Yale e360 · Page 65

Climate change could add more than 20 percent, or $100 billion annually, to the cost of extreme weather events around the world by 2040, according to a new analysis by researchers at Cambridge University. The new report measures direct costs, such as damage to…

The devastating bushfires that raged through southeastern Australia for months burned millions of acres. In the wake of the fires, a new threat has emerged – massive amounts of ash and debris being washed into rivers and waterways, killing fish and polluting…

The litany of lost species can be overwhelming, leading to what has been called “psychic numbing.” But as the recovery of species from bald eagles to humpback whales shows, our actions do matter in saving species and the aliveness and beauty they bring to…

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the Arctic, also known as the “doomsday vault,” has added its one millionth seed variety. Built in Norway in 2008, the vault is meant to protect crop diversity and safeguard global food supplies in case of a catastrophe,…

Parts of the Great Barrier Reef are showing signs of heat stress, raising the risk of another major coral bleaching event, scientists from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority have announced. Eastern Australia has experienced a long period of warmer…

Scientists have documented an “astonishing” number of blue whales off the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia — a region where they had been almost wiped out by commercial whaling in the early 20th century, the BBC reported. The international team of…

A century-old law has made it illegal to kill migratory birds either intentionally or accidentally. But under a new proposal by the Trump administration and supported by the oil and gas and other industries, businesses that kill birds “incidentally” would…

A handful of companies and governments are working to develop small-scale nuclear reactors that proponents say are safer, cheaper, and more compatible with renewables than traditional nuclear power. But critics contend the new technology doesn’t address…

Many of the plastic containers labeled as recyclable in the United States may not actually be recyclable, according to a new report from Greenpeace. The report, which analyzed waste processing data at the country’s 367 material recovery facilities, found…

Just a few years after simultaneous bark beetle outbreaks decimated trees in the Rocky Mountains, scientists have found that large portions of these high-elevation forests are already showing signs of recovery, according to a new study of 14,000 trees…

Leading scientists and conservationists are proposing that up to 50 percent of the earth’s land and oceans be protected in the coming decades. While some view the goal as unrealistic, proponents say it is essential for preserving the natural systems on which…

The economic and health costs of air pollution from burning fossil fuels totaled $2.9 trillion in 2018, calculated in the form of work absences, years of life lost, and premature deaths, according to a new report by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean…

With their deep ties to the land and reliance on fishing, hunting, and gathering, indigenous tribes are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Now, native communities across North America are stepping up to adopt climate action plans to…

Scientists have found that hotter and drier El Niño events are having major impacts on biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest, including causing the collapse of dung beetle populations, an important indicator species used to gauge the health of a larger…

Scientists have found that hotter and drier El Niño events are having major impacts on biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest, including causing the collapse of dung beetle populations, an important indicator species used to gauge the health of a larger…

Ten oil refineries in the United States are emitting levels of the pollutant benzene well above the federal government’s “action level” limit, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project, an environmental watchdog group. Long-term…

Rapidly declining sea ice in the Arctic is causing polar bears to spend an additional 30 days on land, fast for longer periods of time, and produce smaller litters, according to a new study published in the journal Ecological Applications that analyzed two…

Recent climate models project that a doubling of atmospheric CO2 above pre-industrial levels could cause temperatures to soar far above previous estimates. A warming earth, researchers now say, will lead to a loss of clouds, allowing more solar energy to…

Scientists have found a link between a heightened risk of flu and rapid weather swings that have become increasingly common in recent years due to climate change. The study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, examined more than a decade…

Scientists have captured the first-ever photos and video of the ocean-floor foundations of the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, a major contributor to global sea level rise. The researchers used an underwater robotic vehicle to document where the bottom of the…