The air above Earth – especially above California – might have way more methane in it than anyone thought. And that could be good news. "Most of the emissions come from a small fraction of sources,” says Stanford Earth's Adam Brandt. 

“This idea that you can just be off the grid, we are hearing that more and more,” Sally Benson says about backup power sources. Under some circumstances, the systems may do more environmental harm than good.

“The next 10 years are crucial for getting ahead of the fire issue,” said Chris Field. “We really need to address almost every aspect.”

Stanford Earth's Paul Segall comments on a new, cheaper way to track crustal movements on the ocean floor. The method would replace expensive ships with ocean-going drones.

As governments in California increasingly consider limiting new residential natural gas connections, it is important to question whether banning natural gas is an “antidote to climate change,” writes Anthony Kovscek.

“Every house, every high-rise that’s built with gas, may be in place for decades. We’re establishing infrastructure that may be in place for 50 years,” says Rob Jackson.  

“Without the U.S. engaged, we don’t have the technical, the moral or the financial impetus that the world needs,” Chris Field said about the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

“I agree with the president that fuel reduction and fire breaks are important,” said Chris Field. “But they are just the beginning. We also need to upgrade homes and businesses to make them more fire resistant, improve defensible spaces around buildings, and limit ignitions, including from downed power lines.”

“Understanding of these things has reached a stage where you can think of prescribed burns as comparable in safety to running a lawnmower through the area,” said Chris Field.

As detailed in a new study published in Geology, Stephen Dobbs and his collaborators used open-source multibeam sonar data, along with topographic data, to compare land and underwater canyons. 

“One of the ways to sort of insulate yourself better from public safety power shut-offs is to have some local storage so that you can segregate your electrical grid a little bit so that it’s more of a microgrid,” says Tony Kovscek. 

Many experts believe recent disasters represent a new era — one in which major wildfires that threaten people and their homes are a regular fixture in our lives. Chris Field talks about how the scientific community is thinking about wildfires.

Rice yields will decrease by 40 percent by 2100 and will contain twice as much arsenic as rice today, according to new research by Scott Fendorf. 

For more than two years President Donald Trump has talked about pulling out of the landmark Paris climate agreement. Rob Jackson, chair of the Global Carbon Project that tracks carbon emissions worldwide, speaks about this commitment.

Rob Jackson says total global carbon dioxide emissions are rising again in 2019, and other scientists’ warnings about climate change have intensified over the past 12 months. Will world leaders finally listen?

NSF is forcing competition while mandating that a single contractor manage its two large facilities for studying Earth’s shape and vibration. This comes as a surprise, “but it’s not dire news. In a way, I kind of welcome it,” says Greg Beroza.