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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Digital Tools Are Transforming Efforts to Save Plants from Extinction
Researchers are increasingly digitizing plant and fungi specimens and using A.I. to analyze them, work that is transforming conservation science, according to a new report. More about Digital Tools Are Transforming Efforts to Save Plants from Extinction →
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Albanians Mobilize Against Jared Kushner Plan for Resort on Pristine River Delta
In Albania, a mass protest movement has emerged to challenge a plan, spearheaded by Jared Kushner, to build a sprawling resort along the delta of the last wild river in Europe. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the capital city of Tirana last week, raising signs that said “Albania Is Not for Sale,” with marches continuing over the weekend. More about Albanians Mobilize Against Jared Kushner Plan for Resort on Pristine River Delta →
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Dead Organisms Shape the Living World Long After They Perish, Research Shows
A new paper details how the remnants of dead organisms strongly influence the fate of survivors. More about Dead Organisms Shape the Living World Long After They Perish, Research Shows →
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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.
