New Map Knows Noise
National Park Service researchers recorded ambient sound from all over the country to find out where there’s still stillness. David Biello r...
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60-Second Earth
Leading science journalists provide a weekly one-minute report on the science of the environment and the future of energy. Scientific American offers three other podcasts: the daily "60-Seco...
Episodes
20 of 312 episodesOil-Eating Microbes Have Worldwide Underground Connections
Life thrives even deep inside Earth and scientists are beginning to suspect extensive connections among those underground environments. Davi...
Siberian Winters See Temp Uptick
The long-term winter warming of Russia’s far north has gotten a boost from industrialization. David Biello reports
Dig This: China Cuts Coal Production
The biggest single source of global warming pollution actually started to shrink in 2014. David Biello reports
Is Recycling Worth the Effort?
The value of recycling depends on the material in question and whether all hidden costs and benefits go into the analysis. David Biello repo...
Tropical Forests Pay Price for Gold Rush
Desire for gold has made mining in tropical forests financially worthwhile, leading to ecosystem destruction. Cynthia Graber reports
Cheap Oil Means Raise the Gas T-Word
Low oil prices present an opportunity to come to grips with our crumbling infrastructure and the cost of climate change. David Biello report...
Meet the (Newest Known) Beetles!
Researchers announced the discovery of 98 beetle species previously unknown to science. David Biello reports
Oil Spill Sullies World Heritage Site
The Sundarbans, part of the world's largest mangrove forest and stretching across India and Bangladesh, have been tarnished by a 350,000-lit...
Plummeting Petroleum Price Gases Up Global Warming
Good news for gas and oil consumers can be bad news for the environment. David Biello reports
Movies Can Boost Solar Power
The pattern that stores a film on a Blu-ray disc also can help improve photovoltaics. David Biello reports
Sun's Magnetic Field Boosts Earth Lightning
When the Sun's magnetic field is pointed away from Earth, lightning strikes in the U.K. go up 50 percent. Christopher Intagliata reports
Wildlife Crime? There's an App for That
A new tool may help officials crack down on the illegal wildlife trade. David Biello reports
Protected Areas Get Short Shrift
Protected land and sea areas serve the wildlife within them as well as the humans who live near them. But countries are backtracking on thei...
Clock Ticking on Climate Change Prevention
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's new synthesis report adds urgency to the need to cut additional greenhouse ga...
Better E-Waste Handling Helps Environment and Health
Plastic-removal machines will enable Ghana's e-waste recoverers to get at valuable metal guts without burning off the exteriors. David Biell...
Bottling the Sun's Power on Earth
A breakthrough in fusion could solve the world's energy problems, but remains improbable. David Biello reports
Ebola Gorilla Vaccine Could Prevent Human Outbreaks
Infected gorillas and chimps butchered for meat may be behind Ebola outbreaks. David Biello reports
Wildlife Population Plummeted Since 1970
A World Wildlife Fund report estimates losses of 40 percent of all individual land and sea animals, and a 70 percent population crash of all...
People Power Takes Aim at Climate Change
Participlants in the People's Climate March in New York City September 21st hope to persuade world leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit that f...