The Black Death’s counterintuitive effect: as human numbers fell, so did plant diversity

Paul Nash/Shutterstock Published: March 5, 2026 9:32am EST Between 1347 and 1353, Europe was gripped by the most catastrophic pandemic in its history: the Black Death. Killing many millions, the…

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Warming winters are disrupting the hidden world of fungi – the result can shift mountain grasslands to scrub

When you look out across a snowy winter landscape, it might seem like nature is fast asleep. Yet, under the surface, tiny organisms are hard at work, consuming the previous…

Continue ReadingWarming winters are disrupting the hidden world of fungi – the result can shift mountain grasslands to scrub

Trump has scrapped the long-standing legal basis for tackling climate emissions

Regulating climate emissions just became more difficult. US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has repealed its own 2009 legal finding that greenhouse gas emissions…

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Australia can’t reach its ambitious climate targets with current policies. Here are 6 things we can try

In less than ten years, Australia has to cut its emissions 62–75% below 2005 levels. Given reductions in emissions over the past 20 years, that translates to cutting emissions 47–65%…

Continue ReadingAustralia can’t reach its ambitious climate targets with current policies. Here are 6 things we can try