Environment

The world has seen some major scientific achievements in the last 10 years, as discoveries and developments decades in the making were finally realized. New Atlas rounds up five of the most ground-breaking, history-making milestones of the 2010s.

Greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide can be worse than carbon dioxide. Now, a new study has found that we’re releasing more N2O into the atmosphere than we thought, which may weaken our already-strained efforts to combat climate change.

New research is suggesting the claim that house plants improve indoor air quality is wrong. The research concludes it would take hundreds of plants in a small space to come close to the air-purifying effects of simply opening a couple of windows.

A new report declaring a climate emergency has been signed by thousands of scientists. But it remains hopeful, outlining six steps we can take to mitigate the worst effects of climate change – provided we act sooner rather than later.

According to a new report by NOAA, September 2019 ties with September 2015 as the warmest September on the 140-year record, and shows that 2019 as a whole is heading for a spot in the top three hottest years ever.

A group of games companies including Microsoft and Sony has banded together with the United Nations to work towards reducing the industry’s footprint.

The first solar farm to provide power to a railway line in the UK was switched on today by Riding Sunbeams, 10:10, Community Energy South and Network Rail.

July 2019 has been found to be the hottest month ever recorded, which won’t surprise anybody who sweated through the heat wave this summer. This continues a long-running upwards trend, with the first six months of the year tied for second hottest and sea ice at an all-time low at both poles.

A new electronic tag has been attached to four tiger sharks in the Caribbean in a test of a new satellite-connected fish tracking system. Described by co-developer ESA as cheaper and more animal friendly, the new tags will help to monitor the sharks' migration patterns for years.

A team of engineers in Germany has created a tiny jellyfish-inspired robot, which can not only swim, but transport objects, mix fluids and even bury itself. It's hoped the five millimeter tetherless "jellyfishbot" could help us understand the survivability of baby jellyfish in changing environments.

The hole in the ozone layer may be on the mend, but its environmental impacts are ongoing. A new review study has examined the effects that the extra UV radiation is having on the environment, such as shifting climate zones, changing ocean temperatures and making some species more vulnerable.

The Memorial Bridge doesn't just allow folks to cross over the Piscataqua River, it also serves as a living laboratory. Now home to a host of sensors, it provides data on the day-to-day life and health of the bridge itself, as well as monitoring the surrounding environment.