Despite a warming climate, bone-chilling winter cold can grip parts of the U.S.—and this study explains why. Researchers found that two specific patterns in the polar vortex, a swirling mass of cold air high in the stratosphere, steer extreme cold to different regions of the country. One pattern drives Arctic air into the Northwest U.S., the other into the Central and Eastern areas. Since 2015, the Northwest has experienced more of these cold outbreaks, thanks to a shift in stratospheric behavior tied to broader climate cycles. In short: what happens high above the Arctic can shape the winter on your doorstep.

The environmental impact of nine pesticides, commonly used in grape cultivation, may have been significantly underestimated, suggesting current pesticide risk assessment criteria need updating.

Adding lime to agricultural soils can remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, rather than cause CO₂ emissions, claims new research. The findings, based on over 100 years of data from the Mississippi River basin and detailed computer modelling, run counter to international guidelines on reducing agricultural emissions.

With countries such as the UK declaring ambitious goals for both AI leadership and decarbonisation, a new report suggests that AI could drive a 25-fold increase in the global tech sector’s energy use by 2040.