While climatologists are carefully watching carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, another group of scientists is exploring a massive storehouse of carbon that has the potential to significantly affect the climate change picture. Scientists have investigating how ancient carbon, locked away in Arctic permafrost for thousands of years, is now being transformed into carbon dioxide and released into the atmosphere.

A new study found that environmental ratings have spillover effects on other companies’ behavior. Rated firms reduce their toxic emissions even more when their peers are also rated. In addition, rated peers can even motivate some unrated companies to reduce their emissions. Peer pressure is a key factor in prompting companies to reduce pollution.

Scientists have shown that toxic compounds in oil target the still-forming hearts of larval fish, leading to developmental defects and reduced survival.

For the first time, a natural source of infrasonic waves of Earth has been measured directly from space — 450 kilometers above the planet’s surface.