All Environment
First LookThe wind industry is floating an idea: Building turbines on the oceanAs the world searches for new sources of renewable energy, one option is making waves – or at least riding them. Floating turbines could capture powerful offshore winds and generate electricity for millions of homes, as long as they can stay upright.
First LookThe missing link: Energy panel opens the way for more renewables on the US gridThe U.S. power grid is facing a “make-or-break moment,” the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s chair said May 13. A new rule approved by the commission will make it easier to transmit renewable energy.
First LookWildfire season in Canada has begun, after drought-fueled record blazes in 2023Authorities are ordering people to evacuate as wildfires rage across British Columbia. In 2023, intense Canadian fires sent smoke drifting into cities across the northeastern United States.
First LookMichigan gets its first-ever tornado emergency as massive hail batters SoutheastTornadoes have touched down in a handful of states across the U.S. this week, including three in Michigan. Severe storms and massive hail have caused three deaths, dozens of injuries, extensive property damage, and left 135,000 without power.
Tesla news looks grim. But the bigger picture for EVs is a bright one.Headlines suggest the shift to electric vehicles is hitting roadblocks. Evidence points to an industry that’s continuing to grow and innovate.
First Look‘We’re living climate change now.’ Latin Americans bring climate worries to high court.Victims of climate change in Latin America are bringing their complaints to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The findings of the court could help shape better policy and laws, saving countless lives and bolstering infrastructure.
Points of ProgressStories of resilience: Bees make a comeback, and how immigrants lift economiesProgress roundup: Bee colonies are on the rise, Venezuelan migrants benefit their adopted countries, and an ancient irrigation system in Oman still works.
First LookSolar panels are spreading over Midwest farms – and edging out the cropsSolar energy companies are leasing thousands of acres of land from Midwestern farmers, which can hinder crop-growing or grazing livestock there. It’s a tradeoff between expanding renewables and giving up future yields.
First LookNew EPA rule sets deadline for coal fired-plants: Clean up or shut downThe Biden administration has taken its most aggressive action yet on cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the private sector. That includes a strict ultimatum for coal-fired power plants.
Are world’s 200 million pastoral herders a climate threat?A U.N. report suggests that pastoralism may be part of the global emissions problem. Some researchers see the climate math on herders differently.
First LookThink red-hot heat’s bad? Just wait until code magenta.A new warning tool created by the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aims to respond to the increasing dangers of severe heat. The system offers a seven-day forecast with risks from minimal to extreme.
Charting the rise of plastic pollution – and solutionsPlastic pollution is a focus of Earth Day and of global treaty talks. Our story and charts show the scale of the problem and possible paths toward solutions.
FocusHow global innovators design a sustainable futureProjects are sprouting up around the globe to build environmentally focused communities. These efforts aim to be practical and inviting, not idealistic.
Maasai women are told to stay home. These rangers fight poachers instead.In Kenya, an all-woman ranger unit is challenging stereotypes and helping protect both wild animals and the people who live beside them.
How to stop ‘forever chemicals’ from lasting, well, foreverThe EPA recently strengthened regulations on PFAS chemicals in drinking water. A next step, some experts say, is reducing the creation of these chemicals in the first place.
Points of ProgressGood news around the globe: Pulling up concrete and putting solar on renters’ roofsProgress roundup: Digging up paved surfaces inspires others to reap the climate benefits. In Australia, landlords are installing solar to help meet emissions goals.
Points of ProgressGood news around the globe: How trash becomes treasure, and disrespect turns to graceProgress roundup: Reuse champs of Denmark, neurodivergence advocates in Peru, and how Tuvulu is defending itself by becoming a digital nation.
First LookThe last time this many cicadas emerged Thomas Jefferson was presidentCicadas by the trillions will emerge from the earth this April in numbers not seen in centuries. Two large broods will emerge at the same time, one from Georgia and the other from central Illinois, to serenade, mate, and lay eggs.
India’s sacred groves are home to forest god shrines – and endangered speciesSacred groves have become bastions of biodiversity in India, but relying on spiritual belief as a driver for conservation presents risks.
Brazil’s Lula is losing his war against illegal miners in the AmazonBrazil’s President Lula is backing expensive operations to combat illegal mining and other crimes in the Amazon.
