Sustainability News
August 5, 2025
Top Headlines
Aug. 2, 2025 — Between 2003 and 2021, Earth saw a net boost in photosynthesis, mainly thanks to land plants thriving in warming, wetter conditions—especially in temperate and high-latitude regions. Meanwhile, ocean algae struggled in increasingly stratified and ...
July 29, 2025 — Researchers are exploring AI-powered digital twins as a game-changing tool to accelerate the clean energy transition. These digital models simulate and optimize real-world energy systems like wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, and biomass. But while ...
July 27, 2025 — For over two decades, satellites have quietly documented a major crisis unfolding beneath our feet: Earth's continents are drying out at unprecedented rates. Fueled by climate change, groundwater ...
July 27, 2025 — Air pollution isn't just bad for your lungs—it may be eroding your brain. In a sweeping review covering nearly 30 million people, researchers found that common pollutants like PM2.5, nitrogen ...
July 21, 2025 — Gene editing may hold the key to rescuing endangered species—not just by preserving them, but by restoring their lost genetic diversity using DNA from museum specimens and related species. Scientists propose a visionary framework that merges ...
July 19, 2025 — Clear-cutting forests doesn’t just raise flood risk — it can supercharge it. UBC researchers found that in certain watersheds, floods became up to 18 times more frequent and over twice as severe after clear-cutting, with these effects lasting ...
July 17, 2025 — Dogs trained by everyday pet owners are proving to be surprisingly powerful allies in the fight against the invasive spotted lanternfly. In a groundbreaking study, citizen scientists taught their ...
July 16, 2025 — An ancient glacier high in the French Alps has revealed the oldest known ice in Western Europe—dating back over 12,000 years to the last Ice Age. This frozen archive, meticulously analyzed by ...
July 16, 2025 — Twenty-five years after first warning that oil spills would wane while invasive species and climate impacts would surge, an international team revisits its coastal forecasts and finds many bull's-eyes, alongside surprising misses. Plastic pollution, ...
July 10, 2025 — People can intuitively sense how biodiverse a forest is just by looking at photos or listening to sounds, and their gut feelings surprisingly line up with what scientists ...
July 6, 2025 — Immersing stressed volunteers in a 360° virtual Douglas-fir forest complete with sights, sounds and scents boosted their mood, sharpened short-term memory and deepened their feeling of nature-connectedness—especially when all three senses were ...
July 4, 2025 — Forests aren’t keeping up with today’s climate chaos. While temperatures soar within decades, tree populations take 100 to 200 years to shift in response. A sweeping new analysis of ancient pollen and modern data reveals this dramatic lag—and ...
Latest Headlines
updated 1:12pm EDT
Aug. 3, 2025 — Plastic pollution is a mounting global issue, but scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have taken a bold step forward by creating a new ...
July 3, 2025 — Tropical trees are dying faster than ever, and it's not just heat or drought to blame. Scientists have uncovered a surprising culprit: ordinary thunderstorms. These quick, fierce storms, powered by ...
July 3, 2025 — Breathing polluted air—even at levels considered “safe”—may quietly damage your heart. A new study using advanced MRI scans found that people ...
June 30, 2025 — Wildfires are becoming more intense and dangerous, but a new Stanford-led study offers hope: prescribed burns—intentionally set, controlled ...
June 27, 2025 — At Flinders University, scientists have cracked a cleaner and greener way to extract gold—not just from ore, but also from our mounting piles of ...
June 21, 2025 — Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an astonishing new material: a printable gel that’s alive. Infused with ancient cyanobacteria, this "photosynthetic living material" not only grows but also ...
June 14, 2025 — A pioneering study reveals how archaeologists' satellite tools can be repurposed to tackle climate change. By using AI and satellite LiDAR imagery ...
June 3, 2025 — UC Davis researchers found that video telehealth visits help cat owners better care for arthritic cats without the stress of clinic visits. Owners appreciated personalized tips to improve their cat s ...
June 3, 2025 — Australia can reach net-zero emissions and still protect its natural treasures but only if everyone works together. New research from Princeton and ...
June 3, 2025 — A new study found exposure to specific tiny particles in air pollution during pregnancy are associated with increased risk of various negative birth ...
Earlier Headlines
June 2, 2025 — Flooding in coastal communities is happening far more often than previously thought, according to a new study. The study also found major flaws with the widely used approach of using marine water ...
June 2, 2025 — New research shows that the presence of solar panels in Colorado's grasslands may reduce water stress, improve soil moisture levels and -- particularly during dry years -- increase plant growth ...
June 2, 2025 — Researchers showed that hydrogen sulfide, which is associated with numerous health conditions, is emitted from California's largest lake at levels far higher and more frequently than previously ...
May 30, 2025 — Ozone pollution is a global environmental concern that not only threatens human health and crop production, but also worsens global warming. While the formation of ozone is often attributed to ...
May 30, 2025 — To achieve the European Green Deal's goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorization in organic ...
May 29, 2025 — In a major advancement for sustainable construction, scientists have created a cement-free soil solidifier from industrial waste. By combining Siding Cut Powder and activated by Earth Silica, an ...
May 29, 2025 — A new study shows that wildlife underpass tunnels dramatically reduce deaths of frog, salamanders, and other amphibians migrating across ...
May 29, 2025 — Researchers determined how much outdoor particulate pollution affects indoor air quality. Their study concluded pollution from inversion and dust events is kept out of buildings, but wildfire smoke ...
May 29, 2025 — Forest-based agroforestry can restore forests, promote livelihoods, and combat climate change, but emerging agroforestry initiatives focusing only on tree planting is leading to missed opportunities ...
May 28, 2025 — A new species of velvet worm, Peripatopsis barnardi, represents the first ever species from the arid Karoo, which indicates that the area was likely historically more forested than at present. In the ...
May 28, 2025 — Many bat species native to Germany, such as the Leisler's bat, are forest specialists. However, as it is becoming increasingly hard for them to find tree hollows in forest plantations, so they ...
May 28, 2025 — Involving communities in nature-based solutions to tackle urban climate and environmental challenges leads to innovation and multiple benefits, a study ...
May 27, 2025 — A new study has found that a smartphone app that tracks household water use and alerts users to leaks or excessive consumption offers a promising tool for helping California water agencies meet ...
May 23, 2025 — A new study shows that monitoring and managing select bird species can provide benefits for other species within specific ...
May 22, 2025 — New research shows how rapidly proliferating turf algae are waging 'chemical warfare' to inhibit the recovery of kelp forests along Maine's warming ...
May 22, 2025 — An analysis of 900 species over a 20-year period showed that biodiversity enhances ecosystem stability and helps safeguard natural communities in a changing ...
May 22, 2025 — A modeling study shows that global warming will make it harder to reduce ground-level ozone, a respiratory irritant that is a key component of smog, by cutting greenhouse gas ...
May 21, 2025 — A serendipitous observation has led to a surprising discovery: a new class of nanostructured materials that can pull water from the air, collect it in pores and release it onto surfaces without the ...
May 21, 2025 — In nature, ecosystems are tightly linked through the flow of organisms, detritus, and nutrients across boundaries arbitrarily imagined by humans. These systems are deeply in tune with seasonal ...
May 21, 2025 — Songbirds who make the arduous flight from their nesting sites in northern boreal forests to warm, southern climates in the winter may be rewarded for their journey with greater genetic ...
Monday, June 2, 2025
- Coastal Flooding More Frequent Than Previously Thought
- Research Shows How Solar Arrays Can Aid Grasslands During Drought
- Air-Quality Monitoring Underestimates Toxic Emissions to Salton Sea Communities, Study Finds
Friday, May 30, 2025
- Rising Soil Nitrous Acid Emissions, Driven by Climate Change and Fertilization, Accelerate Global Ozone Pollution
- The EU Should Allow Gene Editing to Make Organic Farming More Sustainable, Researchers Say
Thursday, May 29, 2025
- Waste to Foundation: Transforming Construction Waste Into High-Performance Material
- Amphibian Road Mortality Drops by Over 80% With Wildlife Underpasses, Study Shows
- Does Outdoor Air Pollution Affect Indoor Air Quality? It Could Depend on Buildings' HVAC
- Agriculture in Forests Can Provide Climate and Economic Dividends
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
- New Velvet Worm Species a First for the Arid Karoo
- When the Forest Is No Longer a Home -- Forest Bats Seek Refuge in Settlements
- Involving Communities in Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Challenges Leads to Greater Innovation, Study Shows
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Friday, May 23, 2025
Thursday, May 22, 2025
- New Study Reveals How Competition Between Algae Is Transforming the Gulf of Maine
- Diversity Is Key to Ecosystem Stability
- Climate Change May Make It Harder to Reduce Smog in Some Regions
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
- Engineers Discover a New Class of Materials That Passively Harvest Water from Air
- Something's Fishy Here
- Songbirds' Great Risk Results in Great Genetic Reward
- Southeast Asia Could Prevent Up to 36,000 Ozone-Related Early Deaths a Year by 2050 With Stricter Air Pollution Controls
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
- Does Renewable Energy Reduce Fossil Fuel Production in the US?
- Forest Management Can Influence Health Benefits
- Agrivoltaics Enjoys Comparatively High Acceptance
Monday, May 19, 2025
- Bees Facing New Threats, Putting Our Survival and Theirs at Risk
- Cover Crops May Not Be Solution for Both Crop Yield, Carbon Sequestration
- With Evolutionary AI, Scientists Find Hidden Keys for Better Land Use
Friday, May 16, 2025
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
- Engineers Tackle Sunlight Intermittency in Solar Desalination
- Tech Meets Tornado Recovery
- Sharp Depletion in Soil Moisture Drives Land Water to Flow Into Oceans, Contributing to Sea Level Rise
- Europe's Forest Plants Thrive Best in Light-Rich, Semi-Open Woodlands -- Kept Open by Large Herbivores
Monday, May 12, 2025
- Summer in the City: Urban Heat Release and Local Rainfall
- Helping Birds and Floating Solar Energy Coexist
Thursday, May 8, 2025
- Red Alert for Our Closest Relatives
- Nature Visits Can Improve Well-Being Disparities Among Urban Dwellers
- All of the Biggest U.S. Cities Are Sinking
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
- Feat of 'dung-Gineering' Turns Cow Manure Into One of World's Most Used Materials
- New Study Tracks Air Pollution and CO2 Emissions Across Thousands of Cities Worldwide
- Pioneering Research Reveals Tree-Mendous Potential of Inexpensive Drones to Help Community Forests Flourish and Unlock Restoration Funding
- Fewer Parasites in the Indian River Lagoon Signal Big Ecosystem Problems
- Smart Spongy Device Captures Water from Thin Air
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
- Replanted Rainforests May Benefit from Termite Transplants
- Development, Agriculture Present Risks for Drinking Water Quality
- Cutting Greenhouse Gases Will Reduce Number of Deaths from Poor Air Quality
- Sustainability Often Used as a Buzzword in Agricultural Genomics
Monday, May 5, 2025
- Vertical Farming to Increase Yields and Reduce Environmental Impact
- Are Agricultural Pesticides an Environmental Threat?
Friday, May 2, 2025
- Traditional Forest Medicinal Plant Ghost Pipe Used Differently Today
- Scientists Discover Key to Taming Unrest at Italy's Campi Flegrei
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
- International Experts Lead Calls to Embed Nature in City Infrastructure for Better Health and Climate Resilience
- In Two Decades Increasing Urban Vegetation Could Have Saved Over 1.1 Million Lives
- When Sea Stars Fall, Sea Otters Rise: Sea Otters Benefit from Prey Boom Triggered by Loss of Ochre Sea Stars
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Monday, April 28, 2025
Friday, April 25, 2025
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
- Paying Fishers to Release Endangered Catches Can Aid Conservation, but Only If Done Right
- Nature Accounting in Colombia Makes Sound Economic Case for Protecting Native Ecosystems
- Toxic Blooms in Motion: Researchers Map Algae Patterns in Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Monday, April 21, 2025
- From Research to Real-World, Startup Tackles Soaring Demand for Lithium and Other Critical Minerals
- Introduced Trees Are Becoming More Common in the Eastern United States, While Native Diversity Declines
- How Safe Is the Air to Breathe? 50 Million People in the US Do Not Know
- Should Farm Fields Be Used for Crops or Solar? Or Both
Friday, April 18, 2025
Thursday, April 17, 2025
- Land-Use Drives Energy Dynamics of Boreal Lake Food Webs
- Curious Isolation: New Butterfly Species Discovered
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
- Microbes in Brooklyn Superfund Site Teach Lessons on Fighting Industrial Pollution
- Nature-Based Activity Is Effective Therapy for Anxiety and Depression, Study Shows
- Experiment in Floodplain Forest: Using Tree Mortality to Support Oak Regeneration
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
- Growing Wildflowers on Disused Urban Land Can Damage Bee Health
- Colombia's Peatlands Could Be a Crucial Tool to Fight Climate Change: But First We Have to Find Them
Monday, April 14, 2025
- Deep-Sea Mining Risks Leads Study to Urge Shift to Circular Solutions
- New Model to Evaluate Impact of Extreme Events and Natural Hazards
Friday, April 11, 2025
Thursday, April 10, 2025
- Global EV Adoption Fails to Cut CO2
- Caspian Sea Decline Threatens Endangered Seals, Coastal Communities and Industry
- A New Tool for Parsing the 'metabolic Dialogue' Between Microorganisms
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
- Bio-Oils for Greener Industrial Applications
- Colourful City Birds
- How Much Food Can the World Grow? International Team Calls for New Yield Potential Estimates
- Potable Water Happy Byproduct of Low-Cost Green Hydrogen Technology
- Decarbonization Improves Energy Security for Most Countries
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
- Universal Spatiotemporal Scaling Laws Governing Daily Population Flow in Cities Revealed
- Declining Insect Biodiversity in the Tropics
Monday, April 7, 2025
- Rain Barrel Basics: Conserving Water but Not Mosquito Habitats
- Exposure to Air Pollution May Harm Brain Health of Older Adults
Thursday, April 3, 2025
- Corpse Flowers Are Threatened by Spotty Recordkeeping
- Researchers Recycle Wind Turbine Blade Materials to Make Improved Plastics
- Carbon Capture Could Become Practical With Scalable, Affordable Materials
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
- Seeing Humanity's Transition from Hunting to Farming as a Cultural Shift
- Plant Doctor: An AI System That Watches Over Urban Trees Without Touching a Leaf
- Migrating Flies Vital for People and Nature
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
- Surprising Number of Environmental Pollutants in Hedgehogs
- Exposure to Air Pollution in Childhood Is Associated With Reduced Brain Connectivity