research Archives - State of the Planet

Earth Networks Now Accepting Proposals

Submit a proposal by Friday, April 23, for funding for interdisciplinary working groups.

by |March 9, 2021
Woman administering polio vaccine to a child

Technology Behind GRID3 Program Helps Eradicate Wild Polio in Nigeria

Geospatial data holds great potential to improve health, food security, and educational opportunities in developing countries.

Scientists Harness Satellites to Track Algae Growth on Greenland Ice Sheet

To measure algal blooms across large regions of the Greenland ice, and understand their effects on melting over time, scientists are turning to space.

by |October 15, 2020

How Religion Influences Our Relationship With the Environment

A new study looks at the links between religion and attitudes toward the environment.

by Vegard Skirbekk, Alexander de Sherbinin and Susana Adamo |October 15, 2020
graffiti of eyes and hat

Graffiti Gallery in Medellín Offers Lessons From a Conflict-ridden Landscape

Community members share their reflections on how the built environment and street art interact with concepts of peace building, conflict, and resilience.

by Social Lab Castilla |October 6, 2020
people in an office

Finding Ways for Climate Services to Improve Nutrition in Vietnam

Pranav Singh interned with the ACToday project to understand where climate services—such as forecasts, early-warning systems, and climate predictions—could be used to improve nutrition and eradicate hunger.

by Joseph Conway |September 25, 2020

Project Will Delve Into How Climate and Tectonics Shaped Human Ancestors Over 25 Million Years

A new project will investigate the relationships between tectonics, climate and the evolution of humans’ primate ancestors in Kenya’s Turkana Basin.

by |September 25, 2020

Stability Check on Antarctica Reveals High Risk for Long-Term Sea Level Rise

The warmer it gets, the faster Antarctica will lose ice, and at some point the losses will become irreversible. That is what researchers say in a new cover story in the leading journal Nature, in which they calculate how much warming the Antarctic Ice Sheet can survive.

by |September 23, 2020
three hydroclimate maps

Europe’s ‘Great Famine’ Years Were Some of the Soggiest in Centuries

Unrelenting rains led to a miserable famine in Europe from 1315-1317. Just how wet was it? A new study reveals that the beginning of the famine included some of the wettest years in the last 700 years.

by |September 22, 2020
Low angle view of African American lab worker examining machine part while working in a lab.

U.S. Should Launch a National Energy Innovation Mission to Reach Climate Goals

A new report details a plan to kickstart energy innovation in the U.S.

by |September 15, 2020