Michael Marshall

The answer to one of the biggest questions of all

This study characterises how net-zero emissions can be achieved by 2050 from the largest sources of ‘hard to abate’ emissions: steel, plastics, ammonia, and cement

There could finally be a way to make fertiliser without releasing huge amounts of greenhouse gases. If the new method can work on an industrial scale, it could help feed the world’s growing population, while also limiting climate change

The impact of Homo sapiens – and our plastic waste – on the planet could well appear in the rocks themselves for millennia to come

Early farmers living in Turkey increased their reliance on domestic sheep and goats over a period of 1000 years. The shift in practices has been revealed by the animals’ urine

Falling snowflakes in the Arctic are trapping extra heat, which could be enough to speed up the melting of sea ice. The effect could mean Arctic seas become ice-free up to 20 years earlier than expected

Ocean plastic is a scourge upon sealife and shoreline communities. From bags choking turtles and whales to the microplastics entering our foodchain, our seas demand urgent change

Projects such as The Ocean Cleanup are determined to remove floating plastic from the seas but face a formidable battle

A remarkable fossil deposit found in North Dakota seems to offer an unprecedented record of the mass extinction event that wiped out most of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago

A vast floodplain 10 times the size of the Amazon delta existed during the early days of the dinosaur era. It is the largest known delta from Earth’s history and may have been a crucial habitat

There are many alternatives to plastic and they have significant benefits – but might not do much to cut the amount of plastic waste in the oceans

Britain still fails to recycle almost all of its plastic waste but a major government initiative means that could change over the next four years

How much plastic do we make, how much of it do we throw out, where does it all end up and what does it mean for the environment?

Once upon a time, the narrative of humanity’s past belonged largely to archaeologists and anthropologists. In recent years, geneticists have muscled in, making startling discoveries by analysing DNA from ancient specimens – and leaving some archaeologists feeling sidelined. A new study has thrown the feud into stark relief.

Hen harriers are being illegally killed in significant numbers in the UK, a new analysis suggests