Environment Articles

On June 21, 2023, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted its first-ever approval of cell-cultured meat. The assent is restricted to products made by GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods. It was the final step the California-based startups needed to sell their lab-grown chicken in the US....

There are over 30 meteor showers annually. But few can compare to the spectacular Perseids. The "shooting stars" have been blazing through the sky at a rate of about a dozen an hour since mid-July and will continue until the end of August. But the best time to view them is when Earth passes through the area with the densest comet dust. That's when the meteors' pace increases to between 50 and 100 an hour. This year that will be during the pre-dawn hours of August 13....

Visitors to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers are about to witness the rare blooming of a titan arum, or corpse flower. The massive flower blossoms once every four to five years and lasts only 24 to 48 hours. But that may be a good thing. That's because when the petals unfurl, they emit an odor reminiscent of rotting meat....

Fish farming is a form of aquaculture in which fish are raised in enclosures to be sold as food. They account for over half of the world's fish supply and are vital for meeting the needs of an ever-growing human population. However, fish farms currently face a big challenge — waste management....

A lone wolverine traversing across Northern California is sending ripples of excitement across the Golden State. It is only the second sighting of the mammal in the state in almost a century. The wolverine has been captured on camera multiple times in different areas of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range since May 2023....

Killer whales, or orcas, are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family. The intelligent mammals, which hunt in large pods, are known for their coordinated attacks on unsuspecting marine animals. But they rarely pose a threat to humans. However, since July 2020, groups of orcas have been deliberately attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal....

Carbon dioxide (CO2), released from burning fossil fuels like oil and coal, is a big contributor to global warming and climate change. Over the years, scientists have come up with several creative ideas to capture the harmful gas. However, implementing them on a large scale has proved elusive. But that may change with Denmark's new, bold initiative, Project Greensand. It involves collecting CO2 before it enters the atmosphere and burying it under the North Sea....

Researchers have long known that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — the massive accumulation of plastic waste in the North Pacific Ocean — is home to a variety of sea life. However, they had assumed they were all open ocean inhabitants. Now, a new study has found that it also harbors a surprisingly large number of coastal marine species. They include crabs, sea anemones, and worms....

On April 22, 2023, over a billion people worldwide will celebrate Earth Day with various activities. Some will plant trees. Others will participate in neighborhood clean-up efforts or enjoy a nature walk. The modern environmental movement began on April 20, 1970. On that day, 20 million Americans took to the streets to urge the government to take steps to protect our planet....