Greenhouse gases are atmospheric constituents that absorb and emit infrared radiation, thereby contributing to the greenhouse effect and Earth’s radiative energy balance. Major greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), ozone (O₃), and various halogenated compounds, along with water vapour (H₂O) as a feedback agent. Their radiative forcing depends on concentration, spectral absorption properties, atmospheric lifetime, and overlap with other absorbers. In climate research, greenhouse gases are quantified via metrics such as global warming potential and effective radiative forcing to assess their contribution to anthropogenic climate change and to inform emissions mitigation strategies.
Mangrove forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, particularly within the marine carbon system. Growing along tropical and subtropical coastlines, these salt-tolerant trees are among nature's most efficient ...
In its natural state, peatland is one of the largest carbon stores in nature. This is because the soil is so waterlogged and low in oxygen that dead plant material breaks down very slowly. The plants do not fully decompose ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 27, 2026
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In addition to serious economic damage, the energy crisis of 2021/22 also had dramatic consequences for the environment and people's health. This is the conclusion reached by two researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität ...
Environment
Jan 27, 2026
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Within the next few decades, intensifying heat waves could expose a significant share of Europe's cattle to dangerous levels of heat stress. New research maps where and how millions of animals may be affected by mid-century.
Agriculture
Jan 27, 2026
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The adverse health impacts associated with emissions across the full life cycle of plastics could double by 2040 unless immediate action is taken, new research suggests. The study identified health harms at every stage of ...
Environment
Jan 27, 2026
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At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015, countries around the world committed to striving towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the 21st century. But achieving this goal is difficult, ...
Environment
Jan 26, 2026
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Air pollution is now recognized as one of the greatest threats to human health, contributing to an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths in 2019, according to the World Health Organization.
Environment
Jan 24, 2026
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China's rising demand for cooling doesn't have to drive rising temperatures. A recent study shows how rapid shifts to cleaner refrigerants and high-efficiency technologies could cut cooling-related climate impacts to near ...
Environment
Jan 22, 2026
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President Donald Trump's administration is finalizing its repeal of a foundational scientific determination that underpins the US government's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, with an announcement expected ...
Environment
Jan 17, 2026
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Dallas is discharging less greenhouse gas than it did a decade ago, according to a newly released environmental report from the city.
Environment
Jan 16, 2026
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