Honeybees are essential pollinators for agriculture and natural ecosystems. Stressors like climate change, habitat loss and pesticide exposure threaten their ability to forage for pollen, a critical resource for colony survival. Researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology demonstrate that an artificial intelligence (AI)-based monitoring system combined with a computer model can link the exposure of neonicotinoid pesticides on individual honeybees to the health of the whole colony. 

Linking elk pregnancy to elk “foodscapes”, climate impacts on bee gut microbiomes and more from ESA’s journals.

Colder temperatures are linked with increased risk of diarrhea among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, emphasizing the need for climate-sensitive health strategies in refugee settings.

In a paper published in National Science Review, a Chinese team of scientists conducted an analysis on how changes in Arctic snow and ice cover affect cloud short-wave radiative effects, using satellite observations and climate model data. The study found that even under conditions where cloud properties remain unchanged, the melting of snow and ice can trigger an enhanced clouds’ short-wave cooling effect. The enhanced cooling effect can partially slow down the melting process, while it cannot reverse the overall decreasing trend of ice and snow.

 Americans are more likely to discuss climate change with family and friends if they feel worried or at risk, perceive society as supportive of pro-climate behaviors or see global warming depicted in the media, according to a study published April 17, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Margaret Orr from George Mason University College of Humanities and Social Sciences in Fairfax, Virginia, and colleagues.

Climate change and a decline in available arable land are reducing crop yields which can significantly impact food security. Sustainable solutions to feed the increasingly growing population are urgent.

 

A research team as part of the Proteins4Singapore (P4SG) project, co-led by TUMCREATE in Singapore and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), proposes that future controlled environment agriculture - CEA systems can boost productivity for several food sources. In CEA, all growth conditions are carefully controlled to optimise growth and yield. Controllable parameters impacting these growth conditions span temperature, humidity, light, carbon dioxide concentration, and nutrients. All the outputs can be finely tuned, largely minimising environmental impact.

 

CEA enables a consistent year-round production of safe food and can complement traditional farming, according to Dr Vanesa Calvo-Baltanás, research fellow at TUMCREATE and the lead researcher of this finding. The team investigated the yield potential of six food groups cultivated under CEA conditions, including crops, algae, mushrooms, insects, fish and cultivated meat.

A new butterfly species, Satyrium curiosolus, was discovered in a recent study at Blakiston Fan in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. It has unique evolutionary history, having likely remained in isolation for up to 40,000 years, leading to flatlined genetic diversity and exceptionally high levels of inbreeding. Due to its specific ecological associations and low genetic diversity, this butterfly may soon face challenges with climate change adaptation and will require special conservation strategies. The discovery was published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.