All Inhabit
Courts now at front line in battles over climate changeAs governments make commitments on emissions – or fail to do so – questions of follow-through increasingly lands in court. Vienna's airport is a case in point.
For water users on Colorado River, a mind-set of shared sacrificeA wet winter is easing water strains in the Southwest, but the longer-term outlook is generally hotter and drier. States now have that in mind in water bargaining.
- Decoupling the world economy from fossil fuels
In this edition: Carbon emissions stay flat for three years, yet global economy grows; a Cheerios-led effort to save bees; could a Moore's Law for carbon halt climate change?
Hopeful combo: World economy grows, carbon emissions stay flatFor three years running, global carbon dioxide emissions have been essentially flat, a survey finds. It hints at the potential for 'decoupling' economic growth from burning fossil fuels.
- Is Trump pulling the plug on electric cars?
In this edition: As government revisits gas-mileage targets, it'll test carmaker commitment to cleaner vehicles; science funding slashed in Trump budget proposal; why solar panels bloom in the land of hydropower.
Climate science slashed in Trump budget. Why does that matter?America has a history of funding basic science at the federal level, on the notion that it pays off for society. The Trump budget challenges that view – including on climate research.
Trump mileage policy could put carmaker innovation at riskThe Trump administration will revisit an Obama-era target of 54.5 miles per gallon for US vehicles. It could be a test case of how the private sector responds when federal clean-economy rules retreat.
Why solar panels bloom in Southwest's land of hydropowerElectric utilities are seeking a new power mix, as shifts in precipitation diminish the role that dams have long played for western states.
- A market-based answer on water supply
In this edition: A water-management idea that could help farms, cities, and ecosystems; potatoes on Mars; clean energy momentum, despite Trump.
Clean energy has momentum, despite Trump's brush-offPresident Trump is expected to issue an executive order to dismantle an Obama administration Clean Power Plan. But experts say that alone won't dictate what states and businesses do.
How water swaps help the West manage a precious resourceWater markets are in many ways in their infancy. But the idea is a big one, potentially helping water flow to where it's most useful, and maintaining both farms and ecosystems.
- The Republican shift on climate change since George W. Bush
In this edition: Behind looming budget cuts at the EPA, a changed GOP; China positioning itself as a global leader on climate action; How climate affects the weather.
America's biggest water users – farmers – learn to use less of itIn the Southwest and beyond, irrigation technology and other steps such as planting 'cover crops' to enrich the soil are making a difference.
How climate influences weather: six questions From extreme rains in some places to early spring in others, weather events prompt questions about what role climate change may be playing.
In arid Southwest, cities expand but use less waterPhoenix reduced its residential water consumption in the past decade despite a 23 percent rise in population. Las Vegas recycles water from indoor drains and outdoor fountains.
- How the West is adapting for a drier future
In this edition: Climate change prompts adaptation in the Colorado River basin; how a map and an app might help bees; can science be unifying?
Why the EPA faces big cuts under Trump budget proposalEnvironmental issues have become more polarized even since the years of George W. Bush. One factor: The stakes for both parties surrounding climate change have risen.
West's challenge is still water scarcity, wet winter or notWith climate change affecting water supplies already strained by urban growth, states in the Colorado River basin are being forced to innovate and adapt.
- In Africa, how trees can help both climate and incomes
In this edition: Morocco's lessons on climate-smart agriculture; managing dams gets tougher as more precipitation falls as rain not snow; the great bird count.
- Solar power, even if you don't have a roof of your own
In this edition: Community-size projects aim to democratize solar energy; big-name Republicans push 'carbon dividends' for all; man-made pollinators.
