Map of the western United States that shows you can click on Tribally controlled regions for more information.

New Climate Projections Released for Tribal Lands

Earth’s climate future is often discussed in terms of degrees of warming, but for farmers and ranchers, temperature is not the only metric that matters. Other variables such as the number of frost-free days, timing of first snowfall, or changes in spring and summer precipitation are critical to planning future planting, growing, irrigating, and harvesting activities. To help Native agricultural producers prepare for the changes to come, Native Climate has compiled detailed local climate projections for 633 tribally controlled areas in the United States, including Alaska Native Villages and State Designated Tribal Areas, and climate divisions for the State of Hawai‘i.

Curiosity Lab logo with yellow sunburst graphics in the background.

DRI Launches Statewide Science Storytelling Series

DRI announces the launch of a series of community-based events in Las Vegas and Reno that celebrate how science shapes our lives, fuels creativity, and deepens our understanding of the world by underscoring the transformative power of curiosity and knowledge. Curiosity Lab by DRI will feature DRI scientists and other guests to address some of the world’s most urgent concerns while also telling the tale of what it means to live in Nevada on the front lines of a changing climate.

Landscape that includes people standing on a large ice sheet with hills and dark clouds in the distance.

Ice Patches on Beartooth Plateau Reveal How Ancient Landscape Differed From Today’s

DRI scientists Joe McConnell and Nathan Chellman co-authored a new study that examines a 6,000-year-old forest preserved in a Rocky Mountain ice patch. The research, which was led by the USGS and Montana State University, used the fossil wood to develop tree-ring based temperature estimates of the mid-Holocene period. The study can provide insight into the future elevational movement of forests under climate change, the scientists say.

Reno Sparks Heat Mapping Project logo over a picture of the city of Reno.

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project Releases Detailed Urban Heat Data 

The summer 2024 data collection effort provides community members, legislators, and scientists with detailed maps of the region’s urban heat island. The campaign took place on August 10th, a clear and hot day for our region. The measurements and maps produced from the campaign reveal a great deal of variability across the nearly 200 square miles of our study area and between the early morning, mid-afternoon, and early evening time periods of the study. 

Landscape of Grass covered mounds in the United Kingdom with long grass in the foreground.

Lead Pollution Likely Caused Widespread IQ Declines in Ancient Rome, New Study Finds

Lead exposure is responsible for a range of human health impacts, with even relatively low levels impacting the cognitive development of children. DRI scientists have previously used atmospheric pollution records preserved in Arctic ice cores to identify periods of lead pollution throughout the Roman Empire, and now new research expands on this finding to identify how this pollution may have affected the European population.

Satellite Image of Simushir Island covered in snow and ice surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

New Research Solves 200 Year Volcanic Mystery

DRI scientists Joe McConnell and Nathan Chellman are co-authors on a new study that sheds light on a historical mystery that has plagued historians and scientists alike for nearly two centuries. Using Arctic ice core records, the team identified the volcano responsible for an enormous eruption in 1831 that caused global cooling of around 1°C, leading to crop failures and famines around the world.

Thick smog hovers over a highway during rush hour traffic.

Regional, Racial, and Economic Disparities in Cancer Risk from Air Pollution Exposure Persist, But Improving, New Research Suggests 

Researchers from DRI and UNR teamed up for this new study, published October in Environmental Science & Technology. Using sociodemographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau and public health and air pollution information from the EPA between 2011 and 2019, the study identified higher estimated cancer risk tied to air toxics in urban communities, those with lower incomes, and those with higher proportions of racial minorities. 

Map of North American with orange markers indicating locations of extreme weather events.

Native Climate Reporter Team Presents, Listens, and Learns at Indigenous Climate Conference in Alaska

Along Alaska’s western coastline, 400 miles from the nearest road system, villagers from the Indigenous community of Newtok were scheduled for permanent evacuation in mid-October due to the irreversible threat of rising seas. The story, recounted by Newtok resident Della Carl in September at the National Indigenous Climate Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, embedded itself deep in the hearts and minds of each member of the audience, making it clear not just that sea level rise is happening, but why it matters. Such is the power of a well-told story.

Scientist with a large water container on a dolly in front of a pickup truck.

DRI Recruiting Fallon Community Members  for Free Well Water Quality Testing 

DRI scientists are recruiting fifteen Fallon residents with private wells to participate in a water quality study. All fifteen study participants will receive free water quality results, and a subset of the well owners will receive water filtration systems. The research will be used to identify the spatial extent and potential sources of contaminants such as pesticides, microplastics, and flame retardants and quantify the efficacy of treatment systems to reduce concentrations in drinking water.

Green suitcase with supplies and binders and handouts for a STEM lesson.

DRI’s STEM Education Program Receives DOE Grant to Support Nevada’s Clean Energy Workforce Pipeline

DRI’s STEM Education Program has received a grant from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management to support Nevada’s clean energy workforce pipeline. The nearly $2 million in funding will be used to prepare the next generation with the knowledge and technical skills needed for employment in fields such as clean energy, waste management, and environmental remediation.