60-Second Earth
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Obama Pledges to Address Climate, Energy
21 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In his second inaugural address, Pres. Barack Obama said the U.S. must respond to the threat of climate change and lead the development of sustainable...
Electric Cars Need a New Sound
13 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Federal guidelines will dictate that electric vehicles start making more noise at low speeds. David Biello reports
Oil Harvesting Goes to Extremes
06 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
The grounding of a drilling rig in Arctic waters illustrates the risks of pushing the boundaries of oil exploration and recovery. David Biello reports
We Look Back Earthily at 2012
30 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Superstorms, electric cars, alternative fuels and Arctic sea ice all made environmental news in 2012. David Biello reports
Maya Civilization Provides a Real Apocalyptic Lesson
23 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Research shows that what laid low Mayan society was climate change, which brought prolonged drought. David Biello reports
Leaked Report Confirms Human-Induced Climate Change
16 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The world is on track for warming of at least 2 degrees Celsius, according to a leaked draft of the next IPCC report. David Biello reports
Trouble and Toil Has Not Slowed the Boil
09 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
As climate change negotiations drag on, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, fulfilling scientists' predictions. David Biello reports
Sunlit Nanoparticles Turn Water to Steam
02 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Heated grains of coated sand turn water to steam without having to boil the whole pot. David Biello reports
What to Expect from Climate Negotiations
25 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
As the world gathers in Doha, is progress being made in reducing greenhouse gas pollution? David Biello reports
Advanced Biofuels Hope to Change the Climate for Transportation
18 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Fuel from algae is being sold in California, a first step toward a future of advanced biofuels. David Biello reports
Global Warming Means Culture Change
11 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Climate isn't the only thing global warming will change. David Biello reports
Who Were the Greenest Presidents?
05 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A survey of environmental groups finds that Teddy Roosevelt was the president with the highest environmental cred, followed by Richard Nixon. David Bi...
What Does It Take to Make a "Frankenstorm"?
27 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. east coast is enduring what's been dubbed a "Frankenstorm" for its combination of multiple different types of weather systems. David Biello r...
Human Thirst Makes Earth Quake
21 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Man-made earthquakes are a real and growing phenomenon. David Biello reports
Can the City That Never Sleeps Forgo Nuclear Power?
14 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The bright lights of the big city currently rely on fission, but a new study suggests efficiency and renewables could do the job instead. David Biello...
How the Great Barrier Reef Is Disappearing Right before Our Eyes
07 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A new analysis reveals that coral cover on the world's largest biological construct has declined by more than 50 percent since 1985. David Biello repo...
Candidates Mum on Climate Change
30 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
How can we break the ice and get a political conversation started about climate change, David Biello asks
Prime Time Fox News and <i>WSJ</i> Editorial Climate Coverage Mostly Wrong
21 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
An analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientsts finds that 93 percent of climate info on Fox News prime time and 81 percent on The Wall Street Journal...
Bird Seed Poisons Wild Birds
16 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
To improve shelf life, Scotts Miracle-Gro used a pesticide toxic to birds in its bird seed. David Biello reports
How Humans and Tigers Can Coexist
09 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
One way to help save tigers would be to cede the night to them. David Biello reports
How Much Life Is There on Earth?
02 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
New estimates decrease the likely number of microbes beneath the sea, but the truth is that we still don't really know. David Biello reports
Energy Hits the U.S. Presidential Campaign Trail
26 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Romney wants "energy independence," Obama prefers an "all of the above" approach. What's the difference? David Biello reports
Fukushima Radiation Damages Butterflies, but Not People--Yet
19 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Scientific analyses are beginning to unravel the biological consequences of the radioactive particles released during the Fukushima meltdowns. David B...
Drilling for Offshore Oil Comes to the Arctic
12 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
As Shell prepares to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea, what are the risks? David Biello reports
UV Gives Fish Skin Cancer
05 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Fifteen percent of a sample of 136 trout caught near the Great Barrier Reef showed evidence of melanoma, with UV exposure the likely culprit. Christop...
Greener Olympics Mean Cleaner Air
30 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A new analysis shows how the summer Olympics helped clear the air in Beijing--and combat climate change. David Biello reports
Marijuana Farms Poison Wildlife
22 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Pathologists have found the first evidence of wildlife poisoned by a cash crop--and not in a traditional agricultural area. David Biello reports
Could Geoengineering Stop Heat Waves?
15 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists explore whether artificial volcanoes might beat the heat. David Biello reports
35 Years of Renewable Energy
08 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been working for 35 years to make solar power and other technologies a reality. David Biello reports
Are Western Forests Doomed to Burn Away?
01 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change may not only unleash fiercer wildfires but also ultimately replace Western forestland with grasslands. David Biello reports
Warming Oceans Will Follow Laws of Physics
24 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Warmer waters mean higher sea levels, but how high? David Biello reports
For Sustainability, Go Beyond Gross Domestic Product
17 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The widely used economic measure grossly distorts the environmental and social costs of some growth, David Biello reports
Are We Pushing the Planet to the Brink of Irreversible Environmental Change?
10 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The human transformation of the planet is now bigger than the end of the last ice age. What does that mean for the planet? David Biello asks
How Climate Change May Impact Electricity Supplies
03 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Fossil-fuel burning power plants aren't only causing climate change, they're likely to suffer from such global warming. David Biello reports
Another Casualty of War?: The Environment
27 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
From lingering pollution to feeding soldiers on bushmeat, war can be tough on the environment. David Biello reports
Why Tariffs on Chinese Photovoltaics Are Bad for the Planet
20 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. has placed tariffs on Chinese solar panels in a bid to protect American solar companies. David Biello reports
Wasted Food No More
13 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Massachusetts may ban big institutions from discarding food in the trash in a bid to cut down on the methane from landfills. David Biello reports
How to Adapt to Climate Change
06 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
As the globe warms, communities across the world are providing examples of how to adapt. David Biello reports
L.A. Needs to Stop Being Such a Cow Town
29 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
New research suggests that the waste from dairy farms may be a bigger source of smog in Los Angeles than the region's millions of cars. David Biello r...
Happy Earth Day! Welcome to the Anthropocene
22 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists are suggesting that the present day is part of a new era in the planet's history. David Biello reports
Take Me Out to the Renewably Powered Ballgame
15 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Baseball teams across the country are investing in renewable power for their stadiums. David Biello reports
It's Not Dead, It's Resting
08 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
There are a wide variety of life forms that can come back to life. David Biello reports
135 Years of Records Reveals Deep Ocean Warming
01 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The ocean surface is warming. Using records going back more than a century to the British Challenger expedition, researchers calculate that the deep o...
How Industrial Noise Helps and Hurts Plants
25 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
By encouraging and discouraging certain animals, human noise has an effect on vegetation. David Biello reports
Global Energy Hunger Leaves Little Room to Displace Dirty Fuels
18 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
One of the promises of renewable energy is its ability to displace polluting fossil fuels, but is it fulfilling that pledge? David Biello reports
Fukushima: We Listen Back
11 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Newly released audio takes us through the first week of the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi on this first anniversary of the crisis. David Biell...
How Raindrops Calm the Wind
26 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
New research suggests the drag on falling precipitation helps slow atmospheric circulation. David Biello reports
Is the Keystone Pipeline a Shortcut to Catastrophic Climate Change?
19 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The Keystone XL pipeline wouldn't be a major environmental calamity, but oil addiction is. David Biello reports
What Does a Coup in the Maldives Mean for Climate Change?
12 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The fate of an island chain's president may mean more--or even less--progress to combat climate change. David Biello reports
How to Make Electricity Using Plants and Sunshine
05 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A new system combines the power of plants and photovoltaics to make solar power cheap and durable. David Biello reports
How Much Energy Do You Waste Charging Your Cell Phone?
29 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Battery chargers are everywhere these days, wasting electricity. California aims to change that. David Biello reports
Gee Whiz, Why Not Recycle Urine for Drinking Water?
16 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. can no longer afford to ignore sewage as a source of drinking water, scientists argue. David Biello reports
Michael Mann Defends Climate Computer Models
10 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Penn State climate modeler Michael Mann talks about what computer models can tell us--and what they don't need to. David Biello reports
Welcome to the Year of the Lightbulb
01 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready to buy lightbulbs by lumens rather than watts. David Biello reports
What Are the Chances of a White Christmas?
25 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is also messing with cherished holiday dreams. David Biello reports
Durban Deal May Bring Climate Change Action into 21st Century
11 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
As time ran out on the latest international climate change negotiations, an agreement was reached that includes all significant countries in the effor...
Simmering Planet Keeps Heating
04 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Despite decades of warnings, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, warming the world. Can such pollution peak this decade? David Biello asks
Give Thanks for Methods to Cut Back on Wasted Food
27 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The world wastes more food than all of sub-Saharan Africa produces. Can that be stopped? David Biello reports
Oceans Teem with Tiny Plastic Particles
20 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Washing machine wastewater carries tiny pieces of plastic to the oceans, where they wind up in sea life. David Biello reports
Flying on a Wing and Oil from Plants
13 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A new era in aviation dawned this week in the U.S. with the first flights powered by biofuels. David Biello reports
Halloween Chocolate: More Trick Than Treat?
30 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Chocolate has a dark side--child slave labor. David Biello reports
Why Is the CIA Keeping Climate Change Secret?
23 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The Central Intelligence Agency is working on climate change, but you'd never know it. David Biello reports
How Steve Jobs Tried to Make Apple Green
09 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The environmental and social impacts of all our gadgets are not insignificant. David Biello reports
World's Largest River Restoration Project Begins
02 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The removal of two dams on the Elwha River will help restore once-abundant salmon runs. David Biello reports
Fukushima Fallout in Japan
25 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The melted down reactors are stabilizing, but the real work of repair has yet to begin. David Biello reports
Can the World Handle Chinese Cars?
18 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The first car mostly made in China has arrived for sale in the U.S. David Biello reports
Need a Break? Try Nature
11 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A growing body of research suggests nature walks may be more restorative than traditional stimulants like caffeine. David Biello reports
Need Rain? Try Lasers
04 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
New experiments show that firing lasers into the air might help induce or reduce rain. David Biello reports
How Much Life Does Earth Host?
28 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The number of species currently alive is a best guess at best. David Biello reports
Why Environmentalism Is Conservative
21 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Have conservatives abandoned their roots as environmental leaders? David Biello investigates
Bringing Birds Back to Regrowing Forests
14 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Once fragmented forests are growing back together, do tropical birds follow? David Biello reports
What If the Smart Grid Isn't So Smart?
07 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
New analyses show that equipping consumers with real-time information about electricity prices could crash the grid. David Biello reports
Eating the Lionfish
31 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The answer to an invasive fish species in the Atlantic and Caribbean may just be overfishing. David Biello reports
Feeding the Grid with Sunshine at College
24 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Butte College in California hosts a massive solar array, which allows it to produce more electricity than it uses. David Biello reports
Absence of Top Predators Brings Unanticipated Changes
17 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Ecologists document the negative ripple effects of removing top predators from ecosystems. David Biello reports
Electric Cars May Need Noisemakers
10 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Whisper-quiet electric and hybrid cars may need an artificial sound boost to let pedestrians know they're there. David Biello reports
The Buzz on Beer and Soda Fizz
06 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A look at the environmental burden of our favorite summer beverages. David Biello reports
Pacific Plankton Crosses to Atlantic, Thanks to Arctic Meltdown
26 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Warmer temperatures in the North are allowing species to shift from ocean to ocean. David Biello reports
Sunspot-Related Cooling Can't Offset Greenhouse Warming
19 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Changes to the sunspot cycle will have an impact on our weather and climate--but not a very big one. David Biello reports
Pavement Contributes to Poor Air Quality
12 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Paved roads and sprawl are likely to blame for summertime smog buildup. David Biello reports
Are Biodegradeable Plastics Doing More Harm Than Good?
05 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Depends on whether one worries about climate change or persistent plastics in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. David Biello reports
Whither the Honey Bee?
29 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
For the fourth consecutive year, roughly one third of managed honey bees died last winter. David Biello reports
America's Climate Choices Are Narrowing
15 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
With every year of inaction the risks posed by climate change grow, according to a new report requested by Congress. David Biello reports
Whales Return to NYC Harbor
08 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A variety of species of whales have been rediscovered in the vicinity of New York City. Is it because they love musicals? David Biello investigates
Solar Power Boosts Home Sales?
01 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A new study finds that photovoltaic systems provide a premium for houses. David Biello reports
Can Taxes Be Green?
17 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Could taxing environmental ills prove more of a solution to pollution than dilution? David Biello investigates
How Doth Your Native Flora Grow?
10 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The diversity of local plants goes down when a city springs up. David Biello reports
Will Today's Trash Be Tomorrow's Island?
03 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Ancient trash heaps became modern tree islands in the Everglades. David Biello reports
The Origin of Life
27 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A new analysis suggests lightning and volcanoes helped make life possible. David Biello reports
Chernobyl Opens for Tourism
20 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Next month marks Chernobyl's 25th anniversary, and the site is now accepting tourists. Christie Nicholson reports
Oil Spills Mean Air Pollution, Too
13 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico didn't just foul the ocean, it also tainted the air. David Biello reports
Predicting the Future of Oil
06 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
And what does that mean for the U.S. economy and environment? David Biello reports
Global Rise of the Fire Ant? Blame U.S. Trade
27 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A new study shows that the invasive species has spread not from its original home in South America but from its beachhead in the southeastern U.S., Da...
Permafrost Meltdown May Herald Climate Catastrophe
20 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The thawing of a thin layer of frozen Arctic soils will exacerbate global warming. David Biello reports
Does Drilling for Electricity Make Sense?
13 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Harnessing Earth's heat to make electricity is an underrated renewable resource. David Biello reports
Teaching Bankers about Climate Change
06 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Why is HSBC teaching its employees about global warming? David Biello reports
Another Reason to Hate Shopping Sound Tracks
30 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The background music in stores and shopping malls designed to spur sales also spur emissions of greenhouse gases. David Biello reports
Is Coal Fly Ash Responsible for Mass Extinction?
23 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Forget CO2, the toxic aftermath of coal burning might be responsible for the worst mass extinction event the world has ever known. David Biello report...
Strike Off the Band, Says Penguin Study
16 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Banding penguins to track them is bad for their health, a new study reports. David Biello investigates
No Such Thing as a Free Parking Spot
09 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
It's not just driving our cars that harms the environment, parking them also poses a problem. David Biello reports