Climate
75 Years On, the Doomsday Clock Keeps Ticking
The iconic graphic of a timepiece originated as a nuclear warning. It updates its time on Thursday amid threats like climate change and pandemics.
A Project to Count Climate Crisis Deaths Has Surprising Results
Climate change is already killing people, but countries don’t have an easy way to count those deaths. A new project might change that.
Humanity Has Turned Land Itself Into a Menace
All of our meddling has primed Earth to collapse under cities and belch greenhouse gases, a nasty feedback loop that’s accelerating global warming.
Regulations and Solutions
Oceans and Waterways
Extreme Heat
How to Prepare for Climate Change's Most Immediate Impacts
The effects of the climate crisis are happening right now. From natural disasters to supply chain shortages, here's how to cope.
Old Climate Clues Shed New Light on History
Historians are reexamining eras of social turmoil and linking them to volcanic eruptions, prolonged droughts, and other disturbances in the natural world.
The World Was Cooler in 2021 Than 2020. That’s Not Good News
The global temperature was down, thanks to La Niña, but it was still the sixth-hottest year on record. And 2 billion people had their warmest year yet.
Tropical Futurism Envisions the Climate of Our Fate
Futurism has failed. It’s time for an alternative. In the era of climate change, tropical futurism reimagines a different relationship to the earth.
Can Synthetic Palm Oil Help Save the World’s Tropical Forests?
Harvesting this vegetable oil is a huge driver of deforestation. Numerous startups are taking up the daunting task of engineering it instead.
Can Being Reminded of My Death Improve My Life?
WIRED’s spiritual advice columnist on whether apps that send reminders of your mortality can help you live a better life.
How Explosives, a Robot, and a Sled Expose a Doomsday Glacier
Thwaites Glacier is crumbling, and fast—if it melts entirely, it could add 10 feet to sea levels. Now Antarctic scientists are racing to survey the damage.
The Global Economy Ignores Developing Nations at Its Own Peril
Rebooting after two years of the pandemic is difficult—but leaving emerging economies behind only makes things worse.
Gravity Could Solve Clean Energy’s One Major Drawback
Finding green energy when the winds are calm and the skies are cloudy has been a challenge. Storing it in giant concrete blocks could be the answer.
To Fight Climate Change, First You Need to Measure It
Scientists at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory are using monitoring equipment to track our impact on the planet more accurately than ever before.
How Body Farms and Human Composting Can Help Communities
Like every other aspect of our society, how we handle death and dying needs to change in the face of climate change. This method may be a path forward.
Why Paleontologists Are Getting Into Florida’s Oyster Business
Conservationists are teaming up with fossil experts to help the bivalves—and the state’s oyster economy—survive.
Where Parents Can Get Help with Climate Anxiety
If you're looking to the future and wondering exactly how to prepare your children for a changing world, these resources can help.
African Voices Must Lead the Global Climate Conversation
The world is finally waking up to the impact the climate crisis is having on the continent.
The Quest to Trap Carbon in Stone—and Beat Climate Change
On a barren lava plateau in Iceland, a new facility is sucking in air and stashing the carbon dioxide in rock. The next step: Build 10,000 more.
2021 Was a Huge Missed Opportunity on Climate Action
The pandemic should have been a wake-up call—instead, emissions have climbed once more. Here's how the US could have seized the opportunity.
A Clean Industrial Revolution Is the Only Way to Hit Net Zero
Governments and companies around the world are finally acting to create a green economy and avoid climate catastrophe.
Can You Solve Climate Change Better Than World Leaders?
What even happened at the UN climate summit—and could you do a better job? These online and in-person simulators let you take a swing at saving the world.
Don’t Look Up Nails the Frustration of Being a Scientist
Writer-director Adam McKay’s new Netflix film, about a comet headed for Earth, is an allegory for inaction during the climate crisis.
Battlefield 2042 Turns the Climate Crisis Into a Playground
DICE and EA's latest sci-fi shooter is an example of art imitating life, complete with the trappings that got us all here.