A potent ozone-depleting chemical whose emissions unexpectedly spiked in recent years has quickly dropped back to much lower levels, putting the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer back on track, according to a new study by scientists at MIT, the University of Bristol, and other institutions in South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Australia, and Switzerland.

Scientists have long warned that the world’s major rivers and estuaries are hotspots for plastic waste, as trash and microparticles wash down tributaries and congregate before entering oceans.

Dramatic decreases in traffic caused by COVID-19 shutdowns improved air quality in car-dependent states but didn’t offset additional forms of pollution in other parts of the country.

Black carbon aerosol (BC) has emerged as a major contributor to global climate change, only second to CO2 as the main driver of the global warming. 

A study led by master’s student Xuelin Tian examining emission levels shows a sharp drop in vehicle pollutants as of March 2020.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas whose atmospheric growth rate has accelerated over the past decade.

COVID-19 has not only caused a temporary drop in global CO2 emissions, it has also reduced the share of power generated by burning coal – a trend that could in fact outlast the pandemic. 

To arrive at Nunavut, turn left at the Dakotas and head north. 

From the Passyunk Avenue Bridge in South Philadelphia, the view to the southeast is dominated by a massive oil refinery that once produced more petroleum products than any other on the U.S. East Coast.

Rain falls lightly on the ocean’s surface. Marine mammals chirp and squeal as they swim along.