Environment

Floods account for up to 40% of weather-related disasters worldwide, and their frequency has more than doubled since 2000, according to a recent report from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Global flood losses now average $388 billion a year. Simultaneously, droughts are becoming more widespread and damaging... Read more

Two earthquakes were recorded within hours of each other near Marion, North Carolina, and witnesses report they felt shaking miles away, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.... Read more

Historically underserved and socially vulnerable communities, including Black, Asian, and other minority populations, are disproportionately exposed to Superfund sites—places where contamination poses significant risks to human health and the environment. Even more are exposed to sites where cleanup efforts are either insufficient, delayed, or in many cases not underway.... Read more

A research team led by Academician Jin Zhijun from the Institute of Energy, Peking University, has revealed how interactions between Earth's tectonic activity and astronomical cycles jointly shaped the planet's climate and carbon cycle during the Late Paleozoic Era (360–250 million years ago, or 360–250 Ma). The findings are published... Read more

A woman was recently fined £150 by a council for pouring coffee down a drain before getting on a bus. The fine has now been rescinded by Richmond council in London, but the incident has prompted many discussions about whether coffee discarded like this could cause environmental damage.... Read more

As the world marks UN World Cities Day on 31 October—a call to make cities more sustainable—a new international study published in Communications Earth & Environment warns that the global construction sector's carbon footprint is on track to double by 2050, threatening to derail efforts to meet the Paris Agreement... Read more

Africa's renewable energy revolution needs careful management to avoid a toxic waste crisis, to prevent people from burning and burying old solar panels.... Read more

The towering peaks of the Southern Andes are not just shaping the skyline of South America—they are also quietly influencing Earth's atmosphere.... Read more

In a new study appearing in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers found high levels of ultrashort-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in blood samples taken from Wilmington, N.C. residents between 2010 and 2016. Two ultrashort-chain PFAS—perfluoromethoxyacetic acid (PFMOAA) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)—were detected at high levels in almost every sample.... Read more

Hurricane Melissa strengthened Monday as it took aim at Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean as a top-level Category 5 storm, with forecasters predicting catastrophic flooding and urging residents to seek shelter immediately.... Read more

On an evening 10 years ago, Porter Ranch resident Matt Pakucko stepped out of his music studio and was walloped by the smell of gas—like sticking your head in an oven, he recalled.... Read more

The Queensland government celebrated the creation of new national parks this year, with Premier David Crisafulli saying it is time to "get serious" and be "ambitious" in protecting nature.... Read more

Researchers at North Carolina State University have shown a link between the size of cockroach home infestations and the levels of both allergens and endotoxins in those homes, with lowering roach infestation numbers through pest control triggering significant declines in the levels of allergens and endotoxins. The study's findings suggest... Read more

During an epidemic, some of the most critical questions for healthcare decision-makers are the hardest ones to answer: When will the epidemic peak, how many people will need treatment at once and how long will that peak level of demand for care last? Timely answers can help hospital administrators, community... Read more

It's a name many people have trouble pronouncing, but these synthetic chemicals have been used in everything from fast-food packaging to nonstick cookware, clothing, household cleaning products and even firefighting foam.... Read more