News

Scientists Worry Agency Plan to Prevent Fires Could Do Opposite

Scientists say the Trump administration’s proposed program to cut down trees to gain an upper hand over wildfire and protect the sage-grouse bird may in fact do the opposite: increase the wildfire threat and risk ecosystem “collapse.”

Earth Day at 50: Towards a More Inclusive Environmental Movement

This spring, as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, many social historians are asking questions about the legacy and efficacy of what was initially known as the “environmental teach-ins.”

Bird alarm calls help rhinos avoid people—and possibly poachers

Red-billed oxpeckers that feed on rhinos’ ticks alert them to approaching humans, likely helping the poor-sighted animals survive.

Using The Loop to go back in time

The Cultural Walk reminds us that we are newcomers, just the latest arrivals in a long line of people who have found refuge and made a home in the Sonoran Desert. The informational plaques explain that the Hohokam arrived in the 1100s. Yet even they were far from the first to make this valley their home. People have been residing here for almost 4,000 years.

Searching for the fishing cat’s gleaming eyes in the velvet night

How evidence of the presence of the fishing cat in mangroves of the Godavari delta is fuelling conservation efforts.

Politicians ban reusable grocery bags for spreading coronavirus — what’s the science say?

Shoppers need to wash their reusable bags more often, even in better times.

Following California’s water as another dry spell looms

What does a Central Valley almond farmer have in common with a San Diego homeowner? The answer is simple: Water. More specifically, the amount of water they need to sustain their respective lifestyles — which is a lot.

UArizona Tracking Coronavirus Through Wastewater Across US

Researchers at the University of Arizona Water and Energy Sustainable Technology Center are testing wastewater across the country to trace coronavirus prevalence in communities and help public health officials better prepare for the future.

Tree Rings Could Pin Down Thera Volcano Eruption Date

Research led by the University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research has anchored a long sequence of tree rings, providing context for the civilizations that existed throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Aspen trees face new insect threat