All Environment
- First LookAs COP26 opens in Glasgow, world leaders are feeling the heat
The U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, opening today, brings together leaders from around the world to lay out a vision for addressing the common challenge of global warming. Opening remarks likened the current climate situation to a “ticking doomsday device.”
- First LookUS and Europe sign deal to limit 'dirty steel.' China excluded?
President Biden said the U.S.-E.U. trade deal would restrict “dirty steel” (that produces high carbon emissions) made in China from being sold in the U.S. and Europe.
- ‘It’s the art of diplomacy.’ Climate summit will test nations’ ambition.
Progress at climate summits is never easy. But one former climate official says, “There are moments where we can ... head towards the common good.”
- Biden’s big climate policy died. But that’s not the whole story.
President Biden’s signature initiative on clean energy died in the Senate. Here’s why that doesn’t spell doom for U.S. climate progress.
- Rising waters set stage for more sea walls in US future
In August New Orleans levees held firm against a major storm. Other areas from Texas to New York are planning their own new coastal defenses.
- First LookPoll: Americans across political spectrum share climate concerns
A new poll shows a growing number of Americans says climate change is an important issue, with an increase of 10% since 2018. More than half of Americans want Congress to pass a bill to ensure more of the nation’s electricity comes from clean energy.
- First LookSaudi Arabia joins pledge for net-zero carbon emissions by 2060
Fossil-fuel producer Saudi Arabia joins Russia and China with a stated net-zero carbon emissions target of 2060. The U.S. and European Union are aiming for 2050.
- First LookUS school districts convert to electric buses for cleaner air
From Los Angeles to Miami, school districts throughout the United States are joining a small but growing movement to switch from diesel to electric buses. The motivations run from cheaper operation costs to wanting kids to breathe cleaner air.
- In New Mexico, a wildlife refuge with urban roots
This wildlife refuge could become a model for its focus not just on habitat but on serving the residents of its urban locale.
- First LookAs Glasgow summit nears, fossil fuel production still rising
A climate change report published by the U.N. Environment Program, released Wednesday, shows that most major oil and gas producers plan to increase production into 2030. But to keep global warming at bay, the study says, production needs to be halved.
- Solar panels make money in rural America. They don’t always make friends.
The rise of renewable energy promises economic gains for rural America. But that doesn’t mean everyone welcomes the shift.
- California oil spill: Improved odds for animals caught in crude
Faster response times and dedicated resources are improving the odds for wildlife caught up in environmental disasters.
- First LookWater rights: Environmental groups fight to save Great Salt Lake
Utah’s Great Salt Lake plays a crucial ecological role in the region but is currently facing its lowest level of water since 1847. Environmentalists have achieved some success securing water rights for the lake and are pushing for more to safeguard its future.
- Cover StoryUntaming a river: The stakes behind America’s largest dam removal
It’s America’s biggest dam removal project. But can farmers, Native Americans, and salmon all walk – or swim – away happy?
- The Northwest Passage is thawing. Will US, Canada sail its waters together?
With the Arctic melting, the U.S. and Canada are trying a cooperative approach to tapping the region’s thawing resources and trade routes.
- Cover StoryOne Western town’s solution to wildfires? Community.
As wildfires haunt the American West, officials in Ashland, Oregon, have developed a bipartisan, community-led approach to forest management.
- First LookHow cities are preparing subways for the next big storm
Following Hurricane Ida, New York City had to pump 75 million gallons of water out of its flooded subway system. As weather events are becoming more extreme, transit officials in cities around the world are saying more preparation is needed.
- First LookCan Gov. Newsom wean California off oil drilling after spill?
California’s recent oil spill off Huntington Beach has led to a renewal of calls to ban offshore drilling. But the transition away from oil production won’t be easy for an industry that employs more than 150,000 people and generates significant revenue.
- Solar energy is a new cash crop for farmers – when the price is right
The transition toward renewable energy is creating a new kind of demand for rural land. Small farmers see a win for the planet and their own security.
- First LookShould the EU ban fossil fuel ads? Climate groups say yes.
On Monday, more than 20 environmental and climate groups joined together in a call for the EU to ban fossil fuel advertising. “I grew up reading signs about how cigarettes kill you, but never saw similar warnings in petrol stations or fuel tanks,” says an activist.