News & Commentary

Hot Tub Time Machine

April 20, 2015 Latest NewsInternationalElizabeth Kolbert

Off the coast of Italy, CO2-spewing vents are giving scientists a glimpse at the acidic oceans of our future. The results are frightening.

Save the Very Hungry Caterpillars

April 16, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Common insecticides are killing monarch butterfly larvae, says a USDA study.

A Sloth Smorgasboard

April 15, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

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

Scan ‘Em, Don’t Can ‘Em

April 15, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

New tech allows us to get a peek at the elusive Atlantic sturgeon—and that could help save this ancient fish from extinction.

Climate Change Vs. the Blob

April 14, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaBrian Palmer

A new study says a stubborn blob of warm ocean water is exacerbating the California drought.

Our Ocean If We Want It

April 10, 2015 PerspectivesUnited StatesDavid Helvarg

An author of a new book says the sea will surely outlive us (but our bad habits are scarring it forever).

Empty Nests

April 9, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner

A Louisiana oysterman wants to pass on his trade to his grandkids—if only there were any oysters left to catch.

First, the Good News

April 9, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study shows simple fishing restrictions can bring coral reefs back to life—but only if we stop emitting so much carbon dioxide.

America’s Best Idea, Executed Poorly

April 9, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A study says that if we want to prevent extinction, we’re protecting the wrong areas of the country. Can't we do both?

Sympathy for the Vulture

April 8, 2015 Latest NewsAfricaJason Bittel

Traditional medicine is threatening Africa’s soaring scavengers.

Mutated Truths

April 7, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner

Five years after the BP disaster, the oil company says everything is back to normal. This shrimper begs to differ.

A Recurring Nightmare

April 7, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner

After a decade of catastrophes—Katrina, BP—this family is saying good-bye to a beloved bayou home.

Rat Pack

April 6, 2015 DispatchNew York CityAlisa Opar

New York is the city that never sleeps—and neither do its rat researchers.

Strike Three for Tar Sands Pipelines?

April 6, 2015 Latest NewsCanadaBrian Palmer

Canada’s Energy East pipeline is in big trouble, just like Keystone XL and Northern Gateway.

Fish Out of Water

April 3, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

Scary-low snowpack may spell disaster for some California wildlife and ecosystems.

Wild Idea

April 3, 2015 Latest NewsArcticClara Chaisson

The president is asking Congress to designate crucial Arctic habitat as wilderness.

Are the Gulf's Marine Mammals Fluked?

April 2, 2015 Latest NewsEastJason Bittel

We’re still coming to terms with what toxins from the BP spill might be doing to whales and dolphins.

There Goes the Neighborhood

April 2, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

How humans use land is dramatically decreasing biodiversity worldwide.

A Silent Victory

April 1, 2015 NRDC in ActionHawaii, United StatesBrian Palmer

A federal judge stands up to the noisy navy for the sake of marine mammals.

Offshore-Drilling Safety Gets an F

March 31, 2015 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer

Congress has failed to implement rules that could prevent another disaster.