Earth

  1. Plants

    Invasive grasses are taking over the American West’s sea of sagebrush

    Cheatgrass and other invasive plants are expanding rapidly in the western United States, putting more places at risk for wildfires.

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  2. Climate

    Climate change could make Virginia’s Tangier Island uninhabitable by 2051

    Tangier Island could be lost to rising seas sooner than previously realized. Whether to save the island or move its residents remains undecided.

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  3. Oceans

    The Southern Ocean is still swallowing large amounts of humans’ carbon dioxide emissions

    A 2018 study suggested the ocean surrounding Antarctica might be taking up less CO₂ than thought, but new data suggest it is still a carbon sink.

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  4. Life

    Fungi may be crucial to storing carbon in soil as the Earth warms

    Fungi help soil-making bacteria churn out carbon compounds that are resilient to heat, keeping those compounds in the ground, a study suggests.

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  5. Animals

    A new book shows how animals are already coping with climate change

    ‘Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid’ takes a clear-eyed look at future of animal life.

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  6. Environment

    Corals may store a surprising amount of microplastics in their skeletons

    In tropical waters, coral reefs may be a “sink” for tiny bits of plastic debris. It’s unclear how corals’ trash pickup might affect reef health.

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  7. Environment

    50 years ago, corporate greenwashing was well under way

    Concerns about companies distorting their environmental record are nothing new. Environmental ads were flagged as deceptive back in 1971.

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  8. Life

    Albatrosses divorce more often when ocean waters warm

    In one part of the Falkland Islands, up to 8 percent of the famously faithful birds ditch partners in years when the ocean is warmer than average.

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  9. Climate

    How climate change may shape the world in the centuries to come

    Climate projections need to be pushed long past the established benchmark of 2100, researchers argue.

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  10. Climate

    A new map shows where carbon needs to stay in nature to avoid climate disaster

    Scientists have mapped the location of key natural carbon stores. Keeping these areas intact is crucial to fighting climate change.

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  11. Chemistry

    This eco-friendly glitter gets its color from plants, not plastic

    Using cellulose extracted from wood pulp, researchers have created a greener alternative to traditional glitter.

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  12. Space

    An ancient exploding comet may explain why glass litters part of Chile

    A 75-kilometer-long corridor of chunks of glass in the Atacama Desert probably formed when a comet exploded 12,000 years ago, a study finds.

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