Environment Archives - State of the Planet

It’s Tick Season. Here Are the Latest Findings on Lyme and Babesiosis.

New research offers insights on how the tick-borne diseases spread and interact in infected animals.

by Christopher D. Shea |July 13, 2023

Two Studies Push Upright Ape Origins in Africa Back by 10 Million Years

Analyses of plant remains and other evidence show that the landscapes our ape ancestors evolved in existed much earlier than previously thought.

by |May 2, 2023

Land Subsidence in the Netherlands

At a symposium on land subsidence, I learned about how the Dutch transformed their country so that about a quarter of it is below sea level and how they cope with it.

by |April 23, 2023

Exploring the Sundarbans and Back to Dhaka

Our group of 24 Americans and Bangladeshis continued to explore the Sundarbans mangrove forest, rice farming in embanked low-lying islands, and heritage sites of Bangladesh.

by |March 22, 2023

Across the Ganges to Southwest Bangladesh and the Sundarbans

Our group of 23 American and Bangladeshi students and professors traveled from the Jamuna River to the Ganges and Gorai Rivers, and then down to an island on the edge of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.

by |March 18, 2023

Taking My Class to Bangladesh

My undergraduate Sustainable Development course is in Bangladesh for a Spring Break trip to see what they have been learning about. We will be touring the country by bus and boat to learn about the environment and people of Bangladesh.

by |March 15, 2023

Towering Wildfire Clouds Are Affecting the Stratosphere, and the Climate

Aircraft collecting data from clouds of smoke have revealed surprising effects of wildfires on the ground.

by |February 28, 2023

Some of the Most Drastic Risks From Climate Change Are Routinely Excluded From Economic Models, Says Study

Economic models are missing huge future risks from climate change, in part because no one knows how to quantify them, says a new study.

by |October 27, 2022
a raccoon in a cage

Scientists Are Mapping New York City Wildlife. And We Don’t Mean Rats, Squirrels or Pigeons.

Raccoons, coyotes, possums and other wild mammals are becoming more common in the country’s most densely populated city. New research aims to map their populations and habits in hopes of decreasing conflicts with humans.

by |September 12, 2022

Sylhet City, Geology, and Packing Up

We finished our electromagnetic survey and mini-field school in northern Sylhet, Bangladesh, with lectures and field trips to see the geology by car and boat.

by |May 27, 2022