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Nature for nerds

Climate Change Conservation Earth Science Energy Environmental Justice

A map of sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, where a very strong El Niño has developed

This Super El Niño Just Triggered Something the WHO Has Never Done Before

As El Niño approaches a record-breaking peak, UN scientists are urging the world to prepare.

Earth Science Ellyn Lapointe Nov 10

A map of expected snowfall across the northeastern US

Break Out the Shovels—a Nor’easter May Bring the Northeast’s First Snow This Week

Earth Science Ellyn Lapointe Nov 10

Several smoke stacks billowing smoke

Global Fossil Fuel Emissions Actually Fell in 2026. Don’t Get Used to It

Climate Change Ellyn Lapointe Nov 9

Tokamak Diii D National Fusion Lab General Atomics

Physicists Gave Up on This Fusion Technique in the 1980s. Now It’s Working

Energy Gayoung Lee Nov 9

A person crouches on a hillside looking out over a building destroyed by floodwaters

The World Is Heading Toward 1.5 Degrees of Warming—but Many Regions Are Already Living It

Climate Change Ellyn Lapointe Nov 9

Latest on Earther

A map of sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, where a very strong El Niño has developed

This Super El Niño Just Triggered Something the WHO Has Never Done Before

A map of expected snowfall across the northeastern US

Break Out the Shovels—a Nor’easter May Bring the Northeast’s First Snow This Week

Several smoke stacks billowing smoke

Global Fossil Fuel Emissions Actually Fell in 2026. Don’t Get Used to It

Tokamak Diii D National Fusion Lab General Atomics

Physicists Gave Up on This Fusion Technique in the 1980s. Now It’s Working

A person crouches on a hillside looking out over a building destroyed by floodwaters

The World Is Heading Toward 1.5 Degrees of Warming—but Many Regions Are Already Living It

Wind turbine technicians work on the nacelle of a turbine on the Sidrap Wind Farm in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Scientists Found a Clever Second Life for Dead Wind Turbine Blades

A data visualization of the 2026 ozone hole

The Ozone Hole Is the Largest It’s Been in a Decade. The Reason May Surprise You

Three moths on a person's hand

Scientists Thought California Had as Few as 26,000 Insect Species. They Were Way Off

Grand Canyon Powell Great Unconformity

The Grand Canyon Is Missing 1.2 Billion Years of Earth History. Scientists May Have Figured Out Why

The House of Representatives and the Senate are the two chambers of the U.S. Congress.

Here’s What the Historic Blue Wave Means for Trump’s Climate Rollbacks

Street signs stand half submerged in a flooded street, with homes and trees in the background

Winter Hasn’t Even Started, and El Niño Is Already Drenching the US From Coast to Coast

A burning house and property

Wildfire Risk to US Buildings Is On Track to Triple by 2060

Researchers Deploying Argo Float

This Super El Niño Might Be a Global Disaster. It Will Also Be an Incredible Scientific Opportunity

A blue whale swims at the surface of the ocean seen from above

This Super El Niño May Be Driving Blue Whales Away From the Galápagos

Reykjavik Iceland Capital City 2018

Iceland Is War-Gaming an Ocean Current Collapse

An aerial view of Lake Powell at record-low water level, with a white "bathtub ring" seen next to Glen Canyon dam

Lake Powell Is Hiding Something Spectacular—and Draining It Would Bring It Back

Basketwork Eels Patience Seamount Csiro Survey

2.8 Million Eels Keep Swarming This Underwater Mountain—and Scientists Still Don’t Know Why

A man sprays a hose at a brush fire.

Global CO2 Levels Expected to Surge Thanks to This Super El Niño

Sausalito Hwy101 California King Tide

El Niño Is Already Flooding California’s Coasts—and the Year’s Highest Tides Haven’t Arrived

A sea ice floe in Antarctica

Scientists Sound Alarm as Antarctica’s Ocean Grows Saltier for the First Time in 130,000 Years

Climate Change

Several smoke stacks billowing smoke

Global Fossil Fuel Emissions Actually Fell in 2026. Don’t Get Used to It

Scientists see this as a short-term blip, not the start of a long-term decline

Climate Change Ellyn Lapointe Nov 9

A person crouches on a hillside looking out over a building destroyed by floodwaters

The World Is Heading Toward 1.5 Degrees of Warming—but Many Regions Are Already Living It

Climate Change Ellyn Lapointe Nov 9

The House of Representatives and the Senate are the two chambers of the U.S. Congress.

Here’s What the Historic Blue Wave Means for Trump’s Climate Rollbacks

Climate Change Grist staff, Grist Nov 4

A burning house and property

Wildfire Risk to US Buildings Is On Track to Triple by 2060

Climate Change Ellyn Lapointe Nov 3

Reykjavik Iceland Capital City 2018

Iceland Is War-Gaming an Ocean Current Collapse

Climate Change Matthew Phelan Nov 2

Conservation

Three moths on a person's hand

Scientists Thought California Had as Few as 26,000 Insect Species. They Were Way Off

A statewide survey has revealed the true scale of California's insect biodiversity.

Conservation Ellyn Lapointe Nov 4

A blue whale swims at the surface of the ocean seen from above

This Super El Niño May Be Driving Blue Whales Away From the Galápagos

Conservation Ellyn Lapointe Nov 2

Basketwork Eels Patience Seamount Csiro Survey

2.8 Million Eels Keep Swarming This Underwater Mountain—and Scientists Still Don’t Know Why

Biology Gayoung Lee Oct 30

A tropical coral reef

Earth’s Shallow Coral Reefs May Have Just 50 Years Left

Conservation Ellyn Lapointe Oct 23

Colossal Peter Jackson Moa Egg

Peter Jackson Just Got an Ultra-Rare Extinct Moa Egg Back to New Zealand With the Help of De-Extinction Startup

Conservation Matthew Phelan Oct 19

Earth Science

A map of sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, where a very strong El Niño has developed

This Super El Niño Just Triggered Something the WHO Has Never Done Before

As El Niño approaches a record-breaking peak, UN scientists are urging the world to prepare.

Earth Science Ellyn Lapointe Nov 10

A map of expected snowfall across the northeastern US

Break Out the Shovels—a Nor’easter May Bring the Northeast’s First Snow This Week

Earth Science Ellyn Lapointe Nov 10

A data visualization of the 2026 ozone hole

The Ozone Hole Is the Largest It’s Been in a Decade. The Reason May Surprise You

Earth Science Ellyn Lapointe Nov 5

Grand Canyon Powell Great Unconformity

The Grand Canyon Is Missing 1.2 Billion Years of Earth History. Scientists May Have Figured Out Why

Earth Science Gayoung Lee Nov 4

Street signs stand half submerged in a flooded street, with homes and trees in the background

Winter Hasn’t Even Started, and El Niño Is Already Drenching the US From Coast to Coast

Earth Science Ellyn Lapointe Nov 3

Energy

Tokamak Diii D National Fusion Lab General Atomics

Physicists Gave Up on This Fusion Technique in the 1980s. Now It’s Working

A fusion trick that failed in the 1980s finally works—and it may keep reactors running nonstop.

Energy Gayoung Lee Nov 9

Wind turbine technicians work on the nacelle of a turbine on the Sidrap Wind Farm in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Scientists Found a Clever Second Life for Dead Wind Turbine Blades

Energy Ellyn Lapointe Nov 6

A subsea geothermal power plant suspended on wires aboard a ship

A Startup Just Pulled Electricity From an Underwater Volcano Off Oregon. The Next Step Is Much Harder

Energy Ellyn Lapointe Oct 28

Transmission Lines with a river in the background

A ‘Super’ El Niño Is Here. Can the US Power Grid Handle It This Winter?

Energy Ellyn Lapointe Oct 10

Deep Isolation Deep Nuclear Rig

Big Oil Perfected Sideways Drilling. A Startup Wants to Do the Same With Nuclear Waste

Energy Matthew Phelan Oct 2

Environmental Justice

Water drips from the faucet of a kitchen sink.

US Water Bills Surged 62% in 10 Years. A New Map Reveals Where Americans Pay the Most

The report blames corporate control of water systems, climate change, and federal disinvestment in infrastructure.

Environmental Justice Ellyn Lapointe Oct 6

U-boat UC-30 Danish Navy diver

Sunken WWI and WWII Ships and Subs Are Leaking TNT Pollution Into the Ocean

Environmental Justice Matthew Phelan Aug 24

A hand holds a cardboard sign that reads: "We don't have enough water for this"

Just How Bad Are AI Data Centers for Your Local Water?

Environmental Justice Ellyn Lapointe Aug 8

Animas River toxic mine spill colorado

Over 26,000 US Public Parks Border a Toxic Superfund Site—But It’s Worse Than That

Environmental Justice Matthew Phelan Aug 7

Recycling symbol

A Federal Judge Just Turned the Recycling Symbol Into a Fight Over Free Speech

Environmental Justice Joseph Winters, Grist Aug 6

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