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Environment

Young Climate Activists
The Winds of Change: Young Activists Pursue Climate Justice and Green Living

Mar 31, 2023 ● By Sheila Julson

Born in the mid-to-late 1990s up to the early 2010s, Generation Z environmental activists agree that urgent action is needed to achieve climate justice, and they’re willing to do what it takes to get results.

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Eco-Friendly Water Heating
Eco-Friendly Water Heating

Feb 27, 2023

When it comes time to replace the water heater, homeowners have an opportunity to save money and significantly lower their carbon footprint by choosing more efficient appliances.

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Bed of oyster shells
Sea Soundscapes Help Regrow Oyster Reefs

Dec 30, 2022

Scientists are amplifying the natural sounds of the sea via underwater speakers to induce baby oysters to swim toward desirable locations for regrowing oyster reefs.

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Medical professional using MRI machine on patient
Our Helium Is Running Out

Dec 30, 2022

Liquid helium, a nonrenewable element found deep underground, is needed to operate the magnets in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, and supplies are becoming harder to find.

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Person sitting on floor under desk holding phone looking at app warning of earthquake
Predicting Earthquakes with a Phone App

Dec 30, 2022

When an earthquake occurs, it sends seismic P waves through the ground that a Google app called MyShake can detect with a network of 1,300 U.S. Geological Survey sensors.

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Illustration of tree with green leaves and deep roots
Tree Roots Adapt to Sequester More Carbon

Nov 30, 2022

Atmospheric carbon dioxide pumped into a mature forest at levels predicted to be the norm by 2050 will cause trees to produce more and longer roots, thus absorbing and storing more carbon.

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Airplane flying in the sky
Google Downplays Flight Emissions

Oct 31, 2022

Google has taken a key driver of global warming out of the carbon calculator embedded in the company’s Google Flights search tool, making journeys appear less impactful on the environment.

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Pavement surface
Cool Pavement Program

Oct 31, 2022

Applied on top of existing asphalt pavement, cool pavement road treatment reflects heat, which is especially needed in heat island areas.

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Chart of various sources of PFAS forever chemicals
Making Forever Chemicals Go Away: Manmade Compounds Pose Lasting Threat to Our Health

Oct 31, 2022 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Although some man-made per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as forever chemicals, are being phased out, there’s still much to worry about.

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Wild buffalo
International Plan to Rewild Large Mammals

Sep 30, 2022

Large mammals are important ecosystem engineers, shaping natural processes and sequestering carbon, and scientists are planning to reintroduce these animals to the wild.

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Mata Atlantica Forest
Brazilian Atlantic Forest Faces Danger

Jul 29, 2022 ● By Rachael Oppy

The Mata Atlantica is fighting for its life against overdevelopment, where deforestation surged 66 percent last year.

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Illustration of blue fish in circle
New Underwater Maps Track Fish

Jul 29, 2022 ● By Rachael Oppy

To better track the location and movement of marine fish in U.S. waters, The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries is using a new interactive website.

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Illustration of deep sea mining
Deep-Sea Mining is the New Frontier

Jun 30, 2022

Research has found that significant knowledge gaps make it hard to predict the scale of the potential effect of mining the ocean floor.

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Chainlink fence
The Harmful Effects of Fences on Wildlife and Ecosystems

May 31, 2022

Researchers looking at all the studies of the effects of fences have found that their profound impacts on wildlife and ecosystems are often ignored or greatly underestimated.

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Tree cut down exposing rings
Western Megadrought Surge Continues

Apr 29, 2022

A megadrought is a dry spell that lasts for more than 20 years, and the Southwestern U.S. endured the worst occurrence since at least 800 A.D. in the period from 2000 to 2021.

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