A plasticene lexicon

As plastic pollution in the environment has increased rapidly in the last half century, so too has the study of the effects of plastic on marine, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. From this research, a series of new terms has emerged to describe the phenomena unique to the presence of plastic-based materials in nature.

Sun-drenched photos capture the golden age of surfing

Amid the glistening waves and youthful grins in Jeff Divine’s photos of 1970s surfers, there’s something conspicuously absent from the sun-drenched scenes: logos.
This was a time before sponsorship and mainstream attention turned the sport into a lucrative global industry.

New European rules aim to end throwaway culture

The European Commission has announced a plan to require manufacturers to make products that last longer and are easier to repair and reuse — an attempt to curb the “throwaway culture” that has fueled greenhouse gas emissions, resource extraction, and pollution. The new rules would take effect by 2021.

The Mediterranean nearly dried up. A cataclysmic flood revived it.

The serene turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea hide a sharp-tasting secret: a layer of salt up to two miles thick, lurking deep underneath the basin. Even after decades of study, the details surrounding the sea’s vanishing act and the torrents of water that refilled the basin remain an enduring mystery.