Environment & Climate

Wildfire Smoke May Be Making People More Violent Even in Cities Far From the Flames

Research links wildfire smoke exposure to increased aggressive behavior, with particulate matter potentially affecting brain function and impulse control in cities hundreds of miles from fires.

Rosalind Voss · 3 min read
Environment & Climate

Australia's AI Data Centre Boom Is Coming for Your Power Bill: What's Inside the Climate Council's 26% Warning

The Climate Council warns Australia's AI data centre boom could push NSW wholesale power prices up 26% by 2035 — and the policy choice that decides whether households pay.

Caitlin Yow-Young · 7 min read
Environment & Climate

PFAS Forever Chemicals in Everyday Products: What Science Says in 2026

What PFAS forever chemicals are, where they hide in cookware, cosmetics and clothes, what the 2024 EPA drinking-water rule really does in 2026, and how to reduce exposure.

Maren Holloway · 7 min read
Environment & Climate

The Varroa Mite Crisis Threatening Australia's $14.2 Billion Pollination Economy

Varroa destructor has wiped out an estimated 60% of Australia's commercial hives, putting the country's $14 billion pollination economy, and supermarket shelves, under direct threat.

Astrid Caldicott · 7 min read
Environment & Climate

The Microplastics in Your Kitchen Sponge and What to Use Instead

A new 2026 study found that your kitchen sponge sheds up to 4.2 grams of microplastics per year. But the bigger lever is the tap, and here are the swaps that actually help.

Imogen Wexler · 10 min read
Environment & Climate

2026-27 Bushfire Risk: Three La Niñas Built a Black Summer Fuel Load

After three La Niña wet seasons, a Black Summer-scale fuel load is curing across southeastern Australia. Here is how households in four states can prepare ahead of the 2026-27 fire season.

Lachlan Mercer · 11 min read
Environment & Climate

Microplastics in Your Arteries: What the 2024 NEJM Study Actually Means for Your Heart

In March 2024, a group of Italian researchers published the most consequential paper on microplastics and human health in years. They had taken carotid artery plaque , the fatty deposits that build...

Aria Voss · 10 min read
Environment & Climate

Why Cities Are Seeing Temperature Spikes That Appear Out of Nowhere

Climate scientists are documenting a new and alarming pattern: heat spikes—rapid-onset extreme heat events—are replacing gradual heatwaves. Here's why the distinction matters for your health.

Naomi Farrow · 6 min read
Environment & Climate

A Vital Ocean Current Is Weakening Faster Than Scientists Expected — And Some Are Proposing Giant Dams to Save It

New research reveals the Atlantic ocean current that moderates European climate is weakening at alarming rates. Scientists are now debating engineering solutions that once belonged only in disaster movies.

Marcus Thorne · 4 min read
Environment & Climate

Microplastics in the Brain: The Hidden Threat and How to Reduce Your Exposure

Researchers found microplastics in every human brain sample tested. Here is what the science shows about how they get there and what you can do to reduce your daily exposure.

Priya Menon · 6 min read
Environment & Climate

How Algorithmic Bias Affects Your Daily Life (And Why It's Getting Worse)

AI systems are making decisions about your job applications, loan approvals and medical care — and they're carrying old human biases into new technology. Here's where algorithmic bias is quietly shaping your life.

Zara Castillo · 5 min read
Environment & Climate

The 1950s Decision That Accidentally Gave Japan a National Allergy Crisis

How Japan ended up with 40% of its population suffering from hay fever: the story of postwar reforestation decisions that planted millions of cedar and cypress trees for timber, then accidentally created a national allergy crisis that will last at least another 50 years.

Silas Merritt · 5 min read