Environment Articles

This year's summer was the Earth's hottest since global record-keeping began in 1880. Large parts of the Northern Hemisphere – including areas of the United States, Europe, and Japan – experienced scorching heatwaves. Humans comfortably rode out the extreme weather inside air-conditioned homes and offices. However, the option was not available to most zoo animals. Here are some creative ways that zookeepers used to keep the animals safe in the heat....

The ocean is full of mysteries. But few have grabbed the attention of the scientific community and the public as the recently-found "golden egg." Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stumbled upon the shiny orb two miles (3.2 km) deep in the Gulf of Alaska on August 20, 2023....

Found in tropical waters worldwide, trumpetfish are elongated creatures with long snouts, which they use to swallow small fish and shrimp. The large fish are known to use a variety of tactics to avoid being detected by their prey. They include changing color to blend in with their surroundings and hiding amid the long branches of soft corals. Now, researchers have found that the crafty fish often deceive their prey by hiding behind larger, friendlier fish....

A reticulated baby giraffe at Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, is garnering worldwide attention due to her unusual looks. The female, born on July 31, 2023, lacks her characteristic patches. Instead, she has a plain brown coat. The zoo's officials believe she might be the "only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet."...

If this summer feels a little warmer than usual, you are not wrong. The global temperatures in June 2023 far exceeded the previous record set in June 2019. The sweltering weather intensified in July. On August 14, 2023, NASA reported that it was the hottest month since global temperature record-keeping began in 1880. Some experts believe July may have been the hottest month in 120,000 years. If the trend continues into the fall and winter, 2023 may surpass 2016 as the hottest year on record....

On June 21, 2023, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted its first-ever approval of cell-cultured meat. The assent is restricted to products made by GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods. It was the final step the California-based startups needed to sell their lab-grown chicken in the US....

There are over 30 meteor showers annually. But few can compare to the spectacular Perseids. The "shooting stars" have been blazing through the sky at a rate of about a dozen an hour since mid-July and will continue until the end of August. But the best time to view them is when Earth passes through the area with the densest comet dust. That's when the meteors' pace increases to between 50 and 100 an hour. This year that will be during the pre-dawn hours of August 13....

Visitors to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers are about to witness the rare blooming of a titan arum, or corpse flower. The massive flower blossoms once every four to five years and lasts only 24 to 48 hours. But that may be a good thing. That's because when the petals unfurl, they emit an odor reminiscent of rotting meat....

Fish farming is a form of aquaculture in which fish are raised in enclosures to be sold as food. They account for over half of the world's fish supply and are vital for meeting the needs of an ever-growing human population. However, fish farms currently face a big challenge — waste management....