The mangroves of Baja California. (Octavio Aburto-Oropeza) Squat mangrove forests that seem at first blush to simply eke by along the coasts of Baja California are sitting on a big secret — one with sweeping implications in an era of accelerating climate change. Despite their diminutive appearance, scientists discovered that these mucky coastal ecosystems store huge amounts of carbon, helping to slow global warming. The peninsula’s low-growing mangrove forests harbor at least as much carbon as towering mangrove forests found...

Enduring their warmest winter on record, Alaska and its dry conditions nearly put an end to the legendary Iditarod dog sled race. “There was just no snow,” Musher Marie Helwig told the Guardian. “We were running on ice and dirt. You can’t really control a sled when there is no snow.” Warm temperatures sparked conversation between contestants, suggesting to move the race back into a month with a higher chance of seeing snow, like January or February, rather than keeping...

It’s been a winter for the books in the Arctic. Capping off a season of sustained, mind-boggling warm weather and stunted sea ice growth, the annual Arctic sea ice maximum hit its lowest level ever recorded. That marks the second straight year that the winter maximum ice extent set a record low. “I’ve never seen such a warm, crazy winter in the Arctic,” Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center, said in a statement. “The heat...

Yosemite National Park A view of a rockfall from the east side along El Portal Road (Highway 140) within Yosemite National Park in California. Summer after summer, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) could not figure out why rockfalls kept occurring in Yosemite National Park. The slides are common after earthquakes, heavy rain or snow, but none of those played a factor in these particular avalanches. “These were happening in the summer time, in the afternoon on beautiful, blue...

A view of the giant hole in Siberia, Russia. (Marya Zulinova, press service of the Governor YaNAO) In 2014, massive holes began appearing in parts of Siberia. One giant crater in the Yamal Peninsula spanned more than 100 feet wide, gaining international attention and prompting theories about how it could have formed. In the following year,dozens more of these mystery holes were spotted nearby. Since then, scientists have been able to determine that the mystery hole wasn't an impact from...

In a new study, Stanford researchers found a clear link between fracking and groundwater quality in a Wyoming community. (Photo Illustration by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Scientists have found that fracking has had a "clear impact" to drinking water in Pavillion,Wyoming, according to a study published this week in the journalEnvironmental Science & Technology. In a report that Stanford researchers were calling a "wake-up call," they determined that natural gas extraction activities in the town, which included injecting chemicals such as...

More than 800 oil spills were simulated using a computer model with real weather and water-current data measured at the Straits of Mackinac. This map shows the percentage of cases in which oil is present at a given location at any time after a Straits of Mackinac release. (Dave Schwab, U-M Water Center) The Great Lakes are the largest surface area of freshwater in the world, and a researcher with the University of Michigan Water Center is looking at how...

A group is working to protect sea turtles by creating a fake egg with a transmitter inside for tracking poachers. ...

The Clairy air purifier enhances plants’ natural air purifying abilities and monitors air quality in real time. ...

With many citizens growing concerned over the quality of the air in their communities and rising global temperatures, several intrepid cities have taken matters into their own hands. The Sierra Club recently announced its list of 15 cities in the United States that have committed to 100 percent clean energy, as part of its Ready for 100 initiative, a campaign to get towns in America to pledge to be fully powered by renewable energy. "Aspen, Burlington, and Greensburg have already...

Meteorologist Danielle Banks reports that a new report on climate change says that increased temperatures could be responsible for 27,000 deaths in the U.S. by 2100. ...

Half of the planet's 229 UNESCO World Heritage sites could be jeopardized by industrial development like unsustainable logging and over-exploitation of resources, according to a new report commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund. These 114 sites at risk, in spite of being designated protected areas, include such ecological treasures as the Everglades, the Grand Canyon and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the United States. The report, which was put together byDalberg Global Development Advisors, showed that "oil, gas or...

The city of Caracas, Venezuela, is undergoing a power crisis. (iStock/lizfemandezg) Public employees in Venezuela will be able to take three-day weekends for the next two months, but it's not something to celebrate. The nation is in the midst of a power crisis, and this is one measure the government is taking to cut energy usage and save money. President Nicolas Maduro announced late Wednesday that he would sign a decree giving state workers Fridays off for 60 days —...