View of the Pacific Ocean in Point Mugu State Park, Ventura County, CA

How Drought Could Make Sea-Level Rise Worse

Take southern California, for instance.
A scientist with staring eyes pours liquid from one test tube to another in

The Evolution of the Mad Scientist

The crazed caricature of genius was largely inspired by now-debunked late-Victorian ideas about how species change.
Barechested workers erect a Nazi flag on a hill at Buckeberg in preparation for a Harvest Festival.

Why National Pride Could Make or Break Climate Action

Nationalism and environmentalism have a history of pairing in dark ways. What does this mean for international climate negotiations?
Roots and leaves

Why the Belowground Ecosystem Matters

Trees get all the credit. But for biodiversity, look down, too.
A protester at the Global Climate Strike, December 6, 2019

Coping with Climate Anxiety

A psychologist suggests ways of giving young people hope for the future of the planet—and themselves.
Artocarpus heterophyllus

Plant of the Month: Jackfruit

The newly hot alternative to meat has a long history.
Elysia clarki

Solar-Powered Sea Slugs and Survival in Future Seas

These Florida mollusks make off with chloroplasts from algae and cleverly photosynthesize them for their own nutrition.
Downtown Los Angeles skyline

How to Plant Trees in the City: It’s Complicated

Trees in cities have the ability to sequester carbon, provide shade, and mitigate flooding. But no one tree fits all environments.
A stained glass window depicting Hildegard von Bingen at Église Sainte-Foy, Alsace

Abortion Remedies from a Medieval Catholic Nun(!)

Hildegard von Bingen wrote medical texts describing how to prepare abortifacients.
Pollution Rising from Factories in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Descubriendo pistas sobre la contaminación local con magnetismo

Un análisis químico de una área puede determinar cuánta contaminación hay en el aire. Pero hay un método mucho menos costoso que podría ayudar a las comunidades más pobres.