All Environment
- First Look3,000 years later, Tasmanian devils back on Australian mainland
The feral marsupials of cartoon fame have returned to the Australian mainland after decades of conservation work. Researchers will continue to track their progress amid concerns over the impact of their reintroduction.
- EU, US oil giants take diverging paths on climate
Several European fossil fuel companies have pledged to go carbon neutral by 2050. Meanwhile, their U.S. counterparts are doubling down on oil and gas.
- Can India's wild elephants find a haven in tea gardens?
India’s tea gardens are often flashpoints for human-elephant conflict. But some farmers are showing that it doesn’t have to be that way.
- First LookSeal populations have recovered, but not everyone is happy
Seal populations along New England's coast have rebounded from near-extinction due to federal protections. Some say their numbers have grown too large, raising larger questions about how much humans should do to shape the environment in their favor.
- A weighty vote: Who will win Fat Bear Week?
Katmai National Park’s soon-to-be-hibernating ursine residents are putting on weight, and their online fans are voting for their favorites.
- During the coronavirus lockdown, some birds changed their tune
A study of white-crowned sparrows in San Francisco found that, as the city quieted, the birds began singing more softly and with a broader range.
- Cover StoryThe Sudbury model: How one of the world’s major polluters went green
A Canadian mining town holds lessons after going from being the largest point source for sulfur dioxide to one of the country’s greenest communities.
- First LookHow two freak weather events stoked Western fires
A lightning storm and easterly winds fanned the flames that have engulfed the Pacific Northwest in recent weeks. The unpredictable events have renewed debate over what causes wildfires: climate change or lack of forest management.
- Cutting emissions, exporting gas: Does Biden’s climate plan make sense?
The proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas project could help open Asian markets to U.S. energy. But critics say the climate costs are too high.
- US election 2020: A closer look at climate change (audio)
A Common Ground Committee podcast: A record-high 60% of Americans say climate change is a major threat. Here's an interview with two Monitor science reporters.
- First LookHow debt swaps could help save the environment
Debt swaps could be an innovative approach toward solving environmental issues, especially for developing countries with rich biodiversity and high debt.
- One solution to America’s dam-safety problem: Remove them
Last year, dams were removed in 26 U.S. states, a new record in a growing movement aimed at improving public safety and restoring waterways.
- First LookEPA to focus on clean-ups, economic growth
The EPA chief says that if President Trump is reelected, the agency will shift focus to community clean-ups and off of climate change. Critics argue the agency has abandoned its “core mission of protecting human health and the environment.”
- Deep-water fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico: Who benefits?
If approved, the Velella Epsilon project could mark the United States’ grand entrance into the aquaculture club.
- ‘We’re not dead yet’: Big Basin redwoods scorched, but not lost.
Ravaged by wildfire, Big Basin’s redwoods seemed doomed. But, most of the beloved sequoias aren’t actually dead, say scientists.
- First LookNow a Category 1 storm, Laura blasts Gulf Coast for two days
Hurricane Laura struck the coast of Louisiana and Texas as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, rain, and sea level rise on Wednesday and Thursday. It was the seventh named storm to make landfall in the U.S. this year, breaking a century-old record of six.
- California wildfires: Why this year is so intense
A combination of climate change, government complacency, and bad weather has made for a wildfire season in California like never before.
- In India, an ancient grain is revived for the modern era
Resistant to heat and drought, millets are making a comeback in India, along with a chance for marginalized farmers to take control of their lives.
- What should wildfire prevention look like? Three experts urge action.
As wildfires ravage California, three fire researchers say preventive action is the long-term challenge.
- First Look'Nobody watching' as oil companies skip EPA rules in pandemic
Since March, thousands of companies have been allowed to bypass regulations that protect the environment, such as monitoring for hazardous emissions. The clemency is supposed to end this month, but experts worry the harm is already done.