Using a new large-scale data archive of animal movement studies, an international team including University of Maryland biologists found that animals are responding in unexpected ways to climate change. The archive contains data from studies across the global Arctic and sub-Arctic, an enormous region that is experiencing some of the most dramatic effects of global warming, including animal declines.

The image of a female Asian elephant in a tea plantation on the fringes of Kaziranga National Park in India, bordering the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, exemplifies potential impacts to endangered species conservation in cropland-impacted parks. The elephant in the image is mock charging at rescuers extracting her calf from a trench at the edge of the field.Image courtesy of Sashanka Barbaruah-Wildlife Trust of India

Dr. Sacoby Wilson has spent his career working to advance environmental justice and said Biden's ambitious executive order shows urgency in tackling what environmental justice communities have endured for generations. “Our regulatory agencies have failed these communities,” he acknowledged. "This is really, really important.”

A new study by geographical sciences researchers reveals that the South American continent lost 20% of its natural ecosystems since 1985—equivalent to 21.6 soccer fields of natural land being degraded or converted by human activity every single minute for more than three decades.

Worldwide aviation is growing at a fast pace, with many more planes in the sky expected over the coming decades. And that means an increased need to rein in emissions. But how? The gas turbines used in today’s aircraft are already highly efficient, with little room for further optimization, so any solution will have to leverage newer technologies, such as electric propulsion and fuel cells.

When winter storms threaten to make travel dangerous, people often turn to salt, spreading it liberally over highways, streets and sidewalks to melt snow and ice. Road salt is an important tool for safety because many thousands of people die or are injured every year due to weather related accidents.

A University of Maryland faculty researcher and entrepreneur with the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources has given the standard patio umbrella an eco-friendly update and designed a living canopy that provides greater shade and natural cooling with the aesthetics of flowering vines for residential patios and porches, outdoor dining, and urban spaces alike — and they are now available for purchase at select Sam’s Club stores.

Imagine: stronger-than-steel wood that replaces metal in cars and planes and slashes steel production emissions. Lightweight, long-lasting, and backpack-sized non-flammable battery packs that soldiers and rescue workers carry with them wherever they go. A compact, cordless air-conditioning robot that follows you on a muggy summer day, keeping you comfortable while drastically reducing the cost and environmental impact of cooling huge office or warehouse spaces.

Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, is one of Africa's fastest-growing cities, but the trade in meat poached in rural areas is more closely linked to this and others urban areas than previously understood, new UMD-led research has found. (Photo by Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)