What's Current in

Environment + Sustainability

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Snow-covered conifers cover the mountains under an overcast sky.
Photo Credit
Joan Dudney
The trees in this lush, temperate forest in the Cascade Range of Washington are likely less resistant to drought than their counterparts in drier regions to the south.

Trees are in trouble
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Flames from the Thomas Fire reflect in the waves at night.
Photo Credit
Ray Ford / Noozhawk
Flames from the Thomas Fire reflect in the waves just west of Ventura. Its proximity to the ocean provided researchers a unique opportunity.
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A large pile of small blue plastic objects rises from a relief map of Manhattan
Photo Credit
Courtesy Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
This image of a blue plastic pile represents the cumulative amount of plastic waste that would be generated between 2010 and 2050 — enough to cover the entire island of Manhattan, and ten times the height of the Empire State Building — under a business-as-usual scenario where no aggressive policy actions are taken.
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The head of a California red-legged frog peers out from lily pads
Photo Credit
Gary M. Fellers/USGS
California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) surfaces in a pond in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif.

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A humpback swims at the surface with fishing gear wrapped around its flukes.
Photo Credit
E. Lyman/ NOAA Sanctuaries
Less gear in the water means fewer chances for Whales to become entangled.
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fishers just off a Pacific island shore
Photo Credit
Jacob Eurich
Fishers coming home on a paddle canoe after fishing on the fore reefs of Abaiang, Kiribati
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Palms blow in a storm.
Photo Credit
ChiehCheng via iStock
The El Niño Southern Oscillation influences weather patterns across the world.
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open bottle pouring out a small pool of detergent
With this method, your empty detergent bottle can be turned into more detergent
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A scalloped hammerhead prowls a reef in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, Ecuador.
Photo Credit
Lopazanski et al.
The Galapagos Marine Reserve is one of many marine protected areas around the globe that safeguards biodiversity, cultural heritage and marine resources.