Generally covering broad topics involving Earth’s changing climate.
But what about the overall environmental impacts of this growing infrastructure and the huge number of short-lived devices connected to it, or the indirect impacts on other sectors?
Let Us Not Put All Our Eggs in One Basket Read More
In California’s ‘zombie’ forests, conifers have become mismatched to a warming climate.
Mapping California’s ‘Zombie’ Forests Read More
We will most likely never do better than a best guess at computing’s carbon footprint, but given uncertainties it would be safer and more responsible to act on the assumption that higher estimates could be closer to the truth—especially since the pace of warming has exceeded our expectations at every point. But in big-picture terms, the difference between 1.8% and 3.9% does not fundamentally change our mission: computing’s emissions must be reduced urgently and drastically. How are we going to achieve this?
Our House Is On Fire: The Climate Emergency and Computing’s Responsibility Read More
The “urban heat island effect” creates extra-hot temperatures that kill. But cities can prescribe powerful treatments, like green spaces and reflective roofs.
Extreme Heat Is a Disease for Cities. Treat It That Way Read More
Digging deep into a humble lake in Canada, scientists found a spot on Earth like no other — and a record that could redefine our history of the planet
Hidden beneath the surface Read More
Tropical storms are increasingly likely to batter the US as oceans warm—and will continue to wreak havoc so long as climate change remains unaddressed.
Hurricane Ian Is a Warning From the Future Read More
Climate change and human activity are destroying the layers of fungi, lichen, and bacteria that protect deserts from erosion.
The Desert’s Fragile Skin Can’t Take Much More Heat Read More
Less pavement and more green spaces help absorb water instead of funneling it all away—a win-win for people and urban ecosystems.
If You Don’t Already Live in a Sponge City, You Will Soon Read More
The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management has a new name, new leaders, and a new mandate to meet Joe Biden’s climate goals.
The US agency in charge of developing fossil fuels has a new job: cleaning them up Read More
Scorching temperatures in the Golden State are a test case for a more flexible energy grid.
California’s Heat Wave Is a Big Moment for Batteries Read More
Unearthing streams breathes life back into local communities.
A River Runs Through It Read More
As financial pressures on climate risk and reputation grow, computing industry executives have made new commitments to reduce carbon emissions and impact.
Good, Better, Best: How Sustainable Should Computing Be? Read More
One Chinese landscape designer has pioneered a new approach—working with water instead of trying to bend it to our will.
The architect making friends with flooding Read More
On a barren lava plateau in Iceland, a new facility is sucking in air and stashing the carbon dioxide in rock. The next step: Build 10,000 more.
The Quest to Trap Carbon in Stone—and Beat Climate Change Read More
Removing the greenhouse gas from the air will likely be necessary, along with radical emissions cuts, to keep temperatures from rising 2˚C.
UN climate report: Carbon removal is now “essential” Read More
So far, the efforts to observe the currents directly show they’re weirder and more unpredictable than expected.
The Atlantic’s vital currents could collapse. Scientists are racing to understand the dangers. Read More
You’ve probably heard of permafrost, the frozen carbon-rich land. But it’s also thawing under the sea, burping up planet-warming gases.
Underwater Permafrost Is a Big, Gassy Wild Card for the Climate Read More
The bad news is that our slow-motion ecological catastrophe demands new ways of thinking. The good news? We’ve faced the end of the world before.
Lessons from a genocide can prepare humanity for climate apocalypse Read More
One of the biggest sources of climate uncertainty is how clouds will behave. Caltech physicist Tapio Schneider is trying to give us some answers.
A powerful new model could make global warming estimates less vague Read More
It’s time to reverse a century of fire-management policy. That will require sweeping regulatory reforms, and tons of money.
Suppressing fires has failed. Here’s what California needs to do instead. Read More