destroy Endangered Species Because We Can Just Clone Them
Futurism “The Endangered Species List has become like the Hotel California: once a species enters, they never leave.” A Trump official is coming after the real menace plaguing America: those gosh-darn freeloaders moping around the endangered species list. On Monday, interior secretary Doug Burgum suggested that the list, which is maintained …
Dire wolves might sound cool, but they do nothing to fix our biodiversity problem
By Brian Kateman, Fast Company Through gene editing, scientists at Colossal Biosciences are reviving long-extinct animals. But is it really for the sake of conservation, or just human curiosity? [Photos: Colossal Biosciences, Shelby Tauber for The Washington Post/Getty Images] Earlier this week, Time published an explosive story about an American company that reportedly revived …
Bacteria might eat the next chair you buy
By Diana Budds, Fast Company Heller produces high-end plastic furniture for the likes of Frank Gehry and the Vignellis. Now it’s making sure those pieces don’t last forever. [Image: courtesy Heller] When plastic entered the design world in the 20th century, it was hailed as a wonder material—something strong, durable, …
Scientists make discovery that could transform Florida’s coastline: ‘We will continue to support projects’
By Andrew Haffner, The Cool Down This discovery could mean a lot for Florida, which has nearly 75% of its population residing in coastal counties. Photo Credit: iStock A new study published in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment has outlined an increasingly vital way that coral reef restoration could protect Florida’s storm-battered …