All Environment
- First LookUS moves to remove gray wolf protections
It has been up for debate whether or not the gray wolf’s status as an endangered and threatened species will change. A new proposal gives authority to state wildlife agencies and furthers the trend of environmental deregulation.
- First LookColorado's 'bomb cyclone' storm blasts toward Midwest
A late-winter blizzard has closed schools, wrecked roadways, and caused widespread blackouts. The extreme temperature is due to a dramatic drop in air pressure in Colorado – the most severe since 1950.
- First LookAfter wildfires sweep urban areas, scientists study threat of toxic remains
The massive fire in Paradise, California, last November burned thousands of pounds of wiring, plastic pipes, and building materials. As wildfires become more frequent scientists are searching for new strategies to study the longterm effect on humans and animals.
- Aquaculture wars: The perils and promise of Big Fish
Aquaculture is often hailed as the future of food production. But for many residents of Belfast, Maine, large-scale fish farming reeks of Big Ag.
- First LookDozens of species moved north during marine heatwaves
Sixty-seven species from warmer southern waters migrated into the Northern California region over an unusually long period of severe heat waves. The significant migration might not be negative, but it will affect the ecosystem.
- First LookNew study finds pollution inequity among races
Hispanics breathe in 63 percent more than the pollution than they make, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For African-Americans the figure is 56 percent. White Americans are exposed to 17 percent less air pollution than they make.
- Problem with elephants? Call the beekeeper.
Recovery of species under threat can sometimes bring unexpected challenges. In Uganda, rebounding elephant populations have become a nuisance. Local farmers have found a surprising solution.
- First LookUnlikely partnership in Sri Lanka works to preserve whale habitat
Business interests and conservationists are often at odds. But in a busy shipping line near Sri Lanka that is also a feeding ground for blue whales executives are willing to move their traffic to lower ship strikes at their own expense.
- First LookWinter storms reverse California drought, burnish snowpack
A surprising amount of snow is reversing California’s notorious drought, returning shades of green to wildfire-blackened hills. The winter storms also benefit the state’s water supply.
- FocusWhose Key West? Climate change is driving up the price of paradise.
Around the world, island communities are scrambling to cope with the impending threat of rising seas. Florida's Key West aims to prove that adaptation is possible. But at what cost?
- Lions, leopards, and ... lessons? How safari tourism boosts rural education.
For decades Uganda's efforts to divert tourist dollars into rural communities has been dogged by criticism. But a new focus on rural education is reviving hopes.
- First LookAsh loggers rush to save trees before beetles eat them all
The emerald ash borer beetle kills almost every tree it attacks. In a race against time to save the lumber, one company is sawing ash at double its usual rate.
- First LookHurricane lessons: the effect on rainforests offer insight into climate change
Ongoing experiments in Puerto Rican rainforests are examining how already stressed ecosystems respond to severe weather such as hurricanes. The findings may hold the key to understanding how other regions might respond and adapt to global climate change.
- Has the EPA lost its teeth? House to investigate dwindling enforcement.
Deregulation has been a hallmark of the Trump administration's EPA. But data suggests that the agency may be bypassing the courts by declining to enforce pollution violations.
- First LookToxic water: US abandoned mines leak millions of gallons daily
Old sites mined for gold, silver, and lead for more than a century now leave behind a toxic legacy of flowing, untreated wastewater. The mining pollution, which will require billions of dollars to clean up, should be addressed on a systematic basis, experts say.
- Green New Deal: Saving America or turning it socialist?
What’s the best path to move the United States toward an emissions-free future? For most voters, the answer has as much to do with their economic worldview as their ideas about the environment.
- Nearly 2 billion people depend on Himalayan glaciers. What if they melt?
Climate change could drastically reduce glacier cover in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. What will that mean for the people who call the region home?
- The orchid whisperers: Rare blooms find an urban perch
Can planting endangered plants in urban settings help heal the disconnect between humans and nature? Conservationists in Miami are trying a fresh approach to both landscaping and saving native plants.
- Outdoor gear with a side of politics: More retailers embrace activism
Can an industry that has traditionally been focused on profit lead value-driven change? A cohort of outdoor brands are stepping into that realm, even going as far as endorsing political candidates.
- Putting the sun in Sunshine State? Florida’s about-face on solar power
Solar power has long been a pet issue for progressives and environmentalists. But in Florida, utilities are starting to embrace the technology for economic reasons.