Wildfires Used to Be Helpful. How Did They Get So Hellish?
Fires are supposed to reset ecosystems, paving the way for new growth. But human meddling and climate change have turned them into monsters......»»
The frog and the gecko: Why tropical species are at greater climate risk
The effects of climate change—extreme heat waves, wildfires of unprecedented magnitude and devastating floods—have now been occurring for several decades, and the COP26 climate agreement reached in Glasgow will not be enough to keep global warmin.....»»
Social Media Bans of Scientific Misinformation Aren"t Helpful, Researchers Say
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: The Royal Society is the UK's national academy of sciences. On Wednesday, it published a report on what it calls the "online information environment," challenging some key assumptions behind the movem.....»»
US plans $50B wildfire fight where forests meet suburbia
The Biden administration plans to significantly expand efforts to stave off catastrophic wildfires that have torched areas of the U.S. West by more aggressively thinning forests around areas called "hotspots" where nature and neighborhoods collide......»»
Ocean heat is at record levels, with major consequences
The world witnessed record-breaking climate and weather disasters in 2021, from destructive flash floods that swept through mountain towns in Europe and inundated subway systems in China and the U.S., to heat waves and wildfires. Typhoon Rai killed o.....»»
Fishers are facing pressure from wildfires and salvage logging, research shows
The recovery of the fisher, a charismatic, long-tailed forest carnivore, will likely be hindered by the increasing frequency and intensity of future wildfires, new research by Oregon State University indicates......»»
Surprisingly few animals die in wildfires, and that means we can help more in the aftermath
The estimate that one billion animals were killed by Australia's 2019–20 Black Summer fires drew international attention to the fate of wildlife during fire......»»
Wildfires Are Digging Carbon-Spewing Holes in the Arctic
Soaring temperatures are rapidly thawing permafrost, leading to huge sinkholes called thermokarst. Northern fires are making the situation even worse......»»
Inefficient California ports cost farmers billions
Between wildfires, drought, a trade war, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the last few years have been hard on California farmers. But recent research by agricultural economists from UC Davis and the University of Connecticut suggests that economic losses.....»»
Heavy snows to hit Colorado after wildfires destroyed hundreds of homes
A powerful storm system bringing heavy snowfall was blowing into Colorado on Friday, a day after devastating wildfires fueled by hurricane-force winds destroyed hundreds of homes and forced tens of thousands to flee......»»
Controlled burning of natural environments could help offset our carbon emissions
Planting trees and suppressing wildfires do not necessarily maximize the carbon storage of natural ecosystems. A new study has found that prescribed burning can actually lock in or increase carbon in the soils of temperate forests, savannahs and gras.....»»
Floating "aerobats" could be the best way to explore the cloud tops of Venus
According to multiple lines of evidence, Venus was once a much different planet than it is today. But roughly 500 million years ago, a massive resurfacing event triggered a runaway greenhouse effect that led to the poisonous and hellish environment w.....»»
Fire and ice: The puzzling link between Western wildfires and Arctic sea ice
"Some say the world will end in fire," wrote Robert Frost a century ago. The poet described one popular take on the world's end before shifting to its apocalyptic opposite, writing, "some say in ice.".....»»
55 Mac tips, tricks, troubleshooters and time-savers
Useful tips, helpful tricks and troubleshooting tools for MacBooks, iMacs and more......»»
Almost 17 million vertebrates killed in the 2020 wildfires in Brazil: study
The 2020 wildfires in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil, caused the immediate death of potentially 16.9 million vertebrates, including lizards, birds and primates, reports a study published in Scientific Reports......»»
Scientists find climate-driven tree mortality and fuel aridity increase wildfire fuel availability
New research conducted by scientists at The University of New Mexico suggests climate-driven tree mortality and fuel aridity are increasing fuel availability in forests leading to record-breaking wildfires in size, spread and plume formation......»»
Smoke, heat and stress: A snapshot from Southern California of life in an altered climate
From record-breaking heat waves to massive wildfires, floods and long-running drought, the impacts of climate change across the U.S. have been impossible to ignore in 2021. While conditions vary from one region to another, it is clear that no part of.....»»
Orchid reintroduction is helpful to long-term species protection
Orchids are a charismatic group of plant species that currently face a considerable number of threats to their long-term survival. Orchids produce thousands of dust-like seeds that may be easily dispersed by wind. However, due to their tiny size, see.....»»
A year lasts just 8 hours on tiny, hellish planet bombarded by radiation
Astronomers have discovered a terrifying planet: Smaller than Earth and so close to its star that it completes an orbit in just eight hours......»»
Roku Express is still only $19 for Cyber Monday — but not for long
Cyber Monday deals are also about small but helpful devices like the Roku Express, a streaming stick that adds access to the Roku platform to non-smart TVs......»»
Wildfires torched up to a fifth of all giant sequoia trees
Lightning-sparked wildfires killed thousands of giant sequoias this year, leading to a staggering two-year death toll that accounts for up to nearly a fifth of Earth's largest trees, officials said Friday......»»