Researchers are only beginning to uncover the toxic cocktail of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals hidden in car and truck tires. But experts say these tire emissions are a significant source of air and water pollution and may be affecting humans as well as wildlife.
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Biodiversity
A Summer Light Show Dims: Why Are Fireflies Disappearing?
Fireflies — whose shimmering, magical glows light up summer nights — are in trouble, threatened by habitat destruction, light pollution, and pesticide use. With 18 species now considered at risk of extinction in North America alone, recovery efforts are only just beginning.
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Climate
From Carbon Sink to Source: The Stark Changes in Arctic Lakes
For millennia, lakes in Greenland’s tundra have locked up huge loads of carbon in their sediment. But as the Arctic becomes warmer and wetter, scientists believe these lakes could be turning into sources of carbon, which would have important consequences for the world’s climate.
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Photo Essay
Edible Insects: In Europe, a Growing Push for Bug-Based Food
To rein in emissions, the E.U. is looking to insects as an alternate source of protein for livestock and people and is easing regulations and subsidizing makers of insect-derived food. In a photo essay, Luigi Avantaggiato explores the emerging bug food industry in northern Italy.
WATER
As the Mississippi Swerves, Can We Let Nature Regain Control?
After the lower Mississippi began pouring through and enlarging Neptune Pass in 2019, sediment began flowing into a sand-and-silt-starved Delta bay. Now the Army Corps of Engineers — breaking with tradition — is considering letting at least part of the river have its way.
E360 Digest
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Declassified World War II Logbooks to Fill Critical Gap in Climate Record
A massive volunteer effort to digitize World War II-era U.S. naval logbooks is helping fill an important gap in the climate record. More about Declassified World War II Logbooks to Fill Critical Gap in Climate Record →
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Germany to Surpass 50 Percent Renewable Power This Year, Official Says
Germany is on track to generate more than half of its electricity from renewables this year, an official said Monday. More about Germany to Surpass 50 Percent Renewable Power This Year, Official Says →
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A Sign of Things to Come? After Last Ice Age, Europe Cooled as the Planet Warmed
More than 8,000 years ago, as the planet thawed following the end of the last ice age, Northern Europe abruptly cooled. New research reveals that Arctic ice melt weakened a critical ocean current, leaving Europe in the cold, a finding with important implications for future climate change. More about A Sign of Things to Come? After Last Ice Age, Europe Cooled as the Planet Warmed →
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Climate
In New Scramble for Africa, an Arab Sheikh Is Taking the Lead
A company established by a Dubai sheikh is finalizing agreements with African nations to manage vast tracts of their forests and sell the carbon credits. Critics are concerned the deals will not benefit Africans and will just help foreign governments perpetuate high emissions.
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WILDLIFE
If South Africa Ends Lion Breeding, What to Do With Captive Cats?
In 2021, the South African government committed to shutting down the country’s captive-lion breeding industry, which provided animals for canned hunts. Among the sticking points slowing progress is what should happen to the thousands of lions that remain on private ranches.
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Food & Agriculture
As Armenian Fish Farming Expands, a Pristine Aquifer Is Drying Up
In recent decades, aquaculture has proliferated in Armenia’s Ararat Valley. The heightened use of water, combined with a warming climate and increased drought, has led to groundwater reserves shrinking by two-thirds, once-bountiful farms withering, and wells going dry.
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PLASTICS
Indonesia Cracks Down on the Scourge of Imported Plastic Waste
When China banned plastic waste imports in 2018, exporters in wealthy countries targeted other developing nations. Faced with an unending stream of unrecyclable waste, Indonesia has tightened its regulations and has begun to make progress in stemming the plastics flow.
2023 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest
The winners of our 10th annual contest honoring the best short environmental films.
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E360 Film Contest Winner
The Great Salt Lake and Its Web of Life Face an Uncertain Future
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E360 Film Contest
On the Mekong, Sand Mining Threatens the River and a Way of Life
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E360 Film Contest
In a Chilean Forest Reserve, the Remarkable Darwin’s Frog Endures