Jason Sandefur
Scientists: Polar bears, narwhals can’t adapt quickly enough to climate change
At first glance, polar bears and narwhals seem to have little in common except for their reliance on Arctic ice to provide the prey and hunting opportunities they require to survive. But both are highly evolved to live and hunt where most mammals would die. And now both face possible extinction as the Arctic warms.
Alpine plants at risk of extinction as glaciers disappear
Retreating glaciers expose new terrain for plants to grow, but this alters the inhabitability and diversity of so-called “downstream ecosystems” — so much so that alpine plants often used in liqueurs and medicines face extinction.
Social media habits in U.S. changing as national tensions rise
A new survey of 2,000 Americans found more than half have altered their social media habits due to stress from the coronavirus pandemic and rising national tensions around racial inequality and economic uncertainty.