Drought makes heatwaves hotter but less deadly
During heatwaves, the land dries out. That drought further enhances the rising of heatwave temperatures. However, desiccated soils still make the heatwaves less rather than more deadly to humans, due to a reduction in air humidity......»»
Scientist show trees in wetter regions are more sensitive to drought
This holiday season brings surprising news about your Christmas tree. Scientists just discovered that globally, trees growing in wetter regions are more sensitive to drought. That means if your tree hails from a more humid clime, it's likely been spo.....»»
How a drought led to the rise of skateboarding in 1970s California
Why did professional skateboarding arise in southern California in the 1970s? Was it a coincidence, or was it a perfect storm of multiple factors?.....»»
Novel early-detection method aims to stem disease spread in animal trade
A new article published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution by researchers describes a simplified method to detect a deadly fungus killing European salamanders. The ability to rapidly find the fungus is significant as the disease, althoug.....»»
Nearly 1 in 4 people now drought stricken, according to UN report
Almost 1 in every 4 people on Earth are now stricken by drought, and it's just the start of things to come, according to the latest UN report released as the COP28 climate summit gets underway in Dubai......»»
Private timberland from Washington to California lost billions in value due to wildfires
A new study from Oregon State University estimates that wildfire and drought caused $11.2 billion in economic losses to privately owned timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades......»»
"Ecocide": how war and climate change are often linked
The link between climate change and war has been a running theme at COP28, highlighting how many countries suffer from both deadly conflict and environmental disasters......»»
"Living dead": Tunisian villages suffer drought, climate change
Tunisian villager Ounissa Mazhoud ties two empty jerry cans to a donkey and cautiously descends a stony hill towards the last local source of water......»»
In hotter regions, mammals shown to seek forests and avoid human habitats
The cool of the forest is a welcome escape on a hot day. This is especially true for mammals in North America's hottest regions, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study indicates that, as the climate warms, preserving.....»»
We"re in an El Niño. So why has Australia been so wet?
After three La Niña summers many of us would have been expecting much hotter and drier conditions this spring and summer after the arrival of El Niño. Instead, in many parts of eastern Australia it's rained and rained over the last few weeks......»»
"Silent devastation" of drought set to increase globally under climate change, says UN report
Recent drought-related data compiled by the UN point to "an unprecedented emergency on a planetary scale, where the massive impacts of human-induced droughts are only starting to unfold.".....»»
"End of century" extreme heat and drought conditions in Europe could occur much earlier than previously thought
Simultaneous episodes of extreme heat and drought—typical of a moderate warming scenario predicted for the end of the 21st century—could occur earlier and repeatedly in Europe, reports a study published in Communications Earth & Environment......»»
Making menstrual pads from succulents could improve access to sanitary products
A method for producing a highly absorbent material from sisal (Agave sisalana)—a drought-tolerant succulent plant—is described in a study published in Communications Engineering. The authors suggest that, with further development, their method co.....»»
Why the success of COP28 depends on climate finance
Beginning this week, leaders from more than 190 countries will gather in Dubai for COP28, the annual climate global summit. This year, the stakes have never been higher: wildfires in Maui, partly exacerbated by drought, killed at least 100 people and.....»»
Five things to watch for at COP28 climate talks
Deadly floods in the Horn of Africa. Summer wildfires that ravaged Canadian forests. Global temperature records unprecedented in the history of humanity......»»
India hopes cloud seeding can wash away deadly smog
Indian scientists are preparing cloud seeding technology to clean poisonous smog in the capital with rain, but environmental critics fear it is an expensive distraction from tackling root causes......»»
Female toxin-producing newts are surprisingly more poisonous than males
Tetrodotoxin, the neurotoxin that makes a blue-ringed octopus deadly, also protects Taricha newts—but we don't understand how they produce it, or what purposes it serves for them......»»
Antarctic ozone hole getting deeper in mid-spring, research suggests
The hole in the Antarctic ozone layer has been getting deeper in mid-spring over the last two decades, despite a global ban on chemicals that deplete Earth's shield from deadly solar radiation, new research suggested Tuesday......»»
Beech forests are beneficial in the climate crisis but suffer under drought and heat
Measurements from the past 27 years show that nature's ecosystem services and good biodiversity remove CO2 from the atmosphere, thus reducing the effect of carbon emissions. However, it is also clear that ecosystem services are affected by higher tem.....»»
Amazon region hit by trio of droughts in grim snapshot of the century to come
The Amazon is facing an unprecedented drought that is projected to continue affecting the region at least until mid-2024. The lowest water levels in 121 years of river-level records have been recorded in the city of Manaus. Vast areas of the Amazon R.....»»
Quinoa research punctures 100-year-old theory of odd little "water balloons"
Quinoa and many other extremely resilient plants are covered with strange balloon-like "bladders" that for 127 years were believed to be responsible for protecting them from drought and salt......»»