All Environment
- Transformed FEMA faces a torrent of challenges to its growing relief efforts
Since Hurricane Katrina recovery, FEMA has grown more nimble. But the agency faces criticism and distrust as it responds to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
- Points of ProgressPrecious water and gold: New extraction methods for arid air and e-waste
Progress roundup: Resources like water in the desert and gold trapped in e-waste are recovered in new ways. And globally, more children are in school.
- Helene ravaged North Carolina’s mountains. Its citizens are hollering back.
Two weeks after a hurricane roared into the Appalachian Mountains, how a wrecked region recovers will depend on local resilience. And it’s there.
- First LookHurricane Milton was expected to bring storm surge. Where did the tornadoes come from?
Hurricane Milton unleashed destructive and deadly tornadoes that touched down in several Florida counties. There have been 38 eyewitness reports of tornadoes in Florida since the night of Oct. 9, in a state that normally sees 50 tornadoes in one year.
- After Hurricane Milton: Relief and resilience, but also a shaken Florida
While less devastating than many had feared, Hurricane Milton reflected what many see as growing climate disruption – and the perseverance it will require.
- With heirloom seed swaps, gardeners grow community – and biodiversity
In a growing movement, everyday individuals are saving and swapping seeds, an effort that can help boost biodiversity and food security.
- Hurricane Milton: Even a sea turtle is part of Tampa’s evacuation from storm
As Florida residents prepare themselves and their homes for Hurricane Milton, scientists are also readying the animals in their care.
- Points of ProgressThe renewable energy of bike-powered French children and a battery-powered Melbourne
Progress roundup: For a greener future, schools in France teach bike riding, Melbourne batteries store renewables, South Africa enacts a climate law.
- In mountainous North Carolina, residents are the first responders after Hurricane Helene
Residents here in rural Henderson County, North Carolina, share their stories of pitching in after Hurricane Helene, including ferrying food to stranded neighbors.
- Helene’s powerful floods prompt urgent relief efforts – and a wake-up call
First a hurricane and then a tropical storm, Helene left its severest damage inland, where people weren’t expecting, or prepared for, such a deluge.
- First LookHow to fight urban warming? Detroit chooses to plant green spaces.
Urban areas trap heat due to heat-absorbing surfaces like asphalt and concrete. More cities are adding trees and green spaces to cool the air temperature while heat waves become longer and hotter.
- Junior the bear settled under a suburban LA home. Why that’s a conservation win.
The proliferation of bear sightings in Los Angeles results in viral videos that charm humans. Underlying the excitement is an environmental victory.
- First LookHurricane Helene is surging toward the southeast US. And it’s gaining power.
Expected to hit Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene is forecast to be one of the largest storms in years to hit the southeastern United States. The storm passed over the Cayman Islands and Cuba. Some Cuban communities saw waves as high as 16 feet.
- Points of ProgressHow ships can make green fuel, and natural winds are key to cooling a city
Progress roundup: Wind patterns are in Frankfurt’s city building plan; plus, a new green hydrogen fuel, and three news briefs on justice and equality.
- The ExplainerTornadoes are swirling in unusual places. Why twisters are shifting east.
Tornado patterns are changing, as twisters land farther east in the U.S. and arrive later in the year. Here’s why and what residents can do to be ready.
- First LookIn a one-two punch against plastic, California sues Exxon, bans plastic bags
California sued ExxonMobil on Sept. 23 for misleading the public through slick marketing campaigns about its plastic products. A day earlier, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law banning all plastic bags starting in 2026.
- Can US seafood industry revive? Mayor and fishmonger Larry Toomer has a recipe.
Americans are eating more seafood. But imports have left domestic fisheries struggling. Some see a path forward in reconnecting with local consumers.
- First LookWithout water, how do you fight wildfires? Algeria leans on AI, drones, and trucks.
Rural Algerian firefighters are pioneering new ways to combat wildfires fed by Algeria’s hot, dry climate. With artificial intelligence and new laws, the government is streamlining faster responses and saving lives.
- What a Tunisian exodus says about the future of global migration
In an age of global migration, Tunisia offers a window into key stressors driving migrants from their homes.
- First LookHow a group of zookeepers ended up taking a roadtrip with their animals to safety
Cranes, hawks, foxes, and more were evacuated from Big Bear Alpine Zoo after wildfires burned through the San Bernardino wilderness. Zookeepers were quick to help the animals in their care by driving them to another sanctuary in Palm Springs.