The new bacteria, named Thiomargarita magnifica, were discovered on sunken leaves in a Caribbean mangrove swamp. Olivier Gros/The Regents of the University of California, LBNL hide caption
Environment Breaking news on the environment, climate change, pollution, and endangered species. Also featuring Climate Connections, a special series on climate change co-produced by NPR and National Geographic.
Environment
Scientists hope the larvae of the darkling beetle — nicknamed "superworms" — might solve the world's trash crisis thanks to their uncanny ability to eat polystyrene. The University of Queensland hide caption
There are a number of initiatives in the works to address PFAS in drinking water. ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
PFAS 'forever chemicals' are everywhere. Here's what you should know about them
A dolphin's sense of echolocation allows it to coordinate efforts to hunt prey, see "through" other creatures and form three-dimensional shapes using sound. Raymond Roig/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
The human sensory experience is limited. Journey into the world that animals know
Muris Demirovic waits by his rental car outside Yellowstone National Park for the entrance gate to open on Wednesday morning, near Wapiti, Wyo. Matthew Brown/AP hide caption
A Burmese python sits in the grass at Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2019. A yearly competition will begin in August for people to hunt and kill the invasive species. Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Minerva Contreras, 44, connects climate change to her health because she has a lung problem that makes it harder to breathe on hot days. Keeping her house near Bakersfield, Calif., cool costs as much as $800 a month in the summer. Molly Peterson/KVPR hide caption
Americans connect extreme heat and climate change to their health, a survey finds
In this image taken from video from Bakhtar State News Agency, Taliban fighters secure a government helicopter to evacuate injured people in Gayan district, Paktika province, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Bakhtar State News Agency via AP hide caption
More than 900 people have reportedly been killed in an earthquake in Afghanistan
Orick, California, is the gateway to Redwood National and State Parks. Mark Stephenson/Flickr hide caption
Carlos and Jessica Deviana sit in the back of their father's SUV, which they were using as a bedroom after Hurricane Michael destroyed their home in Panama City, Fla., in October 2018. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
You've likely been affected by climate change. Your long-term finances might be, too
Bison graze at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in 2019. Grand Teton National Park is located near Yellowstone and remains fully open as an alternate travel destination while Yellowstone works to recover from flooding. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
In this photo provided by Wonders of the Mekong taken on June 14, 2022, a man touches a giant freshwater stingray before it was released back into the Mekong River in the northeastern province of Stung Treng, Cambodia. Chhut Chheana/AP hide caption
Beech trees seen from the forest floor. This image was taken in a forest named Bøkeskogen in Larvik city, Norway. Baac3nes/Getty Images hide caption
A plume of smoke from the Black Fire rises over the Gila National Forest. Philip Connors watched the fire grow and creep closer to his fire lookout post. Philip Connors/Philip Connors hide caption
Images of British journalist Dom Phillips (left) and Indigenous affairs expert Bruno Pereira are seen on a sign presented by employees of Brazil's national Indigenous agency, FUNAI, during a vigil in Brasilia, Brazil, on June 9. Eraldo Peres/AP hide caption
The cover of Cylita Guy's children book, illustrated by Cornelia Li, Chasing Bats & Tracking Rats: Urban Ecology, Community Science, and How We Share Our Cities. Annick Press hide caption
A female bear and two 1-year-old cubs walk over snow-covered freshwater glacier ice in Southeast Greenland. Kristin Laidre hide caption
In a place with little sea ice, polar bears have found another way to hunt
Kansas officials say weather conditions made it hard for cows to cool down in an intense heat wave. Here, cattle graze near wind turbines in Hays, Kansas, in 2017. Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
The Liddell Power Station, left, and Bayswater Power Station, coal-powered thermal power station are pictured near Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley, Australia on Nov. 2, 2021. Mark Baker/AP hide caption
A washed out bridge shown along the Yellowstone River Wednesday, June 15, 2022, near Gardiner, Mont. Rick Bowmer/AP hide caption
A water main break in Odessa, Texas could leave nearly 165,000 people in and around the city with little to no water for 48 hours. City of Odessa hide caption
The monarch butterfly species is one of thousands which states have flagged for conservation, but have limited resources to support. Matt Slocum/AP hide caption
High water levels in the Lamar River eroding the Northeast Entrance Road. National Park Service hide caption
Yellowstone-area floods strand visitors and residents, prompt evacuations
A mammoth tusk protruding from the riverbank on the Koyukuk River in Alaska. Adrienne Ghaly hide caption