Rising temperatures are set to drive up emissions from wildfires, fermenting wetlands, and melting permafrost, but these feedback loops are poorly captured in climate models. Scientists are racing to make sense of these emissions to gauge how much warming may lie ahead.
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INTERVIEW
An EPA Researcher Details the Agency’s Assault on Science
In January 2025, the Trump administration began shutting down projects within the EPA’s independent science division that touched on climate change and environmental justice. Air quality researcher Thomas Luben, who had worked at the agency for 18 years, was fired for objecting.
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Oceans
Efforts to Save Kelp Forests from Ocean Warming Are Ramping Up
At one time, kelp forests — which shelter fish, slow erosion, and sequester carbon — grew along a third of the world’s coastlines. Now, scientists are working to bolster heat-stressed kelp by attacking the urchins that prey on them and transplanting hardier kelp varieties.
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Biodiversity
Humans Are Changing How Nature Smells, With Risks for Wildlife
A growing body of research shows how air pollution, fertilizers, and fungicides are altering the chemical signals that plants and animals use to communicate. Scientists warn that insect reproduction, foraging, navigation, and even the pollination of crops could be affected.
Oceans
Supertrawlers Are Taking Antarctic Krill That Whales Depend On
In the icy waters of the Southern Ocean, whales and other marine mammals rely on krill to survive. But as the market for human dietary supplements and animal feeds booms, and climate change reduces krill populations, scientists worry there may not be enough to go around.
E360 Digest
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Like Humans, Mediterranean Sperm Whales Have Their Own Dialects
Much like human languages, the vocalizations of sperm whales evolve over time, as disparate groups of whales develop distinct dialects. A new study shows how an isolated group of sperm whales in the eastern Mediterranean developed its own dialect based on vocalizations used by other whales. More about Like Humans, Mediterranean Sperm Whales Have Their Own Dialects →
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Europe Hit by Another Record Heat Wave
Europe is sweltering through an intense heat wave that is setting temperature records in the U.K. and France. It comes on the heels of another record heat wave in May. More about Europe Hit by Another Record Heat Wave →
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Amid Iran War, Africa Sees Growing Demand for Electric Motorbikes
As the Iran War has driven up fuel costs in Africa, demand for electric motorbikes has grown. More about Amid Iran War, Africa Sees Growing Demand for Electric Motorbikes →
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INTERVIEW
The U.S. Senator Who Won’t Shut Up about Climate Change
At a time when other public officials and the media are talking less about climate change, Sheldon Whitehouse remains fiercely outspoken. He delivered his 307th climate speech on the Senate floor this month and is pushing back against the recent trend of “climate hushing.”
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Energy
A First Among Major Nations, India Is Industrializing With Solar
While China's push to modernize sparked a surge in burning coal, India is turning to increasingly cheap solar to meet its booming energy needs. Though it faces big hurdles, including a rickety grid, India's solar buildout could soon be a model for other emerging economies.
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A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
After Two Decades, E360’s Founder and Editor Is Moving On
When Yale E360 launched in 2008, it was a pioneer in online environmental journalism, filling a critical gap in coverage. As he prepares to step down, founding editor Roger Cohn reflects on his years at e360, his debt to the writers he’s worked with, and his hopes for the future.
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Climate
Why Fears Are Growing Over the Fate of a Key Atlantic Current
Scientists are increasingly worried that a vast system of ocean circulation, which delivers warmth to northern Europe and impacts climate globally, is at risk of collapse. Mounting evidence suggests it may be nearing a tipping point, though the research is far from certain.
