How Much Life Is There on Earth?
New estimates decrease the likely number of microbes beneath the sea, but the truth is that we still don't really know. David Biello reports
Sep 02, 2012•3 min
60-Second Earth
Tune in every Sunday for quick reports on the science of the environment and the future of energy. It'll just take a minute!
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Episodes
Energy Hits the U.S. Presidential Campaign Trail
Romney wants "energy independence," Obama prefers an "all of the above" approach. What's the difference? David Biello reports
Aug 26, 2012•3 min
Fukushima Radiation Damages Butterflies, but Not People--Yet
Scientific analyses are beginning to unravel the biological consequences of the radioactive particles released during the Fukushima meltdowns. David Biello reports
Aug 19, 2012•3 min
Drilling for Offshore Oil Comes to the Arctic
As Shell prepares to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea, what are the risks? David Biello reports
Aug 12, 2012•3 min
UV Gives Fish Skin Cancer
Fifteen percent of a sample of 136 trout caught near the Great Barrier Reef showed evidence of melanoma, with UV exposure the likely culprit. Christopher Intagliata reports
Aug 05, 2012•2 min
Greener Olympics Mean Cleaner Air
A new analysis shows how the summer Olympics helped clear the air in Beijing--and combat climate change. David Biello reports
Jul 30, 2012•3 min
Marijuana Farms Poison Wildlife
Pathologists have found the first evidence of wildlife poisoned by a cash crop--and not in a traditional agricultural area. David Biello reports
Jul 22, 2012•3 min
Could Geoengineering Stop Heat Waves?
Scientists explore whether artificial volcanoes might beat the heat. David Biello reports
Jul 15, 2012•3 min
35 Years of Renewable Energy
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been working for 35 years to make solar power and other technologies a reality. David Biello reports
Jul 08, 2012•3 min
Are Western Forests Doomed to Burn Away?
Climate change may not only unleash fiercer wildfires but also ultimately replace Western forestland with grasslands. David Biello reports
Jul 01, 2012•3 min
Warming Oceans Will Follow Laws of Physics
Warmer waters mean higher sea levels, but how high? David Biello reports
Jun 24, 2012•3 min
For Sustainability, Go Beyond Gross Domestic Product
The widely used economic measure grossly distorts the environmental and social costs of some growth, David Biello reports
Jun 17, 2012•3 min
Are We Pushing the Planet to the Brink of Irreversible Environmental Change?
The human transformation of the planet is now bigger than the end of the last ice age. What does that mean for the planet? David Biello asks
Jun 10, 2012•3 min
How Climate Change May Impact Electricity Supplies
Fossil-fuel burning power plants aren't only causing climate change, they're likely to suffer from such global warming. David Biello reports
Jun 03, 2012•3 min
Another Casualty of War?: The Environment
From lingering pollution to feeding soldiers on bushmeat, war can be tough on the environment. David Biello reports
May 27, 2012•3 min
Why Tariffs on Chinese Photovoltaics Are Bad for the Planet
The U.S. has placed tariffs on Chinese solar panels in a bid to protect American solar companies. David Biello reports
May 20, 2012•3 min
Wasted Food No More
Massachusetts may ban big institutions from discarding food in the trash in a bid to cut down on the methane from landfills. David Biello reports
May 13, 2012•3 min
How to Adapt to Climate Change
As the globe warms, communities across the world are providing examples of how to adapt. David Biello reports
May 06, 2012•3 min
L.A. Needs to Stop Being Such a Cow Town
New research suggests that the waste from dairy farms may be a bigger source of smog in Los Angeles than the region's millions of cars. David Biello reports
Apr 29, 2012•3 min
Happy Earth Day! Welcome to the Anthropocene
Scientists are suggesting that the present day is part of a new era in the planet's history. David Biello reports
Apr 22, 2012•3 min
Take Me Out to the Renewably Powered Ballgame
Baseball teams across the country are investing in renewable power for their stadiums. David Biello reports
Apr 15, 2012•3 min
It's Not Dead, It's Resting
There are a wide variety of life forms that can come back to life. David Biello reports
Apr 08, 2012•3 min
135 Years of Records Reveals Deep Ocean Warming
The ocean surface is warming. Using records going back more than a century to the British Challenger expedition, researchers calculate that the deep ocean is experiencing its own temperature rise. David Biello reports
Apr 01, 2012•3 min
How Industrial Noise Helps and Hurts Plants
By encouraging and discouraging certain animals, human noise has an effect on vegetation. David Biello reports
Mar 25, 2012•3 min
Global Energy Hunger Leaves Little Room to Displace Dirty Fuels
One of the promises of renewable energy is its ability to displace polluting fossil fuels, but is it fulfilling that pledge? David Biello reports
Mar 18, 2012•3 min
Fukushima: We Listen Back
Newly released audio takes us through the first week of the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi on this first anniversary of the crisis. David Biello reports
Mar 11, 2012•12 min
How Raindrops Calm the Wind
New research suggests the drag on falling precipitation helps slow atmospheric circulation. David Biello reports
Feb 26, 2012•3 min
Is the Keystone Pipeline a Shortcut to Catastrophic Climate Change?
The Keystone XL pipeline wouldn't be a major environmental calamity, but oil addiction is. David Biello reports
Feb 19, 2012•3 min
What Does a Coup in the Maldives Mean for Climate Change?
The fate of an island chain's president may mean more--or even less--progress to combat climate change. David Biello reports
Feb 12, 2012•3 min
How to Make Electricity Using Plants and Sunshine
A new system combines the power of plants and photovoltaics to make solar power cheap and durable. David Biello reports
Feb 05, 2012•3 min
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