Environment Content

Wildfire-Driven Deforestation Rates in California Among Highest in World

Katherine E Kerlin — April 22, 2026 - 9:00am

California has one of the highest rates of wildfire-driven deforestation in the world, and the trend has accelerated over the past three decades, according to a �鶹��ý study.

What Does A Record-Breaking Wildfire Season Mean For Life in Alpine Lakes?

Katherine E Kerlin — April 21, 2026 - 10:39am

In the summer of 2020, MJ Farruggia embarked on the first field season of her PhD research. With a backpack full of scientific equipment and camping gear, she hiked high into the Emerald Lake Watershed high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to install environmental sensors and collect water samples from six small lakes and ponds.

Would You Let Your Utility Control When You Charge Your EV?

Katherine E Kerlin — April 20, 2026 - 9:15am

Electric vehicles are one important way for America to use less fossil fuels — driving down emissions that cause climate change and reducing exposure to oil price shocks that threaten economic growth. But as more households buy electric cars, they must also charge those cars, which typically happens at night. So many EVs charging at once can put a strain on local electric grids. Some utilities are trying to lessen this burden by scheduling EV charging themselves, spreading charging out so that fewer vehicles need power all at once.

Penguin ‘Toxicologists’ Find PFAS Chemicals in Remote Patagonia

Katherine E Kerlin — April 08, 2026 - 8:00am

Penguins can serve as living monitors of their environment by using small, chemical-detecting leg bands, according to a study from �鶹��ý and SUNY-Buffalo.

Common Disinfectant Chemicals Far More Toxic When Inhaled, Study Finds

Amy M Quinton — March 30, 2026 - 6:00am

Mouse study finds inhaling disinfectant chemicals (QACs) may be far more toxic than swallowing them, raising concerns about lung injury and disease.

Managed Wetlands a Culinary Hot Spot for SF Bay Fish, But They Need Delivery Options

Katherine E Kerlin — March 25, 2026 - 3:47pm

A �鶹��ý study shows that part of the San Fransisco Estuary is teeming with fish food — the managed wetlands of Suisun Marsh. Timing seasonal flood releases from them could feed more fish.

Unlocking Longevity Insights From Ancient Bristlecone Pine

Katherine E Kerlin — March 23, 2026 - 9:00am

Scientists have sequenced the bristlecone pine genome, which could help unlock the secrets of this tree's exceptionally long life.

Global Strategies to Protect Seals and Sea Lions from Avian Influenza

Katherine E Kerlin — March 19, 2026 - 9:02am

When the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was discovered on a poultry farm in Asia in 1996, there was little indication that it would become so widespread and so destructive. Within 30 years, it reached every continental region except Oceania, infecting more than 400 million poultry, tens of thousands of elephant seals and sea lions, about 1,000 people and many other mammals and wild birds.

Pinnipeds, which include seals and sea lions, have been hit unusually hard by the virus.

First Cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Northern Elephant Seals Confirmed in California

Katherine E Kerlin — February 25, 2026 - 10:00am

Note: March 12, 2026: This outbreak is ongoing. For the latest updates and materials, please visit the Institute for Pandemic Insights information page.

Seven weaned elephant seal pups in California’s Año Nuevo State Park tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed Tuesday evening.

Helping Beekeepers Fight Mites Through More Effective Treatments

Katherine E Kerlin — February 19, 2026 - 2:18pm

Researchers from the USDA and �鶹��ý are helping beekeepers protect their colonies from destructive varroa mites through a promising new line of research.