Ticks carry decades of history in each troublesome bite

Changes to forests, and how close people and their livestock live to them, have changed tick habitats and the risks humans face of Lyme disease and other illnesses.

Sean Lawrence, Assistant Professor of History, West Virginia University • conversation
June 18, 2025 ~9 min

Volcanic ash is a silent killer, more so than lava: What Alaska needs to know with Mount Spurr likely to erupt

When volcanoes like Alaska’s Mount Spurr erupt, the ash can damage people’s lungs, smother crops and kill animals, and the harm can continue to spread long afterward.

David Kitchen, Associate Professor of Geology, University of Richmond • conversation
April 15, 2025 ~10 min


Methane emissions are turbocharging climate change – these quick fixes could slow it down

Cover landfills and manure tanks and shrink dairy herds, for a start.

Euan Nisbet, Professor of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London • conversation
March 5, 2025 ~8 min

Interior secretary manages vast lands that all Americans share − and can sway the balance between conservation and development

The Interior Department manages about one-fifth of all US land. Its secretary mediates among many competing uses for it, from recreation to energy production.

Emily Wakild, Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for the Environment and Public Lands, Boise State University • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 ~10 min

What if every pet was vegan? Here’s how much it would help the planet

If every dog ate a vegan diet, it would prevent the equivalent of the UK’s annual CO₂ emissions.

Andrew Knight, Adjunct Professor (Animal Welfare), Murdoch University and Griffith University, Visiting Lecturer, University of Winchester • conversation
Dec. 30, 2024 ~7 min

Climate change is making plants less nutritious − that could already be hurting animals that are grazers

Rising carbon dioxide levels in the air are making plants grow larger and faster, but diluting their nutritional content. This could threaten the health of herbivores worldwide.

Ellen Welti, Research Ecologist, Great Plains Science Program, Smithsonian Institution • conversation
Dec. 20, 2024 ~9 min

Wildfires don’t just burn farmland − they can contaminate the water farmers use to irrigate crops and support livestock

Just like fires can contaminate municipal water systems by melting pipes, farms’ and ranches’ water supply systems are at risk. A first-of-its-kind study after the Maui fires explores the harms.

Andrew J. Whelton, Professor of Civil, Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Purdue University • conversation
Aug. 13, 2024 ~9 min

Food has a climate problem: Nitrous oxide emissions are accelerating with growing demand for fertilizer and meat – but there are solutions

The most comprehensive assessment yet of a powerful greenhouse gas shows which countries are driving the increase, and which ones are successfully cutting emissions.

Rona Louise Thompson, Senior Scientist, Norwegian Institute for Air Research • conversation
June 11, 2024 ~10 min


Climate-friendly beef? Argentina’s new ‘carbon-neutral’ certification could help reduce livestock emissions – if it’s done right

Cattle are major producers of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But there are methods that can reduce their climate impact – if ranchers have incentive to use them.

Paul Winters, Professor of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame • conversation
March 13, 2024 ~9 min

Climate-friendly beef? Argentina’s new certification could help reduce livestock emissions – if it’s done right

Cattle are major producers of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But there are methods that can reduce their climate impact – if ranchers have incentive to use them.

Paul Winters, Professor of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame • conversation
March 13, 2024 ~9 min

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