Concrete is the most ubiquitous man-made building material on the planet, but making it generates massive amounts of CO2 emissions. Companies are experimenting with ways to green the process, from slashing the use of limestone to capturing the carbon generated when it’s burned.
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INTERVIEW
How to Grow a Forest: It Takes More Than Just Planting Trees
In an e360 interview, microbial ecologist Jake M. Robinson, of Australia’s Flinders University, takes a critical look at tree planting campaigns and discusses scientists’ varied approaches to both “planting” and “growing” forests to restore their ecological health.
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INTERVIEW
As Disinformation Swirls, Meteorologists Are Facing Threats
Predicting large and dangerous storms has always been challenging. It’s gotten tougher, says meteorologist James Marshall Shepherd, as a growing fringe has started to harass, verbally abuse, and threaten scientists and forecasters who link ferocious weather with climate change.
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Biodiversity
Ukraine Rewilding: Will Nature Be Allowed to Revive When War Ends?
Amid the war’s destruction, Ukrainian scientists are seeing signs of an ecological recovery. When the conflict ends, they say, the nation should not rebuild its massive Soviet-era infrastructure and instead continue the rewilding by letting nature keep restoring itself.
Climate
What’s Causing the Recent Spike in Global Temperatures?
Since early 2023, the world has seen a steep rise in temperatures that scientists are struggling to explain. Our contributor Elizabeth Kolbert talked with Gavin Schmidt, NASA’s top climate scientist, about possible causes of the warming and why experts cannot account for the heat.
E360 Digest
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Trained Rats Able to Sniff Out Smuggled Rhino Horns
Rats could be the latest weapon deployed in the fight against endangered wildlife trafficking, according to a study of rodents trained to sniff out pangolin scales, rhino horns, elephant tusks, and hardwood. More about Trained Rats Able to Sniff Out Smuggled Rhino Horns →
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Swarm of Cod Eat 10 Million Fish in Biggest Feeding Frenzy on Record
A new study details how, in just a few hours, more than 2 million Atlantic cod consumed 10 million tiny capelin. Scientists say the feeding frenzy is the largest on record, both in terms of the number of fish involved and the area covered. More about Swarm of Cod Eat 10 Million Fish in Biggest Feeding Frenzy on Record →
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Tropical Forests Could Regrow Naturally on Area the Size of Mexico
Forests could regrow naturally on more than 800,000 square miles of land around the tropics, without need for planting trees by hand, a new study finds. More about Tropical Forests Could Regrow Naturally on Area the Size of Mexico →
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Food & Agriculture
On Navajo Lands, Ancient Ways Are Restoring the Parched Earth
Farming once thrived in the Black Mesa region, before overgrazing and climate change wreaked havoc with the land. Today, the Navajo are restoring their watersheds — and boosting their food sovereignty — with earthen berms and small dams made of woven brush, sticks, and rocks.
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Oceans
Researchers Parse the Future of Plankton in an Ever-Warmer World
Plankton form the base of the world’s food chain, but warmer and more acidic oceans are affecting their numbers and variety. Some species, which make for good fish food and carbon storage, are largely declining, while others are shifting their ranges and blooming times.
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Biodiversity
How Traffickers Got Away with the Biggest Rosewood Heist in History
Ten years after officials seized $50 million worth of illegally harvested rosewood, the logs have been returned to the traffickers and sit in limbo in a Singapore port. The legal saga highlights the ongoing corruption and gaping holes in efforts to save endangered species.
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Energy
Why Taiwan and Its Tech Industry Are Facing an Energy Crisis
As the world’s largest producer of advanced computer chips, Taiwan is struggling to meet demand for electricity. Highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, soon to shutter its last nuclear plant, and slow to build out renewables, the island is heading toward an energy crunch.
2024 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest
The winners of our 11th annual contest honoring the best short environmental films.
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E360 Film Contest Winner
A Solitary Herder Cares for His Goats and the Bay Area Hills
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E360 Film Contest
For 60,000 Years, Australia’s First Nations Have Put Fire to Good Use
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E360 Film Contest
In Montana’s Northern Plains, Swift Foxes Are Back from the Brink