Science and Climate 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.

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.

New Visual Analysis Tool Calms the Climate Data Storm

Andy Fell — April 10, 2026 - 11:28am

Climate models generate billions of data points, but traditional analysis methods can't keep up. �鶹��ý Ph.D. student Yuya Kawakami developed ClimateSOM, an interactive visualization tool that helps scientists explore thousands of climate futures and uncover patterns that current methods can miss.

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.

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.

EPA Removal of Vehicle Emissions Limits Won’t Stop the Shift to EVs

Katherine E Kerlin — February 13, 2026 - 1:18pm

The U.S. government is in full retreat from its efforts to make vehicles more fuel-efficient, which it had been prioritizing, along with state governments, since the 1970s.

Frog Love Songs and the Sounds of Climate Change

Katherine E Kerlin — February 12, 2026 - 8:00am

A good love song tells female frogs when the time is right for mating, finds a �鶹��ý study showing male frogs change their tune as the weather warms.

H5N1 Causes Die-off of Antarctic Skuas, a Seabird

Katherine E Kerlin — February 05, 2026 - 7:00am

More than 50 skua deaths in Antarctica from H5N1 mark the first confirmed die-off of wildlife from bird flu on the continent, reports study from �鶹��ý and Erasmus MC.