Environment Science

A growing body of evidence shows wetlands and reefs reduce flooding and erosion in adjacent communities better than hard infrastructure does, but local and state governments continue to shortchange these nature-based solutions when allocating dollars for disaster mitigation and recovery. Read More

For decades, many scientists have recommended that fisheries managers consider ecosystem factors—such as how predators interact with prey—when setting catch limits and other policies and guidance. Those scientists often cite sustainability as a key benefit of this approach, known as ecosystem-based fisheries management, or EBFM. Now, a study published in the journal Proceedings of the... Read More

Americans have become less religious but more spiritual over time, with 59 percent saying they regularly feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being. Host Dan LeDuc interviews the Pew Research Center’s Greg Smith about these trends. We also turn to Patty Van Cappellen of Duke University to discuss why people turn to religion and spirituality. To learn more, visit... Read More

To survive, wildlife needs the freedom to move, including traveling between summer and winter habitats. This is critical for many species across the Western United States, where a growing human population is increasingly obstructing migration corridors, stranding animals in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Highways, energy and housing developments, and even poorly designed fences are... Read More

On Wednesday, 21 February 2018, The Pew Charitable Trusts hosted an all-day conference, “Countdown to 2020: How Far Has the EU Come in Ending Overfishing?” in Brussels.  Read More

A growing body of evidence shows wetlands and reefs reduce flooding and erosion in adjacent communities better than hard infrastructure does, but local and state governments continue to shortchange these nature-based solutions when allocating dollars for disaster mitigation and recovery. Read More

For decades, many scientists have recommended that fisheries managers consider ecosystem factors—such as how predators interact with prey—when setting catch limits and other policies and guidance. Those scientists often cite sustainability as a key benefit of this approach, known as ecosystem-based fisheries management, or EBFM. Now, a study published in the journal Proceedings of the... Read More

To survive, wildlife needs the freedom to move, including traveling between summer and winter habitats. This is critical for many species across the Western United States, where a growing human population is increasingly obstructing migration corridors, stranding animals in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Highways, energy and housing developments, and even poorly designed fences are... Read More

From using satellites to monitor mangrove forests to forecasting how fish populations will respond to changing ocean conditions and understanding how plastic waste travels on ocean currents, the 2018 Pew marine fellows will tackle pressing issues affecting ocean conservation. The geographic range of the work is equally broad, with projects planned from New England to Fiji, and Asia to Latin... Read More

As a 2020 deadline to end overfishing in European Union waters approaches, a new report measures the progress that fisheries ministers have made in setting sustainable fishing limits to implement the EU’s reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which took effect in 2014. Read More

On Wednesday, 21 February 2018, The Pew Charitable Trusts hosted an all-day conference, “Countdown to 2020: How Far Has the EU Come in Ending Overfishing?” in Brussels.  Read More

With the Interior Department weighing possible changes to management of greater sage-grouse habitat in the American West, The Pew Charitable Trusts said today that the existing management plans for those vast areas should be given time to work. Pew added that major changes to the plans are unnecessary and that any modifications must be grounded in science. A public comment period closes... Read More

WASHINGTON—The Pew Charitable Trusts today praised a new international agreement that prevents commercial fisheries from starting in the Central Arctic Ocean before adequate science is collected and appropriate regulatory mechanisms are in place. The signatories include the five Arctic coastal countries—the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland/Denmark, and Norway—plus China,... Read More

Philadelphia: From engineering to public policy to the internet, human ingenuity and invention are constantly changing lives. Yet new knowledge—and innovative ways to live and work that are the result of technological change—also presents new dilemmas. On Wednesday, July 19, 2017 contributors to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ latest issue of Trend magazine discussed how modern... Read More

The Pew Charitable Trusts announces 22 exceptional early-career researchers as Pew scholars in the biomedical sciences. Each scholar will receive four years of flexible funding to pursue foundational research. Read More

Americans have become less religious but more spiritual over time, with 59 percent saying they regularly feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being. Host Dan LeDuc interviews the Pew Research Center’s Greg Smith about these trends. We also turn to Patty Van Cappellen of Duke University to discuss why people turn to religion and spirituality. To learn more, visit... Read More

Researchers at Oxford University say 47 percent of jobs are at risk of being overtaken by robots in the next two decades. In this episode of After the Fact, host Dan LeDuc speaks with Brian David Johnson, futurist in residence at Arizona State University and contributor to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Trend magazine. Johnson says that we can invent our futures but that to be successful we must keep... Read More

Thirty percent of global fish catch may be unreported, according to new research. Read More

The sailfish—a type of marlin— is the fastest fish in the ocean. These fish move at an average speed of 40mph—that’s a whopping seven times faster than Olympic athletes swim. Read More

The population growth of any species depends on its life-history characteristics. With many of the world’s shark populations declining, it is important to examine how these characteristics differ from other fish to identify the most effective management approaches. Read More