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News Archive - Environment

Could Geoengineering Work to Tamp Down Super El Niños?

A 2019 Australian bushfire provided a case study enabling researchers to consider whether the geoengineering technique called marine cloud brightening could diminish the destructive effects of major El Niño events in the future.

Study: Biodiversity Hotspots in American West Face Extinction

A comprehensive study of more than 1,100 springs in the American West warns that critical biodiversity hotspots are facing a mounting extinction crisis.

Eject! Bacteria Discovered with the Ability to Jettison Cells as a Survival Mechanism

Researchers have observed a cell ejection phenomenon in communities of bacteria (biofilms), similar to how jellyfish eject stingers. Biofilms eject cells to ensure the community survives in new colonies. They leveraged the discovery as a possible new way to eliminate antibiotic-tolerant bacteria.

Google.org Supports the Societal Computing and Innovation Lab to Accelerate AI Wildfire Solutions

Funding from Google’s philanthropic arm will help support the Wildfire Science and Technology Commons — a collaborative platform designed to accelerate the development of wildfire technology using advanced computing, artificial intelligence and integrated workflows.

Spent EV Batteries Get Second Life as Higher-Performance Battery Material

Engineers have developed a method to upcycle material from spent batteries into higher-performing parts. Their eco-friendly method transforms the cathode from LFP batteries — which are used in EVs and energy grids — into one that stores more energy. It worked on various types of LFP batteries.

Scientists Identify Houston Power Plant as Dominant Source of Cloud-Forming Aerosols

UC San Diego scientists and colleagues pinpointed an individual coal-fired power plant in Houston, Texas, as the main source of particles most likely to encourage formation of clouds around the metropolitan area. Particles that size are also most likely to cause respiratory illness.

California’s Unidentified Coastal Species Get a DNA Library of Their Own

Marine scientists have launched the first large-scale effort to genetically catalog coastal biodiversity in California. Researchers at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography are co-leading the project's San Diego field campaign, which runs through July 4, 2026.

“Ruthless Predator” of Red Tide Plankton Revealed in New Study

Scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have uncovered new insights into the bioluminescence of a unique species of marine plankton that feeds on other plankton, including the harmful algae responsible for red tides and algal blooms.

Meet the Grad Student Who Launched an App That Relays Disease-Carrying Insect Risks

Biological Sciences graduate student Ellie Fausett took an unusual path to her new passion project: Masterminding a new app that brings safety-minded people together with resources to keep them safe outdoors. Learn about her journey and the tool that’s helping people navigate insect disease risks.

Pinar Yoldas on Art, Science and a Planet Awash in Plastic

Pinar Yoldas, whose work will be featured in Gallery QI this spring, discusses her background, worldview and why art and science are inseparable.

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