All Environment
- First LookAlpine athletes call for climate action as bare slopes shorten season
Nearly 200 athletes signed a letter calling on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to take action on climate change. The athletes asked the federation to shift the start and the end of the Alpine skiing season, as “the seasons have shifted.”
- Points of ProgressNew harvests: Skinny trees in the Amazon, tomatoes instead of rice
Progress roundup: Land use adaptations produce results. Timber harvests coexist with restoration, and farmers are finding good yields in former paddies.
- When pigs swim ... and Bahama tourists dive in with them
Sometimes joy arrives in unexpected ways. In the Bahamas, the hottest attractions now have snouts, hoofs, and a willingness to hang out with humans.
- First LookDolphins help fishermen in order to skim off the catch, study shows
Fishing communities have worked with dolphins for millennia, but it has been unclear whether the relationship helps dolphins. A new study conducted in Laguna, Brazil, has documented how the alliance is mutually beneficial, with fishing made easier for both.
- The ExplainerAs climate shifts, so does need for accessibility
When it comes to preparedness and disaster response, public mobility can be vital. Inclusive policies for people with disabilities can save lives.
- Points of ProgressProtecting urban oysters and Canadian wilds
Progress roundup: Hong Kongers are protecting reefs, Indigenous Canadians are conserving millions of acres of land and water, and more.
- Cold journey. Lasting joy. My trek to see the northern lights.
Our reporter treks through Alaska to see the aurora borealis. Her journey takes her though dark and cold, for a fleeting splendor of light that leaves a lasting joy.
- Points of ProgressFrom self-interest to doing a world of good, in food tech and mangroves
Progress roundup: The Dutch improved their food supply, and then shared it. And around the globe, better mangrove protection is increasing carbon sequestration.
- First LookIf animals are less safe in their habitats, should humans move them?
Wildlife is becoming increasingly endangered as a result of climate change. Moving species to new environments has been controversial, but scientists have now begun relocating animals, leaving federal officials to consider when it is right to do so.
- Cover StoryReefs are in trouble. Can scientists nurture more resilient coral?
Scientists are trying to replicate resilient “super reefs” to slow the decline of one of the ocean’s most important ecosystems.
- Difference MakerA chef, a creek, and a salmon revival
Environmental challenges can seem overwhelming. But singular efforts can have a big impact – as this chef discovered when she revived her tiny portion of a creek.
- Cairo’s ‘Garbage City’ rebranded: It’s recycling ... and a living
Residents of Cairo’s Manshiyat Naser neighborhood were once referred to as zabaleen, garbage people. But today’s push for a green economy and the demand for recycled plastic is changing perceptions of their work.
- The ExplainerCalifornia storms: When a year’s worth of rain in two weeks isn’t enough
After weeks of massive rainstorms, California and the American West are grappling with how to manage flood risks, rebound from drought, and make new plans for the Colorado River Basin.
- Points of ProgressGood intentions, good results: People pull together for forests and a fish
Progress roundup: Both when trust is returned to locals, and when government protects nature from overutilization, disparate interests can make change.
- First LookGreta Thunberg brings activist star power to German mine standoff
After being detained at the expansion of a coal mine in Germany, environmental activist Greta Thunberg hasn’t let that stop her. “Climate protection is not a crime,” she tweeted, and has named Germany as a major polluter.
- First LookHow Exxon Mobil dismissed its own researchers' climate predictions
Exxon Mobil’s scientists in the 1970s forecasted the coming global warming with precision equal to or better than government and academic scientists, says a new study by the journal Science. Publicly the oil giant doubted that climate change was real.
- First LookSmall German town becomes latest front in battle for Paris Agreement
A rural town in Germany is scheduled to be bulldozed so an energy company can mine for coal. Climate activists are up in arms, while officials claim legal precedent to enforce evacuation. Opposition lawmakers want the government to reverse its decision.
- Points of ProgressPower unlocked: Debt funds conservation, refugee brings solar to his camp
Progress roundup: Belize frees conservation funds with “blue bonds,” African refugee teaches himself solar-powered internet, gecko species recovers.
- First LookOzone layer projected to heal completely by 2066, says new report
The hole in the ozone layer has been slowly repairing itself since the Montreal Protocol banned aerosol products in 1987. The latest report from the UN predicts the ozone layer will make a full recovery in about 43 years.
- First LookWater from ‘terrific snowpack’ sparks tentative hope in California
Recent snowstorms in the Sierra Nevada may bring drought relief for California later this year. State officials are marking the historic precipitation, but a good start to the rainy season does not guarantee a long, wet winter that can help end the drought.