climate change

A mummy of a Chinchorro child, dating to between 5000 B.C. and 3000 B.C. The Chinchorros were hunter-gatherers who lived in the region between modern-day Peru and Chile.

Climate Change May Be Destroying World's Oldest-Known Mummies

5:34pm March 10, 2015

by Jasmine Garsd

The Chinchorros, who lived between modern-day Peru and Chile, mummified their dead at least 2,000 years before the Egyptians. But some mummies have begun to turn to ooze, so scientists investigated.

A lot of the airborne particles in the Earth's atmosphere come from natural sources, such as desert dust (red-orange) and sea salt (blue). But there's also soot from fires (green and yellow) and sulfur emissions (white) from burning fossil fuel.

Why China's Pollution Could Be Behind Our Cold, Snowy Winters

2:39pm March 08, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

A video from NASA shows how air pollution moves around the world. So what happens when emissions from Asia blow across the Pacific Ocean to North America?

Smoke rises from chimneys of coal-based power plants in the Sonbhadra District of Uttar Pradesh, India.

Young Indians Learn To Fight Pollution To Save Lives

2:19pm February 26, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

India's air pollution is so bad that it shortens many people's lives by about three years, a study found. This week Al Gore visited New Delhi to link bad air to climate change.

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Rajendra K. Pachauri speaks at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru, on Dec. 11, 2014. He is stepping down as chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

World News

Head Of UN Climate Change Panel Resigns Amid Harassment Allegations

3:51pm February 24, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

Rajendra K. Pachauri's departure from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a big embarrassment for the group, which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with former Vice President Al Gore.

Eastern oysters in South Kingston, RI on July 25, 2013.

Acidifying Waters Are Endangering Your Oysters And Mussels

5:48pm February 23, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

Many coastal communities that harvest shellfish could soon be hurt by ocean acidification, a study finds. The Pacific Northwest and New England are hot spots, as are estuaries along the East Coast.

The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 spewed almost 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, causing worldwide temperatures to drop half a degree on average.

Scientific Pros Weigh The Cons Of Messing With Earth's Thermostat

3:20pm February 20, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Studying techniques for engineering our way out of climate change would be helpful — and not the same as actually trying them, says a panel convened by the National Research Council.

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Robert Davies (standing) and the quartet during a performance of "The Crossroads Project." Musicians include (left to right) Robert Waters, Rebecca McFaul, Anne Francis Bayless and Bradley Ottesen.

Climate Scientist Tries Arts To Stir Hearts Regarding Earth's Fate

12:45pm February 17, 2015

by Joe Palca

Physicist Robert Davies worked with a classical quartet and two visual artists to create a musical performance about climate change. The music and images, he says, help the information take hold.

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To put their probes into the Arctic Ice, researchers hitched a ride on a South Korean icebreaker.

Navy Funds A Small Robot Army To Study The Arctic

12:49pm February 15, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

The U.S. Navy has completed the largest robotic survey of the Arctic ever attempted. Warming waters are absorbing more sunlight and melting more ice there each summer, the gizmos and gliders suggest.

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A lone polar bear poses on a block of arctic sea ice in Russia's Franz Josef Land.

Arctic Is Warming Twice As Fast As World Average

7:37am February 11, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

Polar bears continue to take a hit in regions with the greatest loss of snow and ice, the latest report card on the Arctic shows. Meanwhile, plankton are thriving as the sea heats up.

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Sled dogs prefer below-zero weather for running, says musher Cody Strathe. Some mushers now train at night, when it's colder.

Climate Change Puts Alaska's Sled Dog Races On Thin Ice

4:20pm February 07, 2015

by Emily Schwing

Warm temperatures and dwindling snow have shaken even the toughest mushers. Alaskans are worried about the future of their state sport.

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