Climate
Making It Rain
Los Angeles Just Proved How Spongy a City Can Be
As relentless rains pounded LA, the city’s “sponge” infrastructure helped gather 8.6 billion gallons of water—enough to sustain over 100,000 households for a year.
Matt Simon
Infectious Disease
All That Rain Is Driving Up Cases of a Deadly Fungal Disease in California
Zoya Teirstein
Regulations and Solutions
Metal Prices Are Soaring. So Is Metal Theft
It’s a multi-billion-dollar global problem, and in a rapidly electrifying world, the profits—and ease—of stealing metals is only going to increase.
Chris Baraniuk
The Transport Companies Leaving Fossil Fuels Behind
Hydrogen-powered planes, more fuel-efficient aircraft designs, and all-electric parcel delivery services are just some of the ways in which the transport sector is looking to decarbonize.
Stephen Armstrong
Ocean Temperatures Keep Shattering Records—and Stunning Scientists
Sea surface temperatures have been skyrocketing beyond expectations. That may be a bad sign for hurricane season—and the health of ocean ecosystems.
Matt Simon
Fake Caviar Invented in the 1930s Could Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution
An alternative to environmentally-harmful plastic is already within reach: seaweed.
Stephen Armstrong
Oceans and Waterways
Is There Lead in Your Reusable Water Bottle?
Stanley says it uses some lead in its “industry-standard” manufacturing process, so we asked if other brands do the same.
Medea Giordano
The City of Tomorrow Will Run on Your Toilet Water
Researchers are finding better ways to extract drinking water, compost, and even energy from wastewater. It’s not gross. It’s science.
Matt Simon
Countries Are Building Giant ‘Sand Motors’ to Protect Their Coasts From Erosion
As sea levels rise, engineers are using massive Dutch-inspired sand sculptures to protect shorefront settlements.
Jake Bittle
Those 'Bottles Saved' Counters on Water Filling Stations Are Way Off. Does It Matter?
Many factors—from the size of your bottle to the age of the filter—can contribute to the count being wildly inaccurate. But even bad math shows that we’re using fewer plastic bottles.
Alden Wicker
Extreme Heat
Texas Is Already Running Out of Water
Parts of the state are starting the year with low reserves. With light winter rains failing to replenish supply, and a scorching summer predicted, key areas may be pushed to the brink.
Dylan Baddour
This Radical Plan to Make Roads Greener Actually Works
Using embankments, channels, and dikes, so-called “green roads” help control floods, harvest excess water for irrigation, and slash maintenance costs. A movement to retrofit existing roads is gathering steam.
Ben Goldfarb
Dust Is So Much More Than You Realize
In her new book, Dust, Jay Owens charts a fascinating history of the tiny particles floating all around us.
Matt Simon
California’s Giant Sequoias Are in Big Trouble
Ancient sequoias are facing an existential threat from increasingly intense wildfires linked to climate change. The question of how to save them has sparked a fierce debate.
Jim Robbins
More Stories
Human Scale
Who Tests If Heat-Proof Clothing Actually Works? These Poor Sweating Mannequins
Amit Katwala