Magazine

Even with the progress made in introducing alternatives to fossil fuels, gaining energy efficiencies and proposed carbon regulations around the world, avoiding catastrophic impacts on our coastal infrastructure, biodiversity, food, energy and water resources will require more. Many climate researchers believe government needs to advance technology that will actually suck carbon dioxide out of the air and put it away for very long periods.

Emily Fusco, University of Massachusetts Amherst The Santa Ana winds that help drive fall and winter wildfires in California have died down, providing welcome relief for residents. But other ecological factors contribute to fires in ways that scientists are still discovering. I study how human actions affect fire regimes – the patterns through which fires …

Invasive grasses are fueling wildfires across the US Read More »

The global oil industry stands at a crossroads. Corporate leaders are weighing how closely to stay wedded to their legacy business – finding, extracting and refining fossil energy – versus preparing for an uncertain low-carbon future.

David Wild, Indiana University A major wildfire spread through Colorado, and I spent long hours locating shelters, identifying evacuation routes and piecing together satellite imagery. As the Fourmile Canyon Fire devastated areas to the west of Boulder, ultimately destroying 169 homes and causing US$217 million in damage, my biggest concerns were ensuring that people could …

Data science could help Californians battle future wildfires Read More »

Jennifer M. Bernstein, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Like many Americans, I worry about the state of the planet and try to make a positive impact through decisions in my day-to-day life. But I also am nagged by the feeling that I often get it wrong, even though …

Why ‘acting locally’ is impossible in an interconnected world Read More »

Sheril Kirshenbaum, Michigan State University and Douglas Buhler, Michigan State University By 2050, many scientists estimate that the world food supply will have to increase sharply from today’s level to meet anticipated demand from a global population of 9 to 10 billion people. Meanwhile, the coming decades are expected to bring higher and more variable …

Americans, especially millennials, are embracing plant-based meat products Read More »

Adriana Briscoe, University of California, Irvine An award-winning scientist and professor of evolutionary biology, Adriana Briscoe studies the evolution of vision in butterflies and how they see color. Briscoe is currently working on her first book, which is a memoir about, what else? Butterflies. A descendant of Mexican immigrants who fled the Mexican Revolution at …

Flying colors: Researcher reveals hidden world through the eyes of butterflies Read More »

Matthew Savoca, Stanford University Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans has become a global environmental crisis. Many people have seen images that seem to capture it, such as beaches carpeted with plastic trash or a seahorse gripping a cotton swab with its tail. As a scientist researching marine plastic pollution, I thought I had seen …

A teen scientist helped me discover tons of golf balls polluting the ocean Read More »

The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter (USGBC-LA) has announced the first cohort of its Net Zero Accelerator, a major new initiative which identifies viable net zero building technologies, positions them for success, and accelerates their market entry throughout the greater Los Angeles region. Believed to be the first accelerator of its kind to help achieve net zero …

USGBC-LA Announces First Cohort of ‘Net Zero Accelerator’ Read More »