Scientists observed a once-theorized process ferrying microplastics into the deep ocean.
Grace van Deelen
Grace van Deelen, joined Eos in 2023 as a staff writer. She covers all things Earth science and is particularly interested in stories that highlight the intersection of society, the environment, and equity in science. Grace holds a master’s degree from MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing and bachelor’s degrees in biology and anthropology from Tufts University.
Posted inResearch & Developments
U.S. National Climate Assessment Likely Dead After Contract Canceled
The Trump administration has canceled funding used to coordinate the National Climate Assessment, a major, congressionally mandated U.S. climate change report produced through the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).
The National Climate Assessment is published approximately every four years and is the United States’ broadest assessment of current climate change impacts and climate science.
Posted inENGAGE, News
A 30,000-Year-Old Feather Is a First-of-Its-Kind Fossil
A new analysis of a fossil found in 1889 has unveiled the presence of zeolites—and an entirely new mineralization method.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Trump Administration Moves to Weaken PFAS Rules
President Donald Trump’s EPA is considering a rule that would weaken regulations limiting chemicals harmful to human health in consumer goods, The Guardian reports.
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of chemicals added to consumer products, oftentimes for their water- and stain-resistant properties. Exposure to PFAS is known to raise the risk of certain cancers, kidney and liver disease, and complications surrounding reproductive health. The chemicals are omnipresent in everyday life and contaminate drinking water across the United States.
Posted inResearch & Developments
FEMA to Dismantle Popular Disaster Preparedness Program
The Trump administration has announced plans to dismantle a program responsible for funding billions of dollars’ worth of projects meant to help communities prepare for disasters such as flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires, according to reporting from Grist.
Posted inResearch & Developments
1,900 Scientists Warn of “Real Danger” in Open Letter
In an open letter to the American people, more than 1,900 scientists sent an “SOS” that the Trump administration’s actions have “decimated” the nation’s scientific enterprise and censored scientific work. “We see real danger in this moment,” the scientists wrote.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Majority of Polled Scientists Considering Leaving United States, Signaling “Brain Drain”
After an onslaught of funding cuts, firings, and cancelled programs as a result of Trump administration actions, scientists in the United States are feeling targeted. That’s according to the results of a poll of 1,200 U.S. scientists, published by Nature.
Posted inResearch & Developments
NIH Cancels Climate and Health Research Grants
The Trump administration’s intentions toward addressing climate change are clear: Federal agencies purged mentions of the climate crisis from their websites and slashed funding for mitigation tools such as the Future Risk Index. Now, those intentions are extending to health research: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has begun to cancel funding for investigations into the health effects of climate change, and will not financially support new research on the subject, according to ProPublica and Nature.
Posted inNews
Seismometers Provide Fuller Picture of Los Angeles Groundwater
A new method to evaluate deep aquifers shows even torrential rains haven’t fully replenished groundwater beneath Los Angeles.
Posted inNews
National STEM Festival Celebrates 103 Student Innovators
A “national science fair” in Washington, D.C., hopes to help students persist on their pathways to STEM careers.