Environment

Animals

50 years ago, DDT pushed peregrine falcons to the edge of extinction

In 1969, peregrine falcons were at risk of extinction. But a ban on the pesticide DDT and new captive breeding programs allowed the raptors to recover.

Tech

A new 2-D material uses light to quickly and safely purify water

A newly designed material uses only light to speedily remove 99.9999 percent of microbes from water.

Health & Medicine

Chinese ‘tweets’ hint that happiness drops as air pollution rises

A study of more than 210 million social media posts reveals a link between people’s sense of well-being and pollution.

Agriculture

Prosecco production takes a toll on northeast Italy’s environment

The soil in Northern Italy’s prosecco vineyards is washing away.

Tech

Desalination pours more toxic brine into the ocean than previously thought

Desalination plants help offset the world’s growing water needs, but they also produce much more supersalty water than scientists realized.

Environment

4 ways to tackle ocean trash besides Ocean Cleanup’s broken system

Here are three approaches to reducing ocean pollution that might be more effective than a controversial plan to fish trash out of the Pacific.

Environment

Satellites make mapping hot spots of ammonia pollution easier

There’s a more accurate way to estimate ammonia emissions.

Plants

Hybrid rice engineered with CRISPR can clone its seeds

New research has created self-cloning hybrid rice, raising hopes of higher food production.

Tech

A new way to turn saltwater fresh can kill germs and avoid gunk buildup

A new device that harnesses sunlight to produce pure vapor from seawater could last longer and produce cleaner water than other technology.

Climate

Global carbon dioxide emissions will hit a record high in 2018

Carbon dioxide emissions from China, the United States and India all rose this year, a new report finds.

Environment

An acid found in soil may make a disease killing deer less infectious

An incurable neurodegenerative disease crippling North American deer, elk and moose may be thwarted by an organic soil compound.

Environment

Engineers are plugging holes in drinking water treatment

Drinking water quality has come a long way in the past hundred years — but challenges remain.