Yale e360 · Page 18

Repeated bouts of heavy rain have filled Badwater Basin in Death Valley, the driest spot in North America. Read more on E360 →

Used in everything from water pipes to car seats, PVC has long attracted criticism: a key ingredient is carcinogenic, and its additives include known endocrine disruptors. Now, the EPA is evaluating PVC’s safety, and an emerging global plastics treaty may…

In Greenland, where temperatures are rising twice as fast as across the rest of the world, the icy, rocky landscape is turning increasingly green, a new study finds. Read more on E360 →

A new federal rule will cut major methane emissions from natural gas production. But residents of Pennsylvania’s fracking region contend that the cumulative impact of smaller leaks, which go unreported, will continue unabated, compromising their air, water,…

A sweeping new report, unveiled at the start of a major U.N. conference on the conservation of wildlife, held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, finds that nearly half of migratory species are in decline, from Egyptian vultures to steppe eagles to wild camels. Read…

El Niño, when warm waters in the eastern Pacific fuel hotter weather globally, is beginning to recede, scientists say. Read more on E360 →

To eliminate global aviation’s sizable carbon footprint, researchers are working on a range of alternatives to fossil jet fuel. Recent test flights powered only by hydrogen or biofuels have been successful, but steep challenges remain before aviation can…

⁠Europe saw a record drop in fossil fuel power last year, according to a new analysis. For the first time, wind supplied more electricity than natural gas. Read more on E360 →

Generative artificial intelligence uses massive amounts of energy for computation and data storage and billions of gallons of water to cool the equipment at data centers. Now, legislators and regulators — in the U.S. and the EU — are starting to demand…

U.N. estimates of the amount of carbon that humans can remove from the atmosphere are deeply unrealistic, warns a new paper, which offers more plausible carbon removal targets. Read more on E360 →

The loss of older African elephants to worsening heat and drought poses a grave threat to younger members of their herds, a new study warns. Read more on E360 →

California sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th century, with only a small number surviving along the central coast. As otters rebounded, a natural experiment unfolded. Scientists could study how otters safeguard underwater kelp forests and…

In cities across the U.S., planners are pushing to eliminate mandates requiring parking spaces in new buildings. The reforms, along with adding street parking meters, reduce car dependency, create public spaces, cut down on heat-island effects, and lower…

For the first time, in 2022, Scottish renewables generated more power than the country used, new government figures show. Read more on E360 →

By analyzing ice collected from glaciers, scientists can study the past composition of the atmosphere and better understand how humans have altered the climate. But the rapid melting of ice may be compromising this critical data, according to a study of the…

The power sector is the biggest source of emissions globally, but the rapid growth of wind, solar, and nuclear are now pushing its emissions into decline, analysts say. Read more on E360 →

As studies show far more natural hydrogen underground than believed, well-funded efforts to drill for the gas are underway around the globe. Boosters see a plentiful green replacement for fossil fuels, but skeptics say its large-scale use may not be practical…

A careful study of satellite imagery has revealed four previously unknown colonies of emperor penguins along the edges of Antarctica, a promising discovery in a region increasingly endangered by climate change. Read more on E360 →

Since war broke out in Ukraine, Western scientists have lost access to information from Russian research stations, leaving a critical data gap in the rapidly warming Arctic. Read more on E360 →

Historical and ancient DNA from museum specimens is enabling scientists to establish baselines of genetic diversity for species now in decline. Biologists are using that information to decide how best to protect imperiled wildlife, from Galápagos tortoises to…