Environmental Science: Expert Guides and Resources

Celebrate everything that is beautiful about our planet by reconnecting with nature, learning more about the natural environment, or picking up a new eco-friendly habit or two.April 22 is Earth Day — a world-wide celebration commemorating everything that makes our blue-marble planet unique and beautiful, and all the things we can do to protect it.

Hurricanes are scary, and few people think clearly under that stress. Additionally, a lot of what you need to do to best weather a storm starts well ahead of hurricane season — which runs from late May through November. SpeedShutter / Adobe StockStart your hurricane safety plan ahead of a storm, while things are calm.

If, for whatever reason, you were unable to get out of the area before a hurricane strikes, making the right moves may be a life-or-death matter. More hurricanes happen during September than any other month, but hurricane season spans late May through November and can push relentless rain and wind up to 100 miles inland.

A hurricane starts as a tropical storm, and a tropical storm reaches hurricane status when it develops and sustains winds moving at least 74 miles per hour. The storm itself is a cyclone with winds spiraling (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) in a counterclockwise direction. These cyclones, or rotating storms, develop over any ocean but are called hurricanes when they arise over the Atlantic or Northern Pacific.

The wildfires burning across Canada have become a global story. As of early June, more than 10 million acres have burned, and it could be Canada's worst wildfire season ever. The fires have led people to wonder, "does climate change cause wildfires? ©Atilla Adam / Adobe StockWhile it's uncertain whether climate change has directly caused these particular fires, scientists do believe that, overall, we are seeing more wildfires every year because of a warming planet.

Environmental science is a field of study focused on Earth’s environment and the resources it provides to every living organism, including humans. Environmental scientists focus on studying the environment and everything in it and finding sustainable solutions to environmental issues. In particular, this means meeting the needs of human beings (and other organisms) today without damaging the environment, depleting resources, or compromising the earth’s ability to meet the resource needs of the future.

Conversations about the cause of global warming typically focus on the big offenders — the worst industries, dirtiest factories, and scoff-law nations. There’s nothing wrong with that. But everyone plays a role in climate change.Each of us uses energy — specifically, fossil fuels — on a daily basis: Electricity: From the moment the alarm sounds in the morning until you shut off the computer or TV at night, you’re connected to an electrical grid, often fueled by coal or oil.

The rash of tornadoes that came in early spring 2023, devastating parts of the U.S. South and Midwest, no doubt had many people thinking about how climate change is affecting the weather. Tornadoes seem to be happening earlier in the season than ever, and in larger numbers. ©Dan Ross / Adobe StockA tornado scours a farm field in Illinois.

An earthquake is the sometimes violent shaking of the ground caused by movements of Earth's tectonic plates. Most earthquakes occur along fault lines, which is where two tectonic plates come together. ©Andrey VP / Adobe StockEarthquakes strike suddenly and violently and can occur at any time, day or night, throughout the year.