In Antarctica, one of the last great deserts of our planet, there is a remarkable revolution. In the waters of the Southern Ocean where whalers killed more than 2 million whales in the 20th century, which brought many species to the brink of extinction, the population is recovering. Humpback whales have made the fastest recovery … Read more
The case for renewable energy is stronger than ever, as the war in Iran continues to highlight the dangers of relying on fossil fuels. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING While Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, fell yesterday morning (March 26) amid growing expectations of a drop, barrel prices have exceeded $100 (about €86.38) per barrel … Read more
Spawning season has begun for Pacific herring (A group of pallas) in the waters of British Columbia, Canada. From mid-February to early May each year, thousands of small silver fish congregate in the shallows off the coast of Vancouver Island and create a spectacle that can sometimes be seen by satellites. The sheltered waters of … Read more
The transition from water to land is a question that still puzzles scientists. Those ancient organisms would need to adapt to the many new challenges of life outside of water. So, how did they do that? In the 2025 study, my colleagues and I tried to understand the genetic basis of adaptation to life on … Read more
As the US government continues to call climate change a lie and attack science, in courts from The Hague to Honolulu, fossil fuel companies are taking a different tack. Shell, Chevron, RWE and TotalEnergies all accept that climate change is real, human-caused and serious. The era of denying the business climate, at least in legal … Read more
In the past five years, indigenous agriculture has received academic attention as an alternative, albeit on a smaller scale, to modern agricultural systems. Research has shown that some traditional agricultural practices – such as growing corn, beans and squash together – protect soil health, reduce biodiversity loss, and support indigenous knowledge, known as traditional ecological … Read more
Under pressure to deal with water cuts, and amid discussions of lawsuits, Wyoming and other states in the upper Colorado River Basin are pointing to the climate-driven disaster in the West to insist they can’t cut what Mother Nature doesn’t give her head. Although some observers suspect that the dispute is to prevent further cuts … Read more
In recent years, citizens of Spain, France and the UK have looked up to see a strange sight: an orange sun and skies thick with yellow fog. These cloudy skies often produce “blood rain”, rust-laden rain that leaves a fine smear on cars and windows. These events are caused by dust from the Sahara desert … Read more
YesIn late summer, people descend on the wildflower capital of Colorado to see meadows dotted with cornflowers, aspen sunflowers and sub-alpine larkspur. In January 1991, a team of scientists led by Professor John Harte set up a unique experiment in these Rocky Mountain pastures. It was one of the first (and longest) to determine how … Read more
When life is hard, many people turn to nature. A walk in the park. Sitting by the sea. Watching the sunset. Is this just a pleasant feeling, or is there something deeper at work? Many studies link spending time in nature to various aspects of mental health and well-being. For example, immersion in the natural … Read more