A recent review has unveiled an innovative method for monitoring fossil fuel CO₂ emissions using satellite observations of co-emitted NO₂. This approach promises to provide more precise and efficient emission tracking compared to traditional ground-based methods, overcoming significant challenges in distinguishing human-made emissions from natural sources. By capitalizing on the short atmospheric lifespan and high detectability of NO₂, this method enhances the ability to monitor emissions at a variety of scales, from individual power plants to entire nations. This new technique plays a vital role in bolstering global climate change mitigation efforts and ensuring countries meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement.

The SXSW Conference will take place from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, bringing together a vibrant mix of ideas and innovations. Once again, UC San Diego will take center stage, showcasing cutting-edge research, transformative discussions on critical global challenges and a film premiere.

Using drones, 17 distinct behaviors of narwhals were captured in the wild. Findings reveal complex behaviors of the Arctic’s iconic whale never seen before. This highly gregarious whale uses its tusk to investigate, manipulate and influence the behavior of a fish, the Arctic char. The study also provides the first evidence of play, specifically exploratory-object play, and the first reports of kleptoparasitism, a “food thief” situation, among narwhals and glaucous gulls.

Air pollution contributes to nearly 7 million premature deaths each year, and its effects go far beyond the lungs. Breathing in wildfire smoke or automobile-related city smog doesn’t just increase the risk of asthma and heart disease—it may also contribute to brain diseases as diverse as Alzheimer’s and autism. Scientists at Scripps Research have discovered how a chemical change in the brain—which can be triggered by inflammation and aging as well as toxins found in air pollution, pesticides, wildfire smoke and processed meats—disrupts normal brain cell function. Known as S-nitrosylation, this chemical change prevents brain cells from making new connections and ultimately results in cellular death, the team discovered.