Earth Wise

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It boosts alertness, energy, and metabolism. Consuming too much of it can lead to insomnia, jitters, anxiety, rapid heart rate, and gastrointestinal issues. Many people avoid caffeine entirely, despite the fact that moderate amounts generally don’t have ill effects for most people. There have also been long-term benefits of caffeine observed including lower risks of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

The world is undergoing an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. It is a global response to the dangers of global warming. The United States fully withdrew from United Nations climate negotiations in the fall of 2025. With an administration composed entirely of climate change deniers, the U.S. has abandoned global leadership on the energy transition. This radical action has enormous geopolitical, economic, and climate ramifications. For Americans, none of them are good.

Significant blooms of the brown seaweed Sargassum in the tropical Atlantic have been taking place since 2011, impacting tourism in the Caribbean. A more general observation is that between 2003 and 2022, macroalgal mats and microalgal scum have expanded around the globe. A recent study looked at the rise of macroalgae blooms across the globe over the past two decades.

Microplastics are pretty much everywhere on Earth. They have been found in ocean water, wildlife, and even in the human body. Ocean currents carry these tiny fragments far from where they are produced, meaning even remote places are not immune to plastic pollution.

Kudzu, originally native to Japan, is known as "the vine that ate the South." The federal government began paying farmers $8 an acre in the 1930s to plant it across the south because it was touted to revitalize the soil. It actually worked, but ultimately kudzu grew out of control, spreading nearly a foot a day and rooting wherever it touched. Along with its super-high growth rate, it had no natural enemies in the region. The government only stopped paying farmers to grow kudzu in 1953 and the Department of Agriculture finally declared it to be a weed in 1970.

The government under Lula da Silva that returned to power in Brazil in 2023 stepped up enforcement against illegal deforestation with a crackdown on illicit clearing by miners, loggers, and farmers. It has been effective.

According to the year-end summary by the Alaska Climate Research Center, Alaska had one of its warmest years of the past 100 in 2025. The average temperature of 29.6 degrees Fahrenheit was the warmest year since 2019. Compared with the 1991-2020 averages, Alaska overall was 1.5 degrees warmer in 2025.

Forests are fundamental to life on Earth. They store carbon dioxide, regulate water cycles, stabilize soils, and provide habitat for countless species. Forests also supply people with food, wood, and shade that helps cool communities during hot weather.

Exposure to mercury is dangerous. In adults, high levels of mercury can cause heart disease as well as severe damage to the brain and central nervous system. For fetuses and babies, it can cause significant developmental delays and possibly lower I.Q. scores and impaired motor skills.

Almost all glaciers around the world are shrinking or retreating and many are disappearing entirely. As this goes on, glaciers are drawing more visitors than ever. The ten most visited glaciers now attract more than 14 million tourists each year. Glaciers have long been tourist attractions, but the impact of climate change has led to the growth of “last-chance tourism” where visitors are rushing to see glaciers before they vanish.