Earth Systems & Climate Change

Despite efforts to reduce the use of plastic or recycle it, most plastic produced in the world ends up in landfills, the oceans or dumped, bringing with it catastrophic effects on the environment, the ecosystem and the economy. To address this, a team of researchers has established the Synthetic Biology Manufacturing of Advanced Materials Research Center.

There is no good reason to abandon the Chevron deference, a landmark Supreme Court decision in place for 40 years that says courts must defer to federal agencies’ expertise in interpreting laws, according to an expert on administrative law and regulatory reform at Washington University in St. Louis.

Roch Guerin, professor, and collaborators received an NSF grant to improve speed of GEOS-Chem, a 3D atmospheric simulation software designed to study climate change.

The year 2023 was the hottest in recorded history. WashU professor Michael Wysession explains four factors that drove 2023’s extreme heat and climate disasters — and what this means for the future.

Mosquito heat tolerance varies by population, according to a new study; findings could change estimates of vector-borne disease risk.

The Earth is facing two interconnected crises — loss of biodiversity and climate change. Each separately is an enormous threat to life on this planet. However, together they are fueling each other, creating a worsening downward spiral.

Researchers look at whether Ozark oases at Tyson Research Center — climate change refugia — could help species persist in spite of rising temperatures.

Rajan Chakrabarty and Randall Martin research fine particulate matter, which is the leading cause of environment-related diseases around the world. The two work to create a complete picture of the challenges and, ultimately, offer ideas for mitigation.