Matt Simon

About Matt Simon

Matt is a science writer for WIRED magazine

21 Articles

The image shows a thermokarst lake in Alaska. Thermokarst lakes form in the Arctic when permafrost thaws. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Wildfires are digging carbon sinkholes in the Arctic

Soaring temperatures are rapidly thawing permafrost, leading to huge carbon-spewing holes called thermokarst. Northern fires are making the situation even worse.

Race to a Safer World

Think climate change is messy? Meet solar geoengineering

Someone's bound to hack the atmosphere to cool the planet. So we urgently need more research on the consequences, says climate scientist Kate Ricke.

Race to a Safer World

Every winter the National Capital Region of India is covered in a cloud of thick smog. Photo by Raunaq Chopra / Climate Visuals Countdown

Are microplastics cooling and heating the Earth’s climate?

Tiny bits of plastic are swirling in the sky, and a new model suggests they could be subtly affecting the climate.

Race to a Safer World

Did you know baby poo is loaded with microplastics?

An alarming new study finds that infant feces contain 10 times more polyethylene terephthalate (polyester) than an adult’s.

Toxins in Canada

What is ‘fire weather,’ and why is it getting worse?

A new study of the American West shows that climate change is driving more days that are hot, dry, and windy — the perfect conditions for deadly wildfires.

World’s wild pigs are kicking up a CO2 storm

When the invasive swine root through soils around the world, they release as much carbon dioxide as a million cars. Good luck getting rid of them.

Race to a Safer World

Space laser reveals just how catastrophic sea level rise will be

Scientists calculate that by 2100, over 400 million people could live in low-lying, at-risk areas — and that's a conservative estimate.

Race to a Safer World

A zombie fire outbreak may be growing in the North

“Overwintering” fires smoulder under the snow, reigniting vegetation in the spring. New research shows the zombies may proliferate in a warmer world.

Race to a Safer World

Nature can save us from climate doom — but not on its own

By restoring ecosystems, conservationists can help the land sequester carbon. But it's still no substitute for drastically cutting emissions.

Race to a Safer World

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Photo by John Marino / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Plastic rain is falling from the sky. But where's it coming from?

At any given time, 1,100 tons of microplastic are floating over the western U.S. New modelling shows the surprising sources of the nefarious pollutant.

Race to a Safer World