Top Environment News

July 11, 2026

Top Headlines

Scientists Warn Invasive Asian Mantises Are Threatening Europe's Wildlife

July 11, 2026 Two striking Asian praying mantis species that have rapidly spread across Europe have now been officially classified as invasive, raising new concerns about their impact on native wildlife. Boosted by climate change and urban environments, these ...

This Common Pesticide May Be Quietly Wiping Out Future Bumblebees

July 10, 2026 A next-generation pesticide designed to kill crop pests may also be interfering with the reproductive health of bumblebees. Researchers discovered that low-dose exposure to sulfoxaflor changed gene activity, especially in tissues involved in ...

Trees Keep Absorbing Carbon Long After They Stop Growing

July 9, 2026 Oak trees keep absorbing carbon dioxide long after their annual growth has ended, revealing that photosynthesis and wood production are not as closely linked as scientists once believed. The finding could reshape forecasts of how much carbon forests ...

Streetlights Are Trapping Thousands of Pill Bugs in Giant “Death Spirals”

July 6, 2026 Researchers discovered that artificial streetlights can trap thousands of woodlice in mesmerizing circular "death spirals" never before seen in the wild. The surprising finding suggests that light ...

Record-breaking Ocean Drilling Reveals Why Japan's 2011 Tsunami Was so Deadly

July 5, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a hidden weakness beneath the Pacific Ocean that helps explain why Japan’s catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami became so devastating. By drilling deeper into the ...

New Research Reveals the Hidden Pollution Left Behind by Fireworks

July 3, 2026 Scientists have uncovered new evidence that fireworks can pollute both the air and water in ways that extend beyond the visible smoke. The findings show that leftover debris, fine particles, and airborne chemicals may affect ecosystems and increase ...

July 3, 2026 A new study found that not all geoengineering ideas are created equal. Brightening marine clouds over the eastern Pacific could dramatically weaken the El Niño cycle, triggering major changes to ...

Climate Scientist Who “Proved” Humanity Is Warming Earth Says Government Report Got It Wrong

July 2, 2026 A pioneering climate scientist is challenging a U.S. government report that cited his research while reaching what he says is the exact opposite conclusion. Benjamin Santer and his colleagues say ...

These Tiny Soil Microbes Could Rescue Crops from Salty Farmland

June 28, 2026 Researchers have discovered that beneficial soil bacteria give plants an unexpected survival advantage in salty soils. Instead of helping plants keep salt out, the microbes stimulate the production of lignin, a natural compound that strengthens ...

Hawaii Is Turning Ocean Plastic and Fishing Nets Into Roads

June 28, 2026 Hawaii researchers are giving old fishing nets and recycled plastic a second life by mixing them into asphalt roads. Early tests found these roads didn't release more plastic particles than standard pavement, with tire wear overwhelming any plastic ...

From Pet to Pest, Goldfish Can Wreck Entire Ecosystems

June 26, 2026 A new study reveals that goldfish can do far more than survive in the wild—they can fundamentally reshape freshwater ecosystems. Researchers found they cloud water, damage food webs, and hurt native fish populations, sometimes triggering major ...

A “Ghost” Great White Shark Just Reignited a 160-year Mediterranean Mystery

June 26, 2026 The capture of a juvenile great white shark in Spain has provided fresh evidence that the Mediterranean's elusive "ghost" population of great whites still survives. Researchers reviewing 160 years of ...

Latest Headlines

updated 9:24am EDT

NASA Satellites Are Watching Earth's Newest Island Rise from the Sea

July 10, 2026 A newly discovered underwater volcanic eruption north of Papua New Guinea is unfolding in one of the world's most poorly mapped ocean basins. Satellites have spotted steam plumes, ash, thermal ...

Ocean Temperatures May Be Shielding Earth from a Planet-Wide Drought

July 8, 2026 Ocean temperature patterns appear to act as a natural brake on the global spread of drought, preventing vast areas of the planet from drying out simultaneously. Researchers found that shifting ...

Bumblebees Collect Up to 7 Times More Toxic Metals Than Honeybees

July 7, 2026 Bumblebees are picking up dramatically more toxic heavy metals than honeybees, even when both species forage in the same places. Researchers warn that this hidden pollution could quietly reduce their ...

Mountain Lions Changed Everything in This Tiny California Preserve

June 27, 2026 A surprising ecological makeover unfolded when mountain lions began frequenting a small preserve south of San Francisco. Deer activity dropped, plants recovered, and shifts among predators like ...

“Absolutely Huge” 400-Year-Old Black Coral Stuns Scientists in New Zealand

June 25, 2026 A giant black coral estimated to be 300–400 years old has been discovered deep in Fiordland, New Zealand, astonishing researchers with its enormous ...

Why South Africa’s Leopards Shrank to Half Their Normal Size

June 24, 2026 A hidden population of South African leopards has revealed a remarkable evolutionary story. Researchers analyzing entire leopard genomes discovered that the Cape Floristic Region’s leopards are not ...

One Tiny Mutation May Explain How Bat Viruses Become Human Threats

June 23, 2026 Scientists found that one tiny genetic change can completely alter how a coronavirus behaves in different species. Comparing SARS-CoV-2 with a closely related bat-only virus, they showed that a ...

One of the World’s Most Popular Weedkillers May Be Fueling Deadly Superbugs

June 23, 2026 Researchers found that highly drug-resistant bacteria from hospitals are also resistant to glyphosate, a commonly used weedkiller. The discovery ...

More Trees Can Mean Fewer Birds, New Study Reveals

June 22, 2026 Trees planted to protect farmland from wind may not be the biodiversity boost many assume. In Japan’s wetland farming landscapes, shelterbelts benefited some birds but sharply reduced grassland and ...

As Lakes Turn Brown, Trout and Bass Decline While Pike and Walleye Thrive

June 21, 2026 Freshwater lakes across North America and Europe are becoming noticeably browner, reducing underwater visibility and reshaping fish populations. Research found that several popular sport fish, ...

Scientists Finally Crack Nature's Secret for Building Better Cancer Drugs

July 8, 2026 Researchers have cracked the code behind bacteria's ability to naturally manufacture multiple versions of powerful anti-cancer drugs. The discovery could make it much easier to engineer new ...

Scientists Discover a Completely Different Way to Fight Viruses

June 30, 2026 Researchers have uncovered an unexpected antiviral defense system in sea anemones that works very differently from the one humans use. The discovery suggests evolution developed multiple ways to ...

Great Ape Laughter Reveals a Hidden Origin of Human Speech

July 1, 2026 The rhythm of human laughter appears to have deep evolutionary roots shared with chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. That ancient pattern may offer one of the clearest clues yet to how ...

This Newly Discovered Ballista Spider Catapults Ants Into a Deadly Trap

June 26, 2026 Scientists have discovered a “ballista spider” that builds a spring-powered silk trap designed specifically to catch aggressive green tree ants. The ant unknowingly triggers the mechanism itself, ...

Scientists Want to Quarantine Alien Life on the Moon Before It Reaches Earth

July 6, 2026 Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth. They warn that even a tiny alien microorganism ...

Scientists Finally Solved How H5N1 Bird Flu Hid in Dairy Cows

June 23, 2026 Researchers uncovered why H5N1 bird flu attacks cows’ udders instead of their lungs: the virus’s preferred receptors are concentrated in mammary tissue. The breakthrough could help scientists ...

The Secret Language Behind Animal Cooperation

June 20, 2026 Animals from different species often rely on surprisingly sophisticated communication to work together, whether finding food, cleaning parasites, or gaining protection. New research suggests these ...

Hidden Geological Process Offsets Carbon Emissions from Thawing Permafrost

June 20, 2026 Scientists found that thawing permafrost can trigger increased rock weathering, a natural process that absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere. In some regions, this carbon uptake was strong enough to fully ...

Arizona Reservoir Nearly Vanishes After Snowpack Collapse Triggers Massive Fish Kill

June 18, 2026 A historic lack of snow in the Gila River watershed has left Arizona’s San Carlos Reservoir less than 1% full, triggering a massive fish kill and an indefinite closure. Despite the bleak ...

Ancient DNA Reveals Plague Was Already Killing Humans 5,500 Years Ago

June 18, 2026 Plague was already a deadly killer 5,500 years ago, long before cities, farming, or the rat-infested conditions usually linked to historic outbreaks. By analyzing ancient DNA from hunter-gatherer ...

Butterfly That Barely Ages Could Help Unlock Longevity Secrets

June 22, 2026 Scientists discovered that Heliconius butterflies have evolved an extraordinary lifespan, living several times longer than closely related species. Even more surprising, some show little sign of ...

Early Humans Were Bringing Fire Into Caves 1.8 Million Years Ago

June 24, 2026 A new study suggests early humans were using fire in South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave as far back as 1.79 million years ago. Researchers found burned bones deep inside the cave, where natural ...

These Bees Have Nowhere to Hide from Extreme Heat

June 18, 2026 A major study of Australian native bees found that stem-nesting species may be the first to feel the impact of climate change. Unlike bees that nest underground, they have few ways to escape ...

On the Brink of Extinction, the Vaquita Gets a Digital Lifeline

June 17, 2026 Scientists have digitally preserved the world’s most endangered marine mammal by creating highly detailed 3D models of a vaquita skeleton using advanced imaging technology. The virtual archive ...

Scientists Found a Way to Explain Bird Flocks That “defy” Newton’s Third Law

June 16, 2026 Physicists have solved a long-standing problem involving systems that appear to violate Newton’s third law, such as bird flocks and bacterial swarms. By adding carefully designed “imaginary ...

Millipedes Beat Vertebrates to Land by 80 Million Years

June 14, 2026 Millipedes may have been crawling across Earth's landscapes nearly 460 million years ago, long before vertebrates ventured onto land. A new study finally completes their evolutionary family ...

New Study Explores Potential Cross-Species Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease

June 16, 2026 A new study found that chronic wasting disease can sometimes spread silently, with infectious prions present even in animals that show no symptoms. While there is no confirmed human risk, researchers ...

Beneath Our Feet Lies a Fungal Superhighway Stretching 68 Quadrillion Miles

June 15, 2026 Beneath our feet lies a vast hidden fungal superhighway that helps sustain much of life on Earth—and scientists have now mapped it for the first time. Researchers estimate that these underground ...

Ancient Denisovan DNA Still Shapes Human Immunity Today

June 13, 2026 Ancient encounters between humans and the mysterious Denisovans are still shaping people today. By analyzing genomes from populations across the Pacific, researchers uncovered evidence that the ...

Scientists Turn Tofu and Cheese Waste Into Tiny CO2-Catching Beads

June 11, 2026 Scientists have developed biodegradable protein beads made from dairy and tofu waste that can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more efficiently than many current technologies. Unlike ...