Fertile land for growing vegetables is at risk — but a scientific discovery could turn the tide

Jan 14, 2025 05:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

A large proportion of the vegetables consumed in Québec are grown in the Montérégie region in what are known as organic soils. Highly fertile and rich in organic matter, these soils are particularly...

LA fires: Fast wildfires are more destructive and harder to contain

Jan 14, 2025 05:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Investigators are trying to determine what caused several wind-driven wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes across the Los Angeles area in January 2025. Given the fires locations, and lack of lightning at the...

Tropical forests can be revived after logging – if they’re not turned into oil palm plantations

Jan 11, 2025 04:37 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

In parts of the tropics like the island of Borneo, the pace of environmental change has been dramatic. Not long ago, the forests that covered most of the island were largely intact. But in recent decades, the scale of...

Southern California is extremely dry, and that’s fueling fires − maps show just how dry

Jan 11, 2025 04:29 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Dry conditions across Southern California set the stage for a series of deadly wind-driven wildfires that burned thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area in early January 2025. Ming Pan, a hydrologist at the University...

New research reveals why sabre-toothed predators evolved their deadly teeth

Jan 10, 2025 08:50 am UTC| Nature

Sabre teeth the long, sharp, blade-like canines found in extinct predators such as Smilodon represent one of the most extreme dental adaptations in nature. They evolved at least five times throughout mammalian history...

California Wildfires Ignite Political Storm Amid Crisis

Jan 10, 2025 08:23 am UTC| Politics Nature

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced sharp criticism for her handling of devastating wildfires that have claimed five lives and consumed 31,000 acres, as President-elect Donald Trump blamed California Governor Gavin Newsom...

Kamala Harris and Joe Biden Cancel International Trips Amid California Wildfires

Jan 10, 2025 08:13 am UTC| Politics Nature

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has canceled her planned trip to Singapore, Bahrain, and Germany due to the devastating wildfires ravaging California, the White House announced Thursday. President Joe Biden similarly...