EcoWatch

By Kenny StancilAmid the ongoing climate emergency and the devastating coronavirus pandemic that has resulted in more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. alone as well as an economic meltdown that has left millions of people unemployed, the Sunrise Movement on…

By Tara LohanEach year the amount of plastic swirling in ocean gyres and surfing the tide toward coastal beaches seems to increase. So too does the amount of plastic particles being consumed by fish — including species that help feed billions of people…

Butterflies across the U.S. West are disappearing, and now researchers say the climate crisis is largely to blame. A new study published in Science on Thursday looked at three different data sets that cover the last 40 years of butterfly populations across…

California faces another "critically dry year" according to state officials, and a destructive wildfire season looms on its horizon. But in a state that welcomes innovation, water efficacy approaches and drought management could replenish California,…

Wisdom the mōlī, or Laysan albatross, is the oldest wild bird known to science at the age of at least 70. She is also, as of February 1, a new mother. Wisdom hatched her latest chick on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National…

By Hui Hu…

While traditional investment in the ocean technology sector has been tentative, growth in Israeli maritime innovations has been exponential in the last few years, and environmental concern has come to the forefront.As the planet's largest ecosystem, the ocean…

By Jeff Turrentine Tamara Lindeman certainly doesn't seem particularly anxious, or grief stricken, or angry. In fact, in a recent Zoom conversation, the Toronto-based singer-songwriter (who records and performs under the name The Weather Station) comes across…

Walking to work or to the store is better for the climate than driving, so climate advocates encourage people to leave their cars at home when possible.…

An independent market monitor says ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, left wholesale electricity prices at the legal maximum for two days longer than necessary, and overcharged power companies $16 billion in the process during the winter storm that caused massive…

By Thomas Gordon-MartinAccording to a global food waste index released on Thursday, some 931 million tons of food waste were generated across the world in 2019. The report, published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and UK charity WRAP, equates that to…

Australia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. It is home to more than 7% of all the world's plant and animal species, many of which are endemic. One such species, the Pharohylaeus lactiferus bee, was recently rediscovered after spending…

Scientists have newly photographed three species of shark that can glow in the dark, according to a study published in Frontiers in Marine Science last month.The sharks were found in the waters of Chatham Rise, off of New Zealand. And one of them, the kitefin…

FedEx's entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet will become 100 percent electric by 2040, according to a statement released Wednesday. The ambitious plan includes checkpoints, such as aiming for 50 percent electric vehicles by 2025. To reach this goal, the…

Lockdown measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic had the added benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by around seven percent, or 2.6 billion metric tons, in 2020. This is the largest emissions reduction that has ever been recorded. But…

By Brett WilkinsDocuments obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen and published Wednesday reveal how leading players in the meatpacking industry—one of the hardest-hit by the coronavirus…

By Richard B. Primack…

By Jeff Masters The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave America's infrastructure a C- grade in its quadrennial assessment issued March 3. ASCE gave the nation's flood control infrastructure – dams and levees – a D grade. This is a highly…

By Jacob CarterOn Wednesday, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced that it will be rescinding secretarial order 3369, which sidelined scientific research and its use in the agency's decisions. Put in place by the previous administration, the…

At first glance, you wouldn't think avocados and almonds could harm bees; but a closer look at how these popular crops are produced reveals their potentially detrimental effect on pollinators. Turns out, bee labor is required to produce most avocados and…

Six major U.S. electricity utilities will collaborate to build a massive EV charging network across 16 states, they announced Tuesday. Transportation is the country's largest source of greenhouse gas pollution, and electrifying the sector is a major…

By Deborah Moore, Michael Simon and Darryl KnudsenThere's some good news amidst the grim global pandemic: At long last, the world's largest dam removal is finally happening.The landmark agreement, which was finalized in November 2020 between farmers, tribes…

Hunger strikers in Chicago are fighting the relocation of a metal shredding facility from a white North Side neighborhood to a predominantly Black and Latinx community on the Southeast Side already plagued by numerous polluting industries.On Thursday the three…

The World Health Organization has determined that red meat probably causes colorectal cancer in humans and that processed meat is carcinogenic to humans. But are there other health risks of meat consumption? A new study published in BMC Medicine on Tuesday…

Cuttlefish, marine invertebrates related to squids and octopuses, can pass the so-called "marshmallow test," an experiment designed to test whether human children have the self-control to wait for a better reward. The study, published in Proceedings of the…

By John R. PlattThe straw-headed bulbul doesn't look like much.It's less than a foot in length, with subdued brown-and-gold plumage, a black beak and beady red eyes. If you saw one sitting on a branch in front of you, you might not give it a second glance.But…

By Julián García Walther…

The world's oceans and coastal ecosystems can store remarkable amounts of carbon dioxide. But if they're damaged, they can also release massive amounts of emissions back into the atmosphere.Highlighting their need for conservation, the UNESCO published a…

By Kimberly Nicole Pope During this year's Davos Agenda Week, leaders from the private and public sectors highlighted the urgent need to halt and reverse nature loss. Deliberate action on the interlinked climate and ecological crises to achieve a net-zero,…

By Brett WilkinsWhile some mainstream environmental organizations welcomed Tuesday's introduction of the CLEAN Future Act in the House of Representatives, progressive green groups warned that the bill falls far short of what's needed to meaningfully tackle the…