Missing Miami tabby cat found 1,400 miles from home

Authorities in a Kansas city made a startling discovery over the weekend, scanning a lone cat’s microchip and finding the feline had somehow made it to the Midwest all the way from South Florida. The orange tabby, aptly named “Lucky,” was spotted in Prairie Village more than two years after going missing from Miami, a trip of some 1,400 miles.

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China is adding solar and wind faster than many of us realise: three charts that put it in perspective

China adds enough solar and wind every year to cover the total electricity use of major countries such as South Africa, Spain, and (almost) the UK.

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A looming El Niño could give us a preview of life at 1.5C of warming

The last three years were objectively hot, numbering among the warmest since records began in 1880. But the scorch factor of recent years was actually tempered by a climate pattern that slightly cools the globe, “La Niña.”

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Solar paint: the next big thing in renewable energy?

As of 2023, the U.S. solar industry is attracting private investment activity worth tens of billions of dollars. When that kind of serious cash starts flooding an industry, you know new innovation isn't far behind. And what sounds more innovative than ‘solar paint’? A paint that can generate electricity, but still works as normal paint? The ability to turn not only a roof, but an entire building into a solar-generating surface? If that doesn't scream innovation, then I don't know what does.

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Ohio train derailment spotlights debate over health risks from plastics

After the Feb. 3 derailment of train cars carrying the toxic chemical vinyl chloride in East Palestine, Ohio, there has been increased focus on rail safety and whether the release of dangerous chemicals could have been averted.

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Why new development on Minneapolis Kmart site is at least four years away

A number of factors are behind the long timeline for the plans, which were halted by the riots after George Floyd's murder.

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The Bizarre Evolution of Hemipenes (yes...hemipenes.)

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Revealed: the US is averaging one chemical accident every two days

Guardian analysis of data in light of Ohio train derailment shows accidental releases are happening consistently

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Ecosystem collapse ‘inevitable’ unless wildlife losses reversed

The steady destruction of wildlife can suddenly tip over into total ecosystem collapse, scientists studying the greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history have found. Many scientists think the huge current losses of biodiversity are the start of a new mass extinction. But the new research shows total ecosystem collapse is “inevitable”, if the losses are not reversed, the scientists said.

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Night skies are getting 9.6% brighter every year as light pollution erases stars for everyone

For most of human history, the stars blazed in an otherwise dark night sky. But starting around the Industrial Revolution, as artificial light increasingly lit cities and towns at night, the stars began to disappear. We are two astronomers who depend on dark night skies to do our research. For decades, astronomers have been building telescopes in the darkest places on Earth to avoid light pollution.

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This Strange Ancient 'Fossil' May Not Have Been Left by Any Living Thing

An ancient three-dimensional star-shaped 'thing' still baffles scientists more than a century after its discovery.

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Discarded Roman artefact may have been more than a good luck charm

The wooden object was initially thought to be a darning tool since it had been found alongside dozens of shoes and dress accessories, as well as other small tools and craft waste products such as leather off-cuts and worked antler, that were discarded in the 2nd century fort ditch.

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This Startup Is Making Ultra-Strong Building Panels Out of Grass

Construction is a major carbon emitter. The manufacture of cement alone accounts for eight percent of the world’s emissions. But humanity certainly isn’t about to stop building things—in fact, fixing the housing shortage should be near the top of our list of problems to solve. So we need to find more sustainable ways to build, and if they can be cheaper to boot, even better.

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Lawmakers demand EPA action on troubled cleanup of lead-contaminated L.A.-area homes

After a Times investigation into project lapses, California members of Congress call on the EPA to help in troubled Exide lead cleanup.

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A skinny robot documents the forces eroding a massive Antarctic glacier

Scientists got their first up-close look at what's eating away part of Antarctica's Thwaites ice shelf, nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier because of its massive melt and sea rise potential, and it's both good and bad news.

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World first study shows how EVs cut pollution levels and reduce costly health problems

A landmark study in California using real-word data has shown that increasing electric vehicle uptake leads to less air pollution and better public health.

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FDA no longer requires animal testing for new drugs. Is that safe?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) no longer requires new drugs to be tested in animals before being approved. Thanks to a law passed in December 2022(opens in new tab), the agency now has the option to approve drugs that are tested in only non-animal studies, including those that use lab-grown tissues or computer models, before being tested in clinical trials with humans.

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Study Shows How Corporations Are Deceiving the Public to 'Greenwash Their Brand'

A detailed study published Monday finds that the climate pledges of some of the world's largest companies are often highly misleading, lack transparency, and fall well short of what's necessary to avert catastrophic warming.

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California reservoir overspills for first time in over a decade after rain

A California reservoir is overspilling for the first time in decades following heavy rainfall. Lake Cachuma, a reservoir in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, was 99.7 percent full on February 8. The lake was less than a third full two months ago.

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India and Pakistan are choking on each other’s pollution

Fixing the problem will require countries that hate each other to co-operate

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Lynx facing extinction in France as population drops at most to 150 cats

Urgent action needed as DNA tests show their genetic diversity is so low they could vanish from the country in 30 years

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Stillwater High students get a lesson in engineering with an assist from a three-legged dog

The hallway outside of the engineering classroom at Stillwater High became a runway on a recent morning for a special guest testing out some new gear crafted by students. With some encouragement, Sadie, a three-legged brown and white Brittany Spaniel took a few hesitant hops before taking off down the corridor in a makeshift cart of PVC pipe, swivel wheels and a few sponges for added padding.

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Environment groups call for urgent action on hazardous waste from e-cigarettes

Environment groups have called for urgent clarity and regulation to respond to an increase in hazardous waste from e-cigarettes, as vaping becomes more popular. The number of people using e-cigarettes doubled between 2016 and 2019, according to the federal government, with a survey showing more than 30% of 14- to 17-year-olds have tried vaping.

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The Endangered Species Act Turns 50: Assessing Successes & Failures

Thanks to the ESA, at least 227 species have been saved from extinction and 110 species have seen a tremendous recovery including American alligators, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and humpback whales.

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Pope: We must listen to Indigenous Peoples to address climate crisis

Meeting a group of Indigenous delegates attending the 6th Global Meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Forum, Pope Francis calls for the protection of their rights and highlights the crucial role of indigenous peoples in the fight against climate change.

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Health concerns mounting as animals become sick after train derailment

Health concerns are growing in East Palestine as reports rise of animals getting sick and some even dying. The train derailment is causing struggles not just for the animals, but their owners as we…

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The Sex Lives of Giraffes Are Weirder Than We Ever Realized

If you think you have trouble telling when someone's into you, just be grateful you're not a giraffe.

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California Lost 36 Million Trees to Drought Last Year

Hot and dry conditions weakened trees, making them more likely to perish from insects and disease.

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Deal to curb harmful fishing devices a ‘huge win’ for yellowfin tuna stocks

Agreement to restrict use of aggregating apparatus in the Indian Ocean hailed as a ‘giant step forward’ for conservation of stocks

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Renewable energy forecast to dominate global power sector growth by 2025

Pollution from the power sector could finally start to fall.

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Wind chill sends Mount Washington temperatures to 108 degrees below zero, setting new record

A record-setting wind chill of 108 degrees below zero was seen on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, the National Weather Service said.

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Win-win: how solar farms can double as havens for our wildlife

Solar panels can provide places for animals to rest, shelter and breed – potentially benefitting both the land and farmers.

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Holes in sun's atmosphere can help predict space weather on Earth

Coronal holes are cooler, darker regions in the sun's upper atmosphere, the corona, from which solar wind streams into space at high speed. A new study has now found that the magnetic properties of these holes can be used to forecast the severity of geomagnetic storms that hit Earth.

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Report Highlights Danger of Using AirTags for Tracking Dogs

AirTags may be a convenient way for tracking dogs that might get off leash or otherwise lost, but there are dangers associated with the practice, as...

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The EV transition isn't just about cars – the broader goal should be access to clean mobility for everyone

The race to decarbonize passenger cars and light-duty trucks in the U.S. is accelerating. Battery electric vehicles accounted for almost 6% of all new vehicle sales in 2022, up from close to 3% in 2021, and demand is outstripping supply, even as manufacturers roll out new models and designs. The Biden administration is spending billions of dollars to build out EV charging networks and providing incentives for purchasing new and used EVs.

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What is the radioactive capsule missing in WA used for and how dangerous is it?

Authorities are continuing the search for a tiny radioactive capsule lost along a 1,400km stretch of Western Australian desert highway. The 8mm by 6mm capsule fell from a secure device on a truck that was travelling from a Rio Tinto mine site, north of Newman in the Pilbara region, to Perth, where it was being sent for repair.

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Clean energy is taking over the Texas grid. State officials are trying to stop it.

Wind and solar are rapidly growing, but Texas Republicans want to throw a lifeline to natural gas.

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Anti-insect laser gun turrets designed by Osaka University; expected to work on roaches too

Considering we are now in the year 2023, it feels like there ought to be some better way to defend our homes from invading insects such as cockroaches than a rolled-up magazine or noxious mixtures of chemicals. Sure, there have been some novel devices over the years, but never something that felt like the true future of pest control.

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