Rashes are irritating for humans, as well as other animals, especially when they itch. When a dolphin gets a rash, they can’t just run down to the pharmacy and pick up some ointment for it, but they may have a treatment method. Scientists have observed Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the Northern Red Sea getting in
ENVIRONMENT
At the bottom of a 630-foot sinkhole in China lies a green surprise: an ancient forest with trees stretching nearly 130 feet out of the depths. The unusual sinkhole was first discovered by cave explorers in China’s southern Guangxi region, who alerted scientists to their find, according to The Guardian. After confirming the forest’s existence, researchers
A mysterious deep-sea whale washed up on a California beach on Sunday. The 16-foot beaked whale was discovered by a passerby at Mendocino County’s Jug Handle State Natural Reserve near Fort Bragg, which is 3.5 hours north of San Francisco, SFGate reported. Because beaked whales live deep beneath the waves and can dive down as
Footprints in the soil aren’t something you might normally associate with having a big impact on the environment, but soils are delicate ecosystems made up of circulating air and water that nourish organisms and plant roots, scientists from Lancaster University reported in The Conversation. Too much soil compaction can reduce plant growth, leading to less
About 53,200 premature deaths could be avoided in the U.S. each year if the fine particulate air pollution emissions produced by transportation, industrial activities, the generation of electricity, cooking and heating were eliminated, according to a new study, a press release from the University of Wisconsin-Madison said. Avoided deaths and healthcare costs from illnesses would
Sponges off the coast of New Zealand have bleached for the first time following a record-breaking marine heat wave. Scientists from Victoria University of Wellington discovered the sponges in more than 12 locations near Breaksea Sound and Doubtful Sounds in Fiordland on New Zealand’s South Island, The Guardian reported. In some of the sites, up
Renting isn’t just for cars and movies; check out a formal dress for prom night, some power tools for your big home renovation, or camping gear for your next vacation. Cut down on expensive purchases and waste by renting instead of buying. Formal Wear Buying formal wear can be expensive – especially for pieces that
When most people think about a degree in climate studies, they often picture something in the STEM field. And rightfully so, as most universities offer climate science majors that typically lead to degrees in engineering or economics. But Vanderbilt University is changing that starting in Fall 2022 with the launch of its new interdisciplinary climate
Last year, a dozen oil refineries in the U.S. exceeded the federal maximum level for average emissions of the highly toxic carcinogen benzene, according to a new report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). Five of the refineries were in Texas, four in Louisiana, one in Indiana, one in Pennsylvania and one in the U.S.
The climate crisis is making droughts more frequent and longer-lasting, a new UN report has announced. The report, Drought in Numbers, 2022, was released Wednesday in honor of Drought Day at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)’s 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) taking place in Abijan, Côte d’Ivoire from May 9 to 20. “The
More than 90 percent of the Great Barrier Reef was impacted by coral bleaching during the Australian summer of 2021-2022. This is the conclusion of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which released the results Tuesday of aerial surveys taken of 719 reefs between Torres Strait and the Capricorn Bunker Group. “The surveys confirm
A new forecast by scientists from the UK’s Meteorological Office shows that the likelihood of the planet breaching the threshold temperature of 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels — above which irreversible damage to Earth’s ecosystems and devastating impacts on human, animal and plant life would be likely to occur — is increasing. The probability
Awareness of the impacts that some sunscreens can have on coral reefs has been on the rise in recent years. But while scientists knew that chemicals like oxybenzone were causing problems, they weren’t exactly sure why or how. Now, a group of environmental chemists and biologists has come up with an explanation. The scientists first
Have you observed that the number of insects landing on your car windscreen has decreased over the past decades? If so, you aren’t alone. Two conservation groups in the UK set out to test the oft-observed “windscreen phenomenon,” and the result was shocking: The number of flying insects landing on British cars fell by almost
Climatologist and agronomist Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, who is a senior research scientist and head of the Climate Impacts Group at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has been awarded the 2022 World Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation. Conceived of as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture,” according to the World Food
Stanford University has received the largest gift in its history, and it’s for a school dedicated to studying the climate crisis. The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will open its doors this fall, the university announced on Wednesday. It is Stanford’s first new school in 70 years and was made possible by donations of $1.69