25 years of Everglades restoration has improved drinking water for millions in Florida, but a new risk is rising

Changes to the landscape and pollution have harmed this vital ecosystem known as the ‘river of grass.’

John Kominoski, Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida International University • conversation
April 15, 2025 ~10 min

Industrial chicken farms are trashing Britain’s rivers – and planning reforms could make things worse

The UK’s proposed Planning Bill may make it easier to build river-polluting chicken farms.

Rosalind Malcolm, Professor of Environmental Law, Director of Environmental Regulatory Research Group (ERRG), University of Surrey • conversation
April 3, 2025 ~7 min


Why is water different colors in different places?

Blue, green orange, brown − water comes in many colors, depending on what’s in it.

Courtney Di Vittorio, Assistant Professor of Engineering, Wake Forest University • conversation
Feb. 17, 2025 ~7 min

How your festival wee could disrupt soil health and water quality

Festivalgoers could be adding nitrogen and phosphorous to the rural environment at concentrated hotspots by weeing in the open air.

Jess Davies, Chair Professor in Sustainability, Lancaster University • conversation
Aug. 22, 2024 ~6 min

The Green Revolution is a warning, not a blueprint for feeding a hungry planet

Did the Green Revolution, which brought high-tech agriculture to developing nations in the 1960s, prevent famine? Recent research takes a much more skeptical view.

Glenn Davis Stone, Research Professor of Environmental Science, Sweet Briar College • conversation
Oct. 4, 2023 ~10 min

Why the UK government is relaxing rules for river pollution

Developers will no longer have to offset nutrient pollution from new housing projects – the UK government say this won’t degrade water quality.

Peter Cruddas, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering, University of Portsmouth • conversation
Sept. 1, 2023 ~7 min

Computer science can help farmers explore alternative crops and sustainable farming methods

Conventional agriculture offers farmers few choices about which crops to grow or how to raise them. A new approach uses computing to construct better strategies with lower environmental impacts.

Michael Kantar, Associate Professor of Tropical Plants & Soil Sciences, University of Hawaii • conversation
Aug. 7, 2023 ~10 min

Unprecedented marine heatwave underlines the urgency to clean up UK rivers and coasts

Seagrasses need light to remain resilient to marine heatwaves – water pollution disrupts that balance.

Benjamin L.H. Jones, Chief Conservation Officer, Project Seagrass & Postdoctoral Associate, Florida International University • conversation
June 20, 2023 ~8 min


Heading to a beach this summer? Here's how to keep harmful algae blooms from spoiling your trip

The tiny organisms that cause harmful blooms of algae can have a big impact on your trip to the shore. A toxicologist explains what causes these events and how to keep people and pets safe.

Brad Reisfeld, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Public Health, Colorado State University • conversation
May 3, 2023 ~8 min

What is a wetland? An ecologist explains

The US Supreme Court opens its 2022-2023 term with a case that could greatly reduce federal protection for wetlands. Here is what makes these ecosystems valuable.

Jon Sweetman, Assistant Research Professor of Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State • conversation
Sept. 30, 2022 ~5 min

/

2