Climate Science
All Stories
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![An illustration of a hand holding a copse of trees]()
![An illustration of a hand holding a copse of trees]()
As the climate changes, many species are teetering on extinction. How much should we intervene?
In ecosystems like Alaska’s boreal forest, preventing biodiversity loss is no longer possible. Scientists are beginning to grapple with what comes next.
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The mysterious X factor behind a year of unbelievable heat
Was this extra warming a blip, or a sign that climate change is veering off predictable tracks?
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![A fuzzy caterpillar hangs by a silken thread on a green wooded backdrop]()
![A fuzzy caterpillar hangs by a silken thread on a green wooded backdrop]()
What’s behind the record outbreak of spongy moths in the eastern US?
Blame drought — and a careless French entomologist.
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![A dense cityscape is filled with smog.]()
![A dense cityscape is filled with smog.]()
The pollution paradox: How cleaning up smog drives ocean warming
New research indicates that the decline in smog particles from China’s air cleanups caused the recent extreme heat waves in the Pacific.
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![An illustration of a woman with a visibly pregnant belly kneeling on the ground looking up as a large sun shines ominously overhead]()
![An illustration of a woman with a visibly pregnant belly kneeling on the ground looking up as a large sun shines ominously overhead]()
‘How did we miss this for so long?’: The link between extreme heat and preterm birth
Heat waves are making pregnancy more dangerous and exacerbating existing maternal health disparities.
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![A man wearing a white lab coat, glasses and large blue gloves peers into a tank of water.]()
![A man wearing a white lab coat, glasses and large blue gloves peers into a tank of water.]()
Researchers explore mining seawater for critical metals
The aim is to draw key minerals, including lithium and magnesium, from ocean water, desalination plant residue, and industrial waste brine.
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The ‘Doomsday Glacier’ is melting faster than scientists thought
Miles of seawater are flowing under Thwaites Glacier, undermining an Antarctic ice sheet and threatening rapid sea level rise.
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![Close-up of a hand with multicolored pieces of microplastics in it, with a finger pointing to them.]()
![Close-up of a hand with multicolored pieces of microplastics in it, with a finger pointing to them.]()
Microplastics are in human testicles. It’s still not clear how they got there.
People eat, drink, and breathe in tiny pieces of plastics — but what they do inside the body is still unknown.
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![Giant yellow coils of pipeline sit on ground against blue/gray sky.]()
![Giant yellow coils of pipeline sit on ground against blue/gray sky.]()
Northern Michiganders are getting off propane — and on to natural gas
The state’s largest utility says natural gas is a bridge fuel, but advocates say it’s no climate solution.
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This enzyme is responsible for life on Earth. It’s a hot mess.
And it’s getting worse with extreme heat.
