Climate Science

'It is hotter than balls,' says U.S. government

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Critical List: Keystone XL could spill millions of gallons of oil; snails that like being eaten

The current Yellowstone spill involved 42,000 gallons of oil. That’s bad enough. But the Keystone XL pipeline could dump 6.9 million gallons of oil into the river.

Republicans want to repeal the incandescent light bulb "ban," but since it's NOT SUCH A BRIGHT IDEA (har har), their bill probably won't pass.

Trees can suck up carbon from the atmosphere, delaying disaster for a little while. But so can cities, it turns out. Parks, gardens, abandoned lots, golf courses, sports fields, and river banks suck up more carbon than anyone imagined

Think you're so smart, humans? Even fish can use tools

Tool use: It's not just for humans anymore. Actually, it hasn't been just for humans for a long while -- yet another form of homo sapiens exceptionalism we're having to learn to do without. But now it's not just for humans, apes, monkeys, certain birds, and possibly octopuses: There's documented evidence that fish can use tools too. Take that, practically everything except fish! You're not so smart after all.

Can Florida's nature and people outrace sea-level rise?

Laura Geselbracht talks about what sea-level rise is doing to Florida's Gulf Coast.

Scary maps of the new climate normal

Every state experienced warmer temperatures in 1981-2010 compared with 1971-2000. Take a look at some alarming maps that illustrate the changes.

Relocating prairie dogs displaced by solar power

It's nowhere near the level of destruction wrought by coal mines, oil and gas wells, or giant conventional power plants, but solar installations do have their consequences. Among them: making habitats hostile to prairie dogs.

Polar bears discover Irish heritage

For a long time, scientists thought, as any reasonable person would, that the female ancestor of modern polar bears came from some Alaskan island. But it turns out that, like humans, bears are sometimes attracted to bears that come from foreign places, especially if they have cute accents. In fact, the female ancestor of polar bears came from, of all places, Ireland. (A press release from the Office of the Polar Bear King confirmed that yes, polar bears will be participating in St. Patrick's Day parades worldwide next year.)

Critical List: $6 billion ethanol subsidy to end; Wyoming wolves screwed by Senate politics

The Senate is ending a $6 billion subsidy program for ethanol; anti-ethanol food and environmental groups say it's "not a perfect comprise" but that they're "encouraged" by the step.

Carbon captured from coal plants can feed biofuel-producing algae. Which is awesome because nobody else wants to eat it.

Put that tuna burger down! Overfishing could extinguish five out of eight tuna species.

It's gettin' (really, really) hot in here

Even in a supposedly colder, wetter La Niña year, we're seeing ten times as many record highs as record lows.

Arizona's becoming a dust bowl, and this video of it will scare your pants off