Energy

an overhead shot of land split in three. the left side is dry and dusty. the middle has some vegetation, and the right side has a lot.

Desertification is destroying fertile land. Here’s how we’re fighting it.

a female presenting person in a lab coat holding a solar cell

New “tandem” solar cell breaks world record

A new tandem solar cell containing layers of silicon and perovskite has demonstrated an unprecedented efficiency of 33.7%.

Kristin Houser

Clean Energy

These 4 charts show the unstoppable growth of solar

Solar is growing fast enough to displace fossil fuels from the entire global economy before 2050, but infrastructure needs to keep up.

Andrew Blakers

Clean Energy

Is the Salton Sea hiding enough lithium to power America?

A team of scientists plans to map out deep-earth lithium to see if it can sustainably supply America's urgent needs.

Teresa Carey

Clean Energy

Meet the social entrepreneurs shaking up solar

Climate change and a lack of access to clean energy intensify the difficulties faced by minorities. Fortunately, leaders with strong roots in their communities have devised unique strategies for long-term change.

Teresa Carey

Climate Crisis

Engineered bacteria convert CO2 into valuable industrial chemicals

Many industrial chemicals have a large carbon footprint. But scientists have engineered bacteria that ferments carbon dioxide from the air to make industrial chemicals

Teresa Carey

Cars

Starbucks is creating an EV “charger highway,” from Seattle to Denver

Starbucks is aiming to capitalize on the demand for electric vehicle infrastructure by installing chargers at up to 15 locations in the U.S.

Stephen Johnson

Animals

Californian wineries turn to owls as answer for growing pest problem

Rather than turning to rodenticides to deter pests, a new study is testing the effectiveness of owls to manage the problem.

Paige Bennett

Animals

Elephant tusk DNA is used to expose poaching networks

Researchers using cell phone records, shipment logs, and elephant DNA have solved poaching mysteries and identified trafficking networks across the continent.

Teresa Carey

Food

A meat-free world by 2035? “Totally doable,” says Impossible Foods CEO

"Our mission is to completely replace the use of animals as a food technology by 2035," said Impossible Foods CEO Patrick O. Brown.

Stephen Johnson

Transportation

Volkswagen reveals release date for electric Microbus

Volkswagen will begin selling its all-electric ID. Buzz — a modern take on the iconic Microbus — in the U.S. in 2024.

Kristin Houser

Agriculture

3D ocean farming: creating food while cleaning the ocean

3D ocean farming can help us feed Earth’s growing population while also improving the health of the oceans.

Kristin Houser

Critically endangered kiwikiu (Maui parrotbill)

Animals

Digital sound archives can bring extinct birds (briefly) back to life

Sound recordings remind us that these beings are invaluable, and that humans have a duty to preserve them.

Hannah Hunter

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