Climate change

Maya site from the Uaxactn region in Guatemala. Illustration: depositphotos.com

When the drought didn't appear: Lake sediments in Guatemala challenge the accepted explanation for the collapse of Maya civilization

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Global warming is accelerating. Illustration: depositphotos.com

New study: Global warming has been accelerating since 2015

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Analysis of five global datasets shows that the rate of warming in the past decade is almost double that measured between 1970 and 2015
Whale shark on Zikim Beach (Photo: Matan Benedict, Delfis Association)

A humpback whale that washed ashore on Zikim may reveal the state of the Mediterranean Sea

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Lack of investment in the environment will lead to poverty. Illustration: depositphotos.com

New UN report: Investing in planetary health will lead to higher growth; business as usual will lead to GDP cuts and poverty

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UNEP's GEO-7 report states that shifting from a "business as usual" economy to investing in a stable climate, nature and reducing pollution could yield up to $20 trillion a year by 2070, prevent millions of deaths and eliminate
A dedicated aquaculture system where the researchers grew three local species of algae. Photo: Tel Aviv University

Research at Tel Aviv University: Seaweed off the coast of Israel is rich in protein and bioactive substances

A first-of-its-kind ecological-biotechnological survey along the Israeli Mediterranean coast reveals resilient macroalgae rich in nutritional and health-promoting compounds, indicating potential for developing superfoods, medicines, and sustainable aquaculture.
Kind, small and cute, about a centimeter to a centimeter and a half in size. Blind scorpion. Photo: Shlomi Aharon

The Scorpion: Not a Scorpion, Not a Spider – Mom's Copy-Paste

He's neither a scorpion nor a spider. He's a carbon copy of his mother, and if you're from Jerusalem, you might have met him in the shower. What's so special about a scorpion? The hottest questions about the most interesting animals
Once considered a stable, ancient giant, Glacier A-23A is now gradually breaking apart as it drifts into warmer waters. The glacier, which broke away from the Pilchner Ice Shelf in 1986, survived nearly four decades before it began to disintegrate on its journey north. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory / Michala Garrison, MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.

NASA has documented the collapse of the giant iceberg A-23A – one of the largest and oldest in the world

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NASA satellites have documented the disintegration of the A-23A glacier, which broke away from Antarctica in 1986 and survived for almost four decades before starting to break up on its journey north.
Jordan - a desert country. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Why Climate Change Coverage in the Middle East is Among the Lowest in the World – The Case of Jordan

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Comprehensive study reveals: Despite the Middle East being one of the regions most vulnerable to the climate crisis, local media barely covers the issue. Jordan serves as an example of the importance of free media in raising public awareness
Map of sampling sites for olive and grapevine archaeobotanical finds. Credit: Riehl et al., 2025, PLOS One, CC-BY 4.0 ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))

Bronze and Iron Age farmers invested in irrigation to preserve grapevine crops – and committed to wine production

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Image: This map includes the probability of wildfires in California's Northern Coast Mountains as published in a UC DAVIS study, with September 2020 wildfire extents shown for comparison.

Groundbreaking Israeli research: Models adapted for predicting forest fires significantly improve the ability to warn and prevent disasters

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A team of researchers from Israel and Sweden has developed an innovative method to improve fire prediction indices through local adjustments for each country, with an accuracy of up to 86%.
PFAS chemicals ("persistent chemicals") have been found to be contaminants in the Cape Fear River, which supplies water to two million residents in North Carolina. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The Environmental Protection Agency's retreat from science endangers public health and the planet

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The Trump administration has begun dismantling the EPA's research arm – a move that threatens decades of progress in preventing pollution and protecting public health around the world.
A 6th-century AD mosaic discovered in a church in Kisufim (courtesy of the Israel Museum). The mosaic depicts Urbikon – a merchant or winemaker carrying a cluster of grapes in his hand, and leading a camel loaded with wine jars of the Gazan type.

New research reveals: This is how the thriving wine economy of the Byzantine Negev was built – and how it collapsed during the drought years

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The study found what conditions allowed vineyards to thrive in the desert and what caused agriculture to collapse during drought years. The researchers emphasize that the findings provide contemporary insights for managing water resources and strengthening agriculture in arid regions.
Photo 1 of a seed fern from the pre-extinct tropical rainforest, Gigantopteris (giant leaves), courtesy of Dr Zhen Xu.

New fossils reveal: Tropical forest collapse caused extreme warming after the Great Extinction

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New study finds that the extinction of vegetation during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction limited carbon absorption and led to a long-term increase in temperatures
Dairy Farm. Image courtesy of Denron Dairy Farm

Will the climate crisis create a global milk shortage?

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Israeli-American study reveals that an extremely hot day reduces milk yield by up to 10% and that cooling technologies only partially compensate for the damage
Researchers examine the remains of a platform-shaped monument — the largest type of monument ever studied. Such monuments were usually built in one sitting, by multiple people. Credit: Ohio State University

7,000-year-old stone monuments reveal secrets of survival and social connections in the ancient world

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Research reveals how nomadic herders in southern Arabia adapted their monument building to changes in climate and social structure – and maintained a sense of belonging even in harsh conditions
A giant sloth at the entrance to a cave it dug. Illustration: Avi Blizovsky, via DALEE

They were three-and-a-half-ton sloths with claws and armor – and then humans arrived

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New research reveals how ancient giant sloths dug caves, thrived in the oceans and moved between diverse environments – until climate change and the arrival of humans led to their extinction
The Earth is burning, but climate crisis denial is at its peak. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Anti-environmentalism on the rise but full of contradictions

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Despite the great public popularity of environmental protection, populist politicians adopt hostile positions towards green goals – contrary to conservative tradition and the reality outside the window
Blue-winged sedges. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Even birds can't escape global warming

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A Yale University study examines the movements of 406 migratory bird species and finds that most birds are not moving fast enough to keep up with rising temperatures.
A cross-section of land showing limestone and vegetation, illustrating nature and biodiversity.

The Neolithic Revolution that began the modern era

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New research from the Hebrew University reveals how natural fires and soil erosion following extreme climate events pushed the transition to agricultural life about 10,000 years ago
Illustration depicting NASA in its better days. Illustration: depositphotos.com

NASA shakeup. Three departments closed, chief scientist fired

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In drastic changes as part of federal budget cuts, NASA is eliminating the Office of the Chief Scientist, the Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy, and the Diversity Branch, leading to the layoffs of about 20 employees and challenging the agency's scientific and strategic trajectory.
Melting glaciers are slowing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the world's strongest ocean current, researchers have found. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

The Great Ocean Slowdown: How Antarctic Ice Loss Is Reshaping the Climate

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New research finds that melting ice in Antarctica is weakening the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and could lead to worsening climate extremes, disrupting marine ecosystems, and reducing the ocean's ability to absorb carbon by 2050.
Youth protest for climate justice. Illustration: depositphotos.com

There is no room for environmental justice in Trump's dictatorship.

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Among the areas that were decided to be eliminated "for reasons of efficiency" is the area of ​​environmental justice, which is responsible for the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). During 2025, 171 EPA employees were sent on administrative leave - 160 of whom dealt with justice issues
Almond trees blooming in Israel. Photo: Ran Berkovich, Unsplash It sounds like rain and irrigation are just as significant a factor as warming.

Tu B'Shvat has arrived: Is the almond blossom in danger?

Almonds have been blooming in Israel for thousands of years, but the climate crisis could affect traditional cultivation. A special interview in honor of Tu B'Shvat with Dr. Or Sferling
Eilat's northern coast near the Kinet Canal, 23/4/2024. Collecting details and photographs by Omri O'Oshai

Who painted the beaches of Eilat pink?

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In April 2023 and 2024, mass die-offs of planktonic amphipods occurred in the Gulf of Eilat. Researchers have found that this was the effect of seasonal circular currents called eddies.
Geckos reduce their activity to a minimum, and at the same time, their internal organs. Photo: Simon Jamieson

The gecko that eats itself to survive

This invasive species arrived in Israel about a decade ago and has since surprised and disturbed with its impressive abilities – meet the Egyptian walled gecko
A statue of Julius Caesar, a symbol of ancient Rome, reminds us of how history repeats itself. From Wikimedia

Climate change, epidemics, and groundwater pollution in ancient Rome: Will the disregard for science and the climate crisis lead us to the fall of the West?

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Two new studies (January 2025) reveal how natural climate change and lead water contamination shaped the social and health development of ancient Rome, highlighting the need to incorporate health aspects into climate risk assessment
Yarmouk River. Photo Its strategic importance has been known for thousands of years. Yarmouk. Photo: Eliezer Schwartz Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

The Fall of Assad and Its Impact on the Yarmouk River: Between Water and State Security

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Assad's fall could also affect the Yarmouk River, which runs, among other things, through the Israel-Syria-Jordan border triangle. How do conflict zones affect ecosystems, which in turn affect the security of the state?
Trump's election could exacerbate the climate crisis. Illustration: Avi Blizovsky via FLUX

 The effect of Donald Trump's re-election on the fight against the climate crisis

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Upon his return to the White House, he appointed climate change denier Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indicating his intentions to continue the climate crisis denial policies he implemented in his first term
The first computer that invests the computational effort required to solve the 'puzzle' discovers the password to the new 'safe' and takes ownership of it. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Environmental economist: Cryptocurrencies should be taxed

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After more than doubling in value this year, Bitcoin has crossed the $100 mark. But Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have environmental consequences, and according to Dr. Yossi Borochov, there is now an opportunity to tax them
The beer is made from barley, one of the first species that man domesticated. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A new beer? On climate change and genetics of barley

During the meeting in Ljubljana, the accession of three new countries was celebrated - Ivory Coast, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Photography: pexels

The UN Water Convention: why is cross-border cooperation needed?

Countries that share rivers and lakes with other countries face many challenges. Building cooperation on water in the shadow of the climate crisis is critical for the water security of all of us
Cosmic scene with DNA, stars, solvents and atomic circles in oral flow.

Grow cucumbers on textile waste

A whole and shining sea lily. The green color marks the location where there is enrichment for stem cells. Photo: Shani Talisa

A unique method from the world of medicine will save the corals from bleaching due to the climate crisis

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The researchers from the Laboratory of Comparative Immunology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev decided to develop the ability to transplant stem cells between corals, just like bone marrow transplants in humans
Invisible dust storm. Photo courtesy of the Tel Aviv University spokeswoman

50% of the dust storms in Israel are not recognized and this may endanger the public

In the eastern Mediterranean area there is desert dust in the air almost all year round, and not only in spring or autumn as is commonly thought. Why is this important?
Destruction and remains after a hurricane storm in the city of Galveston, year 1900

Google DeepMind reveals: a jump of fifty years ahead - in weather forecasting

Two contrasting worlds: a polluting industrial landscape next to a sustainable green city. The illustration was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image

The climate crisis is costing us health

recommended nutritional plate; Based on the weight (in grams per day per person) of each food group out of the total. Source: Mossad Shmuel Neman's processing of Ministry of Health data - Israel's new food spectrum

The Israeli food plate: what will we eat in 2050?

A new report reveals what we should eat in the future, and how much. Spoiler: if you like salad - you're set
Cosmic scene with DNA, stars, solvents and atomic circles in oral flow.

Dr. Shamrit Meman was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Remote Sensing Committee at the International Federation for Astronautics

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Dr. Meman, director of the Remote Sensing and Planetary Imaging Laboratory at Ben-Gurion University, is strengthening Israel's position in space exploration with a prestigious international position and a pioneering project to manage emergency situations using artificial intelligence.
Figure 2: The main characteristics of the Earth's motion in space that affect the radiation it receives from the Sun. Left: the degree of ellipticity of the orbit around the sun, the change in this feature is characterized by cycles of about 400,000 and about 100,000 years. In the center: the degree of inclination of the earth's rotation axis towards the sun, the change in this feature is characterized by a cycle of about 40,000 years. On the right - the direction to which the Earth's rotation axis points in space, the change in this feature is characterized by a cycle of about 20,000 years. Source: Wikimedia.

A new study reveals: the effect of climate change on the Levant basin over the past 5 million years

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Researchers from the Geological Survey of Israel have identified climate cycles and their effects on the accumulation of sand and clay at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, combining historical findings and astronomical theory
"Genetic variation is important for trees, the method uses its evolutionary tools to overcome the difficulties of the climate." Photo: Benny Shalmon

The tree is greater than the sum of its parts: nature's ways of adapting to the climate crisis

Different species of trees that grow next to each other create a new tree - a cage - that combines the advantages of both species, and is able to cope with the rapid changes in the environment. An exciting new Israeli study
A storm over Acre. Born in Papua, in the province of Papua in Indonesia. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Signals of electric fields can provide early warning of extreme weather

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By in-depth examination of low pressure winter systems known as "Cypriot depressions" in the Negev, the study offers new insights into the role of the electric field in the detection of heavy precipitation
Strong lightning storm over Indianapolis. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Extreme rain events and their effect on mortality - new conclusions from a global study

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The researchers noted that moderate to high amounts of precipitation had a positive effect on public health, most likely due to a decrease in air pollution and people staying at home. However, extreme rainfall, beyond certain levels,
The effects of the climate may be even more significant than the direct effects of man. Photo: pixabay

Not only man directly: the climate as a key factor in the distribution of mammals

From squirrels to wolves, mammals have a problem. A new study examined which threatens them more - direct human actions, or climate change
The University of Haifa and the GEOMAR Institute are studying the effects of climate change. Photo: Haifa University Spokesperson

Maritime cooperation: The University of Haifa and the GEOMAR Institute study the effects of climate change

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The uniqueness of the Eastern Mediterranean comes from being one of the marine areas that reacts the fastest to climate change and human impacts, making it an early warning system for the future state of the oceans
An isopod, well adapted to the harsh conditions of arid regions, crawls on the desert floor in search of plant remains. Credit: Viraj R Torsekar 

New research reveals the critical role of large insects in the decomposition process in desert ecosystems

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The assumption until now was that the decomposition rates were mainly driven by microorganisms and decreased in drier environments. The new research reveals that large arthropods play a critical and hitherto unappreciated role in the systems
Lateral transfer of genes between bacteria and plants. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image

Strengthening plant health: the role of gene exchange with bacteria

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New research has revealed how plants and bacteria swap genes to boost plant health and development. These genes affect key processes such as carbohydrate metabolism and hormone synthesis
Contrast between the environmental agendas of Trump and Harris. Credit: Avi Blizovsky

The deep differences between the environmental agendas of Trump and Harris

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The American political system is facing a crucial choice regarding the future of the climate and the environment, when the global consequences of the American decisions may lead to far-reaching changes in the world climate
A blood-sucking mosquito. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Anti-mosquito drones

Mosquitoes can transmit deadly diseases, such as West Nile fever. Is it possible to prevent this by using drones that will scatter more mosquitoes in the air?
The differences between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in the fields of science. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Science summarized Trump's position against Harris' position on scientific issues. Trump wants to damage basic science as well, Harris - to his predecessor

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Ahead of the presidential elections, Science magazine examined the differences between the positions of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on science and environmental issues
A drone apparently engineers a hurricane and even arranges its clouds in a spiral pattern. The deniers of the climate crisis believe that it is not greenhouse gas emissions that make storms stronger, but the administration that wants Trump to lose the election. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image.

Why do people believe in man-made hurricanes? Two conspiracy theorist psychologists explain

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As Hurricane Milton battered the coast of Florida, conspiracy theories abounded, claiming that the forces controlling the weather were orchestrating the destruction. The researchers explain why people cling to these beliefs in the face of increasing natural disasters.
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