New research used machine learning to more accurately predict which waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act. The analysis found that a 2020 Trump administration rule removed Clean Water Act protection for one-fourth of US wetlands and one-fifth of US streams, and also deregulated 30% of watersheds that supply...
Achieving sustainable urban growth on a global scale
An international group of leading scientists call for an urgent change in the governance of urban expansion as the world's cities continue to grow at unprecedented rates.
Global Power Sector Emissions Headed for Decline
The power sector is the biggest source of emissions globally, but the rapid growth of wind, solar, and nuclear generation are at last pushing power sector emissions into decline, analysts say.
Glacier Melting Destroys Important Climate Data Archive
As part of the Ice Memory initiative, PSI researchers, with colleagues from the University of Fribourg and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice as well as the Institute of Polar Sciences of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), analysed ice cores drilled in 2018 and 2020 from the Corbassière glacier at...
Teaching nature to break human-made chemical bonds
A newly evolved enzyme could one day make silicone compounds biodegradable.
Natural Hydrogen: A Potential Clean Energy Source Beneath Our Feet
A remote community of mud huts and corrugated iron roofs in the arid savannah of West Africa could be a trailblazer for a new form of carbon-free energy. T
As Carbon Offsets, Cookstove Emission Credits Are Greatly Overestimated
The fastest growing type of offset on the global carbon market subsidizes the distribution of efficient cookstoves in developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but a new study finds that the stoves’ carbon saving credits are vastly overestimated, by a factor of 10.
World’s Largest Database of Weeds Lets Scientists Peer Into the Past, and Future, of Global Agriculture
A new database of weeds that can help scientists understand how traditional agricultural systems were managed throughout history, could also provide insights into how global trends like the climate crisis could affect the resilience of our modern day food systems.
Study Offers Rare Long-Term Analysis of Techniques for Creating Standing Dead Trees for Wildlife Habitat
Ecologists have long known that standing dead trees, commonly referred to as snags, are an important habitat element for forest dwellers and act as a driver of biodiversity.
Clusters of Atmospheric Rivers Amp Up California Storm Damages
Early in 2023, a series of storms dumped record-breaking amounts of rain and snow across California.