Special Report

Our Sustainable Future

A hub dedicated to the latest on how global change affects life on Earth today and on what solutions scientists, including those at the Smithsonian, are researching to build a more sustainable planet

Hiroshi Watanabe/Getty Images

Dairy farms like this one run by the Barstow family in Hadley, Massachusetts, make smart use of a substance cows produce in abundance.

How Dairy Farmers Are Turning Manure Into Money

Cacao growing on a tree at Zorzal Cacao, the first farm certified by Smithsonian's new Bird Friendly cocoa program.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Why Buying ‘Bird Friendly Cocoa’ Is a Sweet Deal

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WATCH

What Does It Mean to Live on a Sustainable Planet?

Sustainability at the Smithsonian

A swarm of yellow fish and silver fish with yellow tailfins swim around a coral reef

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Adult Fish Aren't Truly 'Protected' in Many Marine Protected Areas

Kristen Goodhue

American bison

Six Animals the Smithsonian Has Helped Save From Extinction

Ben Marcus

Black monkey perches in a tree staring directly at camera

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Eight Weird and Wondrous Discoveries From 2023

Kristen Goodhue

Underwater photo of a pink and gold coral reef in bright blue water, with small blue and yellow fish. A blurry reflection of the reef appears in the water at the top of the photo.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

New Study Reveals Large Holes In America’s Ocean Protection. Here’s How We Can Fix Them.

Kristen Goodhue

Joshua Tewksbury

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Why the World Needs a Standard Measure for Counting Carbon

Joshua Tewksbury

a collage of four images of educators; one is holding a blue crab, one is holding a bullfrog at night, one is taking a picture of an oyster basket, one is holding a crab with large plastic tweezers by the side of a river

Smithsonian Education

Educators from Across the Country Convene on the Chesapeake Bay with a Network of Fellow 'Earth Optimists'

Jennifer Brundage

Dr. Ruth Bennett holding Summer Tanager

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Drink Coffee, Eat Chocolate, Save Birds!

Sustainability News From Smithsonian Magazine

The Aria Resort & Casino, a striking pair of curved buildings on the Las Vegas Strip, bills itself as eco-friendly and water-efficient.

Las Vegas Is Going All In on Its Water Conservation Plan

Text by Daniel Rothberg
Photographs by Pete McBride

Minerals and algae form patterns in the scalding hot water at Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park's Midway Geyser Basin. Yellowstone National Park has more than 10,000 thermal features, making it the largest concentration of active geysers in the world.

How a Microbe From Yellowstone's Hot Springs Could Help Feed the World

One potential tool to combat the growing affordable housing problem, which the National Low Income Housing Coalition says has grown to a need for more than 7 million homes, is 3D printing.

Can 3D Printing Help Address the Affordable Housing Crisis in the United States?

A dugong, also known as a sea cow, in a protected marine reserve in the Philippines. On the mammal’s underside, remora fish snack on parasites—and dugong poop.

The Dugong, a Huggable, Seagrass-Loving Sea Cow, Has a New Best Friend: Drones

By Danna Staaf
Photograph by Javier Aznar González de Rueda

With an abundance of explorable outdoor space, it’s no wonder that the country is earning a reputation as an adventure travel destination, especially among those taking to trails on foot.

Is Kyrgyzstan the Next Adventure Travel Destination?

Climate Change News

Researchers from the University of Washington conducted an initial experiment of cloud brightening technology in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay.

A Secretive Experiment Released Salt Crystals Over San Francisco Bay—Could It Help Curb Warming?

Christian Thorsberg

A coal power plant in Germany.

80 Percent of Global CO2 Emissions Come From Just 57 Companies, Report Shows

Christian Thorsberg

Methane plumes observed at a Louisiana landfill during the study. More than 14 percent of U.S. methane emissions were reported to have come from landfills in 2021.

More Than Half of U.S. Landfills May Be Methane 'Super-Emitters,' Study Finds

Melting ice redistributes mass to Earth's equator, slowing its spin rate. Changes in Earth's spin affect its synchronization with atomic clocks.

Melting Polar Ice Sheets Are Slowing Earth's Rotation. That Could Change How We Keep Time

Air pollution can obscure miles of scenery at Joshua Tree National Park in California and other sites.

These Are the Most Polluted National Parks

The Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin, as seen through blooming cherry blossom branches.

158 Cherry Blossom Trees Will Be Cut Down in D.C. in Effort to Withstand Sea-Level Rise

Christian Thorsberg

Wildflowers, spongy tundra grass and Brooks Range mountains emerge from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Alaska's North Slope.

Alaska's Frigid North Slope Was Once a Lush, Wet, Dinosaur Hotspot, Fossils Reveal

Christian Thorsberg