Science

First Harvey, now Irma. Why are so many hurricanes hitting the U.S.?

By Nsikan Akpan

Some uncertainty still surrounds Hurricane Irma’s fate, but here’s what to expect -- plus an explainer on why this hurricane season is churning out so many extreme storms in the Atlantic Ocean.

New satellite photos reveal extent of Harvey flooding in Houston

By Julia Griffin

As Harvey’s rains push northwards into Kentucky and the nation's northeast corridor, new photos reveal the extent of flooding the record-breaking storm left behind in the Houston region.

WATCH: Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins on his skepticism about human-caused climate change

By Travis Daub

Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, whose gulf coast district has had to deal with the effects of sea level rise and flooding, spoke with Miles O'Brien about his belief that the science behind human-caused climate change is flawed.

Wetlands stopped $625 million in property damage during Hurricane Sandy. Can they help Houston?

By Nsikan Akpan

For the first time, a new study gives us a sense of how much property damage these natural habitats can prevent during severe storms like Hurricane Harvey.

Explosions rattle Arkema chemical plant near Houston

By Laura Santhanam

Reports of two explosions at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas followed days of rising floodwaters and lost power.

Did climate change make recent extreme storms worse?

By PBS News Hour

Nature is taking a devastating toll in both the U.S. mainland and in countries like India, Bangladesh and Nepal, where monsoon rains are causing floods and hundreds of casualties. Directly attributing these individual weather events to global warming is a…

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Huge new study casts doubt on conventional wisdom about fat and carbs

By Patrick Skerrett, STAT

New results from a huge international study help continue to reshape fat's image while at the same time casting doubt on the wisdom of eating lots of carbs.

Hurricane Harvey damages petrochemical refineries, releasing thousands of pounds of airborne pollutants

By Nsikan Akpan

ExxonMobil disclosed Tuesday that two refineries accidentally released 12,000 pounds of hazardous vapors after being damaged by Hurricane Harvey. But the disclosures represent just four of more than a dozen reports filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality since…

This New York river dumps millions of fabric microfibers into the ocean daily

By Teresa Carey

The Hudson River dumps 300 million microfibers into the Atlantic Ocean each day, according to a new study. Invisible to the naked eye, these fibers can cause health problems for animals and humans.