Clean Water Act dramatically cut pollution in U.S. waterways
“Water pollution has declined dramatically, and the Clean Water Act contributed substantially to these declines,” said Joseph Shapiro, “So we were shocked to find that the measured benefit numbers were so low compared to the costs.”
Improving soil quality can slow global warming
Low-tech ways of improving soil quality on farms and rangelands worldwide could pull significant amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and slow the pace of climate change, according to a new study.
UC Berkeley leads new assessment of Bay Area climate impacts
A new assessment of California's challenges in combating climate change has been released, with more than half of the report's authors hailing from UC Berkeley.
California plain shows surprising winners and losers from prolonged drought
A longterm study tracked how hundreds of species in this valley fared during the historic drought that struck California from 2012 to 2015.
Arctic ecosystems are getting greener
Researchers have developed a technique to better predict how plants in cold regions respond to warming.
Blocking sunlight to cool Earth won’t reduce crop damage from global warming
Lowering the Earth's temperature reduces heat stress on crops, but decreased solar intensity reduces crop yields.
UC Berkeley, Karuk Tribe awarded USDA grant for collaborative research
The $1.2 million grant will help increase tribal ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change.
California’s cap-and-trade air quality benefits go mostly out of state
According to a new study, during the first three years of California’s 5-year-old cap-and-trade program, the bulk of the greenhouse gas reductions occurred out of state.
Human disturbance creates a more nocturnal natural world
A new study published in Science finds that mammals are becoming more nocturnal in response to human activity.
Soil prospecting yields wealth of potential antibiotics
Using metagenomics, scientists discover hundreds of antibiotic-like genes in soil microbes.
CNR welcomes new dean
The College of Natural Resources has a new dean, plant ecologist and evolutionary biologist David Ackerly.
Closing coal, oil power plants leads to healthier babies
Shuttering coal- and oil-fired power plants lowers the rate of preterm births in neighboring communities and improves fertility, according to two new studies.
Hungry, Hungry Hippos
A new study finds that global change may alter the way that hippos shape the environment around them.
Drought treatment restructures plants’ microbiomes
New research examines drought tolerance in sorghum—a finding that could help scientists develop crops that are more resistant to climate change.
Some species of endangered frogs may be making a comeback
Research from the Rosenblum lab has found that populations of several Panamian frog species are slowly making a comeback against a deadly pathogen.
Study links eating out to increased phthalates exposure
New research suggests that restaurant meals lead to higher levels of plastic-based chemicals in the body.
Automated electric taxis could deliver environmental benefits
A new study simulates a fleet of self-driving taxis in Manhattan.
Brewing hoppy beer without the hops
Researchers have found a way to avoid expensive, water-intensive hops by endowing brewer's yeast with the ability to create a hoppy flavor.
How brightly colored spiders evolved on Hawaii again and again...and again
Rosemary Gillespie's new research sheds light on the evolution of Hawaiian Ariamnes stick spiders.
Scientists engineer crops to conserve water, resist drought
Researchers have improved how crops use water by altering the expression of a gene found in all plants.