All Environment
A street lit by rotten onions? An Indian market embraces biogas.A biogas plant at a vegetable market in India's Telangana state is showing that a little resourcefulness can go a long way in caring for the planet and its people.
Points of ProgressWhat’s positive about ‘zero,’ and a shield that’s invisibleProgress roundup: Daunting goals that are being achieved include eliminating traffic deaths in Hoboken, New Jersey, and the healing of the ozone layer.
First LookNew Zealand proposes 'burp tax' to combat climate changePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s administration is proposing a tax on greenhouse gasses that originate from farm animals. Dairy is New Zealand’s largest export, and this tax would be the first of its kind. Farmers have been quick to condemn the proposal.
‘Do something small’: One journalist sees solutions for world’s oceansA new podcast explores difficult ocean issues that are both above and below the waterline, from slavery to fishery depletion.
First LookAs Baltic pipeline leaks methane, scientists point to bigger problemData shows that the methane leak from a damaged pipeline in the Baltic Sea is one of the largest recorded to date. But scientists say that large gas leaks are common and are often downplayed by corporations and governments.
The ExplainerFlorida has invested in resilience. Hurricane Ian is a sobering test.Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest-ever hurricanes making landfall in the U.S., comes after an era of major coastal development. But Florida has also ramped up preparedness.
Meet the women fighting air pollution in Delhi’s slumsIn India, female construction workers are especially vulnerable to air pollution. An initiative to equip these workers with tools to monitor and report air quality has offered agency, as well as meaningful change.
First LookOff the grid: Oregon plant aims to prove renewable energy can workA tiny town in Oregon is the site of a new type of energy farm that harvests wind and solar power and stores it in massive batteries. Experts say the innovative project could power a small city.
The ExplainerWhat is ‘dead pool’ and what does it mean for Colorado River?On the Colorado River, Western states’ water usage has exceeded sustainable levels for some time. The path to balancing supply and demand has so far eluded stakeholders, but negotiations continue.
Charting a global drought – and the world’s quest to respondDrought has created stress on water supplies and agriculture in numerous parts of the world. This adds urgency to getting better at responding.
Points of ProgressA boost to wildlife in Bolivia and to child welfare in NigeriaProgress roundup: From Nigeria’s drop in child marriage to wildlife populating a dangerous Bolivian road; also notes from California, Nepal, Belgium.
Rise of the climate optimists, pushing back against gloomAgainst a backdrop of dark or doom-filled outlooks regarding climate change, a rising movement seeks to emphasize hope without sugarcoating the crisis.
First LookFirst public carbon database reveals US and Russia as top emittersThe world is getting its first publicly accessible carbon database, which will track 75% of the world’s total gas, oil, and coal production. Called the Global Registry of Fossil Fuels, analysis of its data could sway international climate talks.
First LookNew interactive atlas is a bird watcher's virtual paradiseThe Bird Migration Explorer mapping tool, a new online atlas of bird migration, tracks around 450 bird species in the Americas. The past 20 years have seen a renaissance in tracking technologies by using data from birdwatchers and scientific communities.
Behind a coal mine strike: Who cares for workers in a fading industry?Coal miners have been on strike for 18 months in Alabama. Their struggle points to the wider search for a “just transition” for an industry squeezed by energy trends and the fight against climate change.
Cover StoryTo build for a warming planet, architects look to nature – and the pastIndigenous construction methods from around the world offer ways to beat the heat from a time before air conditioning – and are coming back in vogue.
FocusYoung Evangelicals seek to save the Earth – and their churchIs it possible to participate fully in two communities often at odds with each other? For Elsa Barron, bridging the differences between Evangelicals and environmentalists takes courage.
Renewing Old Ironsides, with help from an Indiana forestWhen the U.S.S. Constitution needed renovation, a forest in Indiana was undergoing some renewal of its own. Now trees from an inland Navy base are breathing new life into “Old Ironsides.”
Points of ProgressNew diversity in gaming – and in Oxford dictionariesProgress roundup: a wave energy first in Australia, a new Oxford Dictionary of Black English, and the female soccer stars of a new video game.
Taller grasses, deeper roots: Texas ranchers adapt to era of extremesDrought has imposed a harsh test on Texas cattle ranchers. But some have been adapting, even before this year, in ways that make them more resilient.
