News & Commentary

Just the Right Absorbency

March 30, 2015 Latest NewsInternationalBrian Palmer

Tampons—yes, tampons—can solve one of the United Kingdom’s biggest sewage problems.

Put Carson on the $20

March 27, 2015 PerspectivesUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

There's a campaign to put a historic female figure on paper currency. The competition is tough, but environmentalists have a clear favorite.

Out of Control from the Moment of the Blowout

March 27, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaBrian Palmer

Former offshore drilling regulator Liz Birnbaum talks about what went wrong in the Gulf (and why drilling the Atlantic is a bad idea).

Climate Running AMOC

March 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study suggests that melting ice is slowing the seas’ important thermohaline currents.

How Ancient Sea Creatures Licked Their Way onto Land

March 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

A weekly roundup of the best in science journalism, doodled.

The Elephant in the Room

March 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesMelissa Mahony

A year after the president promised a national ivory ban, we're still waiting.

A Carbon Sink, Sinking

March 18, 2015 Latest NewsBrazilBrian Palmer

A new study suggests excess carbon dioxide is shrinking the Amazon.

Diseases on the Move

March 18, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Climate change helps freeloading parasites spread illness. To fight future outbreaks, we need to think of the offenders in a whole new light.

Dr. Ruth of the Sea

March 16, 2015 Latest NewsUnited States

Uncovering the secrets to sex on the reef could help conserve a rare species of coral.

Social Media Slaughter

March 12, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

Social media and e-commerce sites are the new battlegrounds for the illegal wildlife trade.

The Call of the Bugle

March 12, 2015 DispatchKentucky, WisconsinSusan Cosier

This spring elk from Kentucky will be migrating (by truck) to Wisconsin.

Obama Talks Keystone XL...Again

March 9, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

The president talked at length about the pipeline last week. Here’s where he’s right and where he’s wrong.

Spreading Like Wildfire

March 5, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Flame retardants are winding up everywhere—like in some of the Great Lakes’ greatest wildlife.

A Dingo Ate My Bunny!

March 5, 2015 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Scientists say reintroducing invasive-eating dingoes could have big benefits for Australia’s endangered animals.

What’s Wrong with This Picture?

March 2, 2015 PerspectivesUnited StatesDavid Gessner

Humanity’s arrogant attempts to control the sea—captured in one photograph.

Say Cheese, Skunk Bear

February 25, 2015 Latest NewsMontanaAlisa Opar

For wolverine research in Montana, it’s all about getting a belly shot of those scrappy recluses.

Uncharted Waters

February 25, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

Sardines and anchovies are taking to new waters in response to climate change.

Evolutionary Imbalance Hypothesis: An Alien Theory

February 24, 2015 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer

What regions produce more invasive species, and which are most vulnerable? Biodiversity may be the key.

The Fishing Industry on Acid

February 23, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Ocean acidification will hit coastal communities like these the hardest.

Back from the Dead Zone

February 23, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Doing just a little to curb fertilizer pollution in the Mississippi could go a long way to breathing life back into the Gulf.