New Atlas

Environment Audio available

Forests that live fast and die young may help speed up climate change

Michael Irving May 15, 2019

New research led by the University of Cambridge has found that forests may not be as useful a carbon sink as we thought. The team found that a warming climate makes trees grow faster and die younger, releasing their captured carbon back into the air sooner.

Researchers examined samples taken from trees in the Spanish Pyrenees and found that faster-growing trees tend ...

Architecture

Stunning observation tower runs rings around Danish forest

Adam Williams May 15, 2019

Nestled in Gisselfeld Klosters Forest, about an hour's drive south of Copenhagen, Denmark, is a large new observation tower constructed from steel. The elegant structure, named Camp Adventure Tower, provides visitors with 360-degree views of the unspoiled landscape.

Camp Adventure Tower rises to a height of 45 m (148 ft)

Architecture

Treehouse-inspired energy-efficient homes boast insulating cork exteriors

Bridget Borgobello March 18, 2019

“Two Cork Houses” are two sustainable homes located in the beautiful natural forest landscape of Plafrugell, in Northern Spain. The architects spent considerable efforts designing the homes around the forest to have little impact on the existing flora.

Two Cork Houses by Emiliano López Mónica Rivera Arquitectos both feature an impressive facade made from ...

Environment Audio available

China and India lead the way in "greening" the Earth since 2000

Michael Irving February 12, 2019

A new study of satellite data has shown that the Earth has gotten “greener” in the last 20 years or so, with the biggest contributors being China and India. Before we celebrate though, there are a few caveats to consider.

Satellite data has shown that the Earth has gotten 5 percent greener in recent years, but ...

Architecture

Novel cabins reach new heights in Norwegian forest

Adam Williams January 14, 2019

This elevated take on a cabin in the woods was influenced by such disparate sources as children's book regulars the Moomins, A-frame lodges, and electricity towers. Located in a forest in Norway, it's currently available for rent.

The Pan Treetop Cabins are part-inspired by the Moomins and are raised 8 m (26 ft) ...

Biology

GMO poplar trees engineered to not escape into the wild

Michael Irving August 6, 2018

Containment measures are in development to keep GMOs from escaping and potentially disrupting natural ecosystems. To that end, researchers have now conducted a multi-year study using GMO poplar trees and found that engineering them to be sexually sterile is an effective containment measure.

A multi-year study has shown that poplar trees can be genetically-modified to be sterile, meaning the ...

Architecture

Spectacular rainforest home immerses its residents in lush tropical greenery

Nick Lavars May 9, 2018

When an architect and interior designer combine to craft their dream home, you’d expect to see creative impulses let loose in some pretty spectacular ways. Australia’s award-winning Planchonella House by husband-and-wife duo Jesse Bennett and Anne-Marie Campagnolo is a shining example of this.

The Planchonella House is on the market now for an undisclosed price

Environment

The story of how discarded orange peels turbocharged a Costa Rican forest

Rich Haridy August 22, 2017

Sixteen years after a controversial biodegradation plan allowed 1,000 truckloads of orange peels to be unloaded onto a barren, deforested area of Costa Rican land, researchers have found a lush, overgrown forest with richer soil and more tree species than the adjacent land that was untreated.

On the right is the lush forest that was loaded with orange peel waste and on ...

Environment

Millions of hectares of forest discovered hiding in plain sight

Nick Lavars May 12, 2017

Scientists have discovered a whopping 467 million hectares of previously unreported forest scattered around the world, a finding that they say could have a big impact on global carbon budgeting moving forward.

Drylands cover 40 percent of the Earth's surface, and new research reveals that they are better ...

Environment

Tree trunks found to emit methane

Michael Irving March 31, 2017

In the fight to cut greenhouse gas emissions, we tend to think of trees as our allies, but new research suggests they might not be as "green" as we think. Researchers have found that some types of trees emit methane through their trunks, partly countering their role as a greenhouse gas sink.