An animation showing how carbon dioxide moves around the planet. (NASA/YouTube) At a Glance Scientists say 2016 will be remembered as year that carbon dioxide officially passed the symbolic 400 ppm mark permanently.Even if the world stopped emitting carbon dioxide tomorrow, what has already put in the atmosphere will linger for many decades to come, they say. In the centuries to come, history books will likely look back on September 2016 as a major milestone for the world’s climate. At...

A smoggy view of the Shanghai skyline. (xPACIFICA/Getty Images) At a Glance The World Health Organization says 92 percent of the world is breathing excessive air pollution.Pollution is leading to a slew of related health issues and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, among others.Areas hardest hit include Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. More than nine out of 10 people worldwide live in areas with excessive air pollution, a new World Health Organization report says. The new air quality...

Researchers at the University of Michigan created a clearer and more accurate lead paint test to prevent poisoning. ...

Residents of an East Chicago, Indiana, housing project are infuriated that they were not informed for a year and a half that the soil in their complex had extremely high levels of lead that were endangering their children. In July, 1,100 residents of the West Calumet Complex in the industrial town were notified by the Environmental Protection Agency that not only were they and their ,but that their complex would be demolished because of the toxicity of the lead, according...

More than 200 millions of water with low levels of radiation has leaked into aquifer that supplies for large parts of Florida. ...

At a Glance A rift on the Larsen C Ice Shelf is growing at a much faster pace. The rift could eventually cause a massive iceberg to break off. As the sun reemerged over the Antarctic horizon in August after the long, dark austral winter, satellites could once again peer at a rift that has been wending its way across the white expanse of the Larsen C Ice Shelf on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. To the surprise...

Compact, durable, non-filter air purifier uses anions to neutralize pollutants. ...

A plane has discovered that the great Pacific garbage patch is much bigger than had been thought. ...

Hurricane Ike hitting the coast of Texas in 2008. (NASA) At a Glance Researchers from Rice University say Houston's next big hurricane could be the city's "doom."The imaginary hurricane — dubbed "Hurricane Isaiah" — could conceivably be one of the worst disasters in U.S. history. Houston's next hurricane could be the city's "doom," researchers say. According to a report by the New York Times, researchers from Rice Universitybased on models and research, which they are calling "Hurricane Isaiah." The researchers...

Nearly 200 nations have reached a deal to limit the use of greenhouse gassesin a major effort to fight climate change. The agreement announced Saturday morning caps and reduces the use ofhydrofluorocarbons, orHFCs,in a gradual process beginning in 2019. Experts say cutting HFCs is the fastest way to reduce global warming. The United States, the world's second-worst polluter, is among the countries that want to quickly phase out the use of HFCs, and now it is bound to take the...

Scott Brusaw has a vision for the nation's roads. He believes the solar-powered glass pavers his company makes could transform thousands of miles of pavement into a new energy source. His business, Solar Roadways, recently unveiled its first public installation, in a downtown plaza in this northern Idaho resort town. It's 150 square feet of hexagon-shaped solar panels that people can walk and bicycle on. The company is working on proof that the panels, for which it has a patent,...

The Solo Stove Bonfire’s engineering makes fires easier and cleaner. ...

This Nov. 5, 2015, photo shows a heavy earth mover building a sea wall on Majuro Atoll, Marshall. Rising seas in the Marshall Islands can be seen on many of the Atolls in the group as more coastline disappears and vegetation is washed away. The US military ignored warnings about rising seas to build a space radar costing nearly a billion dollars on a tiny atoll in the Marshall Islands. The Space Fence system is considered vital for keeping astronauts...