Press Release Archives - State of the Planet

indian youth with umbrella in rain

Climate Change Is Making Indian Monsoon Seasons More Chaotic

A new study finds that summer monsoon rainfall in India will become stronger and more erratic, posing a threat to the region’s agriculture and economy.

by |April 14, 2021
scientist installing a sensor near a fence

First Air Quality Profile of Two Sub-Saharan African Cities Finds Troubling News

A new study finds that that even when air pollution in Kinshasa and Brazzaville is at its lowest, it’s still four times higher than World Health Organization guidelines.

by |April 6, 2021

In a Lamentable Year, Finland Again is the Happiest Country in the World

The 2021 World Happiness Report marks a somber moment as COVID-19 continues to rage on a little more than a year since it was declared a pandemic by the WHO.

by |March 19, 2021

Fossil Plants at Bottom of the Greenland Ice Sheet Warn of Future Melting

The discovery of fossil plants below a mile of Greenland ice indicates that the ice sheet completely melted in the past, and suggests it could rapidly do so again.

by |March 15, 2021

Volcanoes May Have Large, Lasting Impacts on Global Precipitation

A new study employs natural climate archives such as tree rings to better understand volcanoes’ impacts on global rainfall patterns.

by |March 9, 2021

Yes, These Flesh-Eating Algae Are Real. And They Like Their Prey Alive.

New research suggests that photosynthetic green algae also eat bacteria on a previously unsuspected scale.

by |March 3, 2021

CO2 Dip May Have Helped Dinosaurs Walk From South America to Greenland

A new study identifies a climate phenomenon that may have helped sauropodomorphs spread northward across the Pangea supercontinent.

by |February 15, 2021

Fast-Growing Parts of Africa See a Surprise: Less Air Pollution From Seasonal Fires

Unfortunately, growing urban emissions mean that the reprieve may only be temporary.

by |February 8, 2021
young girl wearing a cloth mask

Future COVID-19 Relief Should Focus More on Children

A new report points out some of the ways children are getting left behind during COVID-19 and other disasters — and how we can do better.

by |January 25, 2021

2020 Tied With 2016 as the Hottest Year on Record

Scientists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies find that 2020 was statistically equal with 2016, continuing a long-term trend.

by |January 15, 2021