The massive gas leak in Los Angeles shows no signs of ending
A slow-motion ecological disaster is unfolding in Porter Ranch, California, an affluent Los Angeles suburb.A massive natural gas leak at the Southern California Gas Aliso Canyon storage field has led...
View ArticleBrazil fears new danger from Zika virus: Paralysis
Parents in Brazil are nervous.There's an increase in microcephaly, a condition when babies are born with unusually small heads. And the increase is being linked to a surge in cases of Zika.But what...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Planet 9 'is a massive thing that's pushing everything around out there'
So, what about that ninth planet?Pluto, you’ll recall, was demoted to a dwarf planet because it's so small. But now a couple of scientists at the California Institute of Technology are on to what they...
View ArticleCan the ‘Godzilla’ El Niño’ solve California’s drought problem?
The Los Angeles River has once again come to life, supercharged with rainwater. Freeways have flooded. And California’s Sierra Nevada mountains — the so-called “snowy mountains” — are living up to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The mom and the EPA 'rogue employee' who exposed Flint's water crisis
I’ve been trying to interview the Environmental Protection Agency's Miguel Del Toral since early July, 2015, when a copy of his interim report on high lead levels in Flint, Michigan's water landed in...
View ArticleWhat are the GOP candidates saying about climate change?
Only a couple of weeks remain before the nation’s first presidential primary election in New Hampshire and Republican candidates are campaigning heavily in a vital effort to sway voters. On the stump,...
View ArticlePols talk tough on climate change, but boost funds for renewable energy
Campaign season is in full swing, so candidates are running around saying the kinds of things candidates say, including on the topic of climate change. Meanwhile, last year, Congress passed a budget...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The tale of one lost bear cub and its rescue by game wardens
2015's heat and drought in Montana forced many black bear families to forage far from their natural habitat. Quite a few of the wandering bears wound up being shot or hit by cars. And that means there...
View ArticleA historic cold front has Taiwanese freezing inside their homes
Frigid temps, lots of snow and a big dig-out.It's been a rough past few days on America's East Coast. People lost their lives in the storm.Now, as bad as this latest storm has been; let's just remember...
View ArticleThey're breathtaking. They're smart. Why are they dying?
Whales face many known hazards, from harpoons to fishing nets to boat propellers. But what’s causing the largest mass stranding ever seen of sperm whales in the North Sea? Four sperm whales washed up...
View ArticleWhat can we learn from obsolete medical equipment — or is it pure quackery?
For more than 30 years, Steve Erenberg has collected early scientific and medical instruments. Victorian medical masks, surreal anatomical models, and futuristic test prostheses pack the display cases...
View ArticleFear missing out? You've got information overload. This may help.
If you’re feeling “maxed out,” you’re not alone. Between cell phones, tablets, TVs, and computers, we’re all grappling with a certain amount of information overload. Is there an alternative to never...
View ArticleEven with low fossil fuel prices, renewable investment hit record highs
Oil prices hit 12-year lows this month as coal and natural gas prices remain low as well. But seemingly counterintuitively, renewable energy investments were at record highs in 2015, climbing 4...
View Article'Green' financier Tom Steyer wants to accelerate the renewable revolution
Opponents of the move from fossil fuels to renewable energy frequently cite the cost — financial as well as on jobs — for their opposition. Investor and philanthropist Tom Steyer, who has been on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who's messing with your Internet rights? And who'd tell you if they did?
Privacy. Freedom of speech. Safety. What balance of those three things is optimal for you? And how much of a say do you want — or do you think is your right to have — in determining what that balance...
View ArticleWhy scientists think they've found a new planet in our solar system
It used to be that there were nine planets in our solar system. Although some people claimed that somewhere, out there, was a mysterious tenth planet called “Planet X.” In 2006, the IAU reclassified...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mexico City residents brace for water cuts that will leave them dry for days
Mexico City is one of the world’s thirstiest places, with billions of liters consumed by the capital’s growing population of about 9 million, and a metropolitan area that tops 21 million. And this...
View ArticleWhy we all should be worried that we don't get enough darkness in our lives
Throughout history, humans have gathered in the dark to marvel at the starry blanket overhead. Nowadays, artificial light pollution obscures the night sky in much of the industrial world — which could...
View ArticleUS coal plants are preparing to comply with new EPA rules
Around the country, coal-fired power plants are racing to comply with new EPA rules to keep sulfur dioxide and mercury out of the air.The Homer City Generating Station is one such facility. It rises...
View ArticleCan we recycle light? And can it help us fight global warming?
Once, there was the ordinary incandescent light bulb. It shone brightly, but wasted much of the energy put into it as heat. Then came the compact fluorescent. And as costs have dropped, consumers have...
View Article