All Inhabit
Water-short Singapore charts a course toward self-sufficiencyThe island nation has little water of its own but is determined to shed a reliance on water imports. One key is water recycling, alongside desalination and catchment.
How climate change threatens famed Amalfi CoastMore-intense rains increase mudslide risks in a region known for its steep terrain. Possible responses include preserving lemon groves and testing an early-warning system.
Maine looks north, hoping to become a gateway to the ArcticAs climate change raises the prospect of more open Arctic waters, Maine is hoping to take advantage, economically and culturally.
Behind oil-drilling bans, a debate over competing Arctic visionsOil companies and Arctic communities have long sought prosperity through resource extraction. Plans announced by Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau imply more focus on tourism and sustainability.
Obama limits offshore oil, as 'Keep it in the Ground' idea risesThe White House puts vast areas off Atlantic and Arctic coasts off limits to drilling. The move may reflect how a 'Keep it in the Ground' movement has gained traction within the Democratic Party.
Nixon went to China. Can Trump do climate change?Plenty of people on the political left want action to address climate change. But many people on the right do to; they just are wary of big government. Perhaps the time is ripe for an art-of-the-deal solution.
Cities enlist nature to tame rising flood risksDetroit, Philadelphia, and Houston are among the places investing in 'green infrastructure' that mimics wetlands. It can be cheaper than the alternative, given the threat posed by climate change.
- Toxic work culture at national parks?
In this edition: rising allegations of sexual harassment by National Park Service employees; the nuance on Trump's energy team; Canada's carbon-price move.
The ExplainerCanada puts a price on carbon: what the move meansCanada isn't the first to do this, but the move is a landmark one for its scale and regional flexibility – and because the country is a major fossil fuel producer.
Fossil fuels, yes. But Trump energy team isn't a one-note band.The team includes an Energy nominee who knows wind power can work, a State Department nominee who has supported the Paris climate deal, and an Interior nominee who's not big on selling off federal lands.
In U-turn, EPA says fracking can pose a threat to drinking waterLast summer, in a draft report, the agency concluded hydraulic fracturing has no national 'widespread, systemic' impact on drinking water. In the final version released Tuesday, that sentence was removed.
Trump energy team: heavy on oil and gas, lighter on coalTrump pledged to revive coal jobs, and reported Interior nominee Ryan Zinke hails from the mining state of Montana. But other key cabinet picks including Rex Tillerson and Rick Perry tilt toward the oil patch instead.
- Christmas tree farming just got tougher
In this edition: How drought is affecting tree growers and forests in the Northeast; the outlook for EPA as Obama gives way to Trump; the #noDAPL effect.
National Park Service wrestles with harassment, low moraleAllegations of sexual harassment that surfaced at several national parks in 2016 are, to some insiders, a sign of a work culture long impaired by hierarchy and fiefdoms.
At EPA: Trump’s nominee and 15,000 or so counterweightsAn administrator such as Scott Pruitt can steer in new directions, but that clout is offset by legions of staffers carrying on routines, enforcing rules, and, increasingly, caring about climate change.
Northeast Christmas tree farmers get drought in their stockingsDrought has killed many young trees on farms across New England. Farmers are strugglng to adapt, by planting new varieties and considering drip irrigation systems.
- Will Obama goal of 54.5 miles per gallon stick?
In this edition: The EPA seeks to lock in its ambitious fuel-economy target before the presidency changes hands; mayors chart megacity emission cuts; Vietnam battles beach erosion.
Trump to name climate-change skeptic as EPA chiefOklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has led the fight by Republican-led states against the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, which calls on states to cut greenhouse-gas emissions.
Gore, yes. But green groups watch who else has Trump's ear.Al Gore's visit to Trump Tower has stirred hopes that the president-elect may be adjusting his stance on climate change. Environmentalists say Trump's cabinet picks will be telling.
EPA chief voices cautious hope as Trump inauguration nearsAlthough Trump and Obama agendas differ, some forces tilt toward continuity, Gina McCarthy of the Environmental Protection Agency says.
