used styrofoam food containers

Is the 30-Year-Long Styrofoam War Nearing Its End?

Neither banning nor recycling will rid us of Styrofoam. Can we live without it?
Los Angeles concrete

The Lost Paradise of Los Angeles

Los Angeles's bountiful agricultural land was devoured by runaway suburbanization, a process which began long before the post-war era.
A man standing in a pig pen facility

Porklife: Building a Better Pig

Can we reconcile our growing appetite for meat with our desire to treat factory animals better?
Tunnel View Point at Yosemite National Park

Will National Parks Disappear Due to Climate Change?

Temperatures and droughts have spiked at much higher rates in parks than elsewhere.
Scuba diver on shipwreck

Do Artificial Reefs Work?

Some authorities are trying to create fish habitats by cleaning old structures and dumping them at sea. But do these artificial reefs really work?
Sweeper machine in a greenhouse of fruit trees

Do We Really Need Robot Farmers?

As weather heats up and climate change progresses, fieldwork will grow more hazardous.
Detroit alley with bee balm

To Battle Floods, Cities Revive Their Long-Forgotten Alleyways

Once polluted and abandoned, back alleys have sprouted into flourishing rain gardens.
A forest fire reflected in Okanagan Lake, British Columbia, Canada

How Fire Damages Water

President Trump has suggested that poor water management causes wildfires. In fact, it's often the other way around.
plastic waste

Where are the Biodegradable Alternatives to Plastic?

New polymers meant to either biodegrade or to last longer would reduce waste. So what is taking science so long to create them? Well, it's complicated.
heatwave

Get Ready For More Heat Waves!

New climate model suggests next four years will be hotter than expected.