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

Will battery recycling be ready when all these new EV batteries die?

The growing usage of lithium-ion batteries, particularly in vehicles, is outpacing the technology to recycle them. But researchers and innovators are scrambling to find an effective and eco-friendly battery recycling technique.

Teresa Carey

Agriculture

Can CRISPR keep the beer flowing?

Researchers are turning to CRISPR to create barley better able to remain dormant in climate change — while being still ready to make beer.

B. David Zarley

Archaeology

Scientists discover a new mineral from the depths of the Earth

Scientists have discovered a new mineral that has never been seen before. The unearthed mineral was trapped inside the diamond.

Teresa Carey

Engineering

Metal-eating bacteria could clean up dirty mining sites

A unique metal-chomping microorganism ate through a nail in just three days. Now they might be tasked with an enormous mission: cleaning up mining waste.

Teresa Carey

Agriculture

Agrivoltaics let farmland serve double duty

Agrivoltaics combines farming with renewable energy, using the shade of solar panels to help plants thrive in a changing climate.

Kristin Houser

Climate Crisis

Here’s what the world will look like 4°C warmer

This map, which shows some of the effects a 4°C rise in average temperature could have on the planet.

Frank Jacobs

Climate Crisis

Students get $5 million from Elon Musk for carbon-removal ideas

An Elon Musk-funded XPrize competition has given teams of students $5 million to develop ideas for carbon removal systems.

Kristin Houser

Clean Energy

Electric cars could one day power your house – here’s how to make it happen

Electric cars could power millions of households by plugging their battery power back into the grid instead of being stored.

Tom Stacey and Ying Xie

Agriculture

Survival genes from the world’s harshest desert environment could save our crops

Researchers have discovered genes linked to plant survival in Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the world's harshest desert environments.

Teresa Carey

Animals

Moving endangered species could save them — or turn them into invasive species

As climate change destroys ecosystems, some scientists propose helping animals pack up their bags and move to more hospitable parts of the world. But helping animals migrate is a complicated and fraught task. Now, some scientists want to lay the ground rules for assisted colonization, before the animals become refugees.

Teresa Carey

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