All Environment
- First LookChina clears Everest of 9.4 tons of waste
In China a team of 30 people has managed to clear Mount Everest of 9.4 tons of waste since April. The amount of waste has continued to grow with an increasing number of visitors to the world's tallest mountain even as warmer temperatures reveal decades of frozen garbage.
- First LookCalifornia to spend $768 million toward cleaning up carbon emission
In order to reach its goal of 5 million zero-emission cars by 2030 the state of California, along with multiple energy corporations, will spend a combined total of $786 million toward sustainable energy for transportation.
- FocusAmid drought in Texas Panhandle, farmers scratch crops from dust
Extensive drought has forced farmers in the Texas Panhandle to rely more heavily on water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer, raising concerns that they may be mortgaging their grandchildren's futures.
- Wanted: Innovative farmers to help slow algal bloom on Lake Erie
Summer algal blooms have clouded Lake Erie for at least 15 years, hurting the local economy and raising public health concerns. In hopes of saving their beloved lake, some farmers are beginning to embrace some radical ideas.
- First LookCosta Rica's coast struggles to survive against rising seas
As rising seas threaten parts of Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, many worry that visitors who generate numerous jobs in the area could go elsewhere. Young trees like coconut palms are being planted to create a barrier and halt erosion.
- From peak CO2 to record-low sea ice: making sense of climate news
In recent weeks, Earth has passed a series of “critical” climate milestones. How do readers know which headlines to pay attention to?
- Is ditching fossil fuels entirely a reasonable goal?
California and New York are leading the nation in a transition to cleaner energy. But even these states are finding it’s a lot easier to get to a 50 percent reduction in emissions than get to complete “decarbonization.”
- First LookBritish chefs cook up food waste solutions
In Britain, chefs have started concept restaurants, soup kitchens, and social enterprises turning waste into meals. With no national food waste program, nonprofits have been taken the lead to redistribute food and change the way people think about kitchen scraps.
- FocusWarming waters hurt Zanzibar's seaweed. But women farmers have a plan.
Climate change is threatening Zanzibar's seaweed industry, and the gains that it has given farmers, who are mostly women: not just income, but newfound authority. Now they're fighting back, collaborating with researchers to protect their crops.
- First LookAlgeria invests in desert fish farming to boost food production
The nation hopes to feed its growing population and diversify its oil-based economy by tapping the huge aquifers beneath the Sahara to develop fish farms. Its goal: double annual fish production by 2022.
- Cover StoryPolar power play: Who will prevail at the rooftop of the world?
The world’s superpowers rush to exploit the Arctic as the sea ice melts.
- First LookGlobal sailing race spotlights plastic pollution in oceans
The Volvo Ocean Race spans 12 ports and 45,000 miles and for the seven competing crews, it provides direct insight into the state of pollution in the oceans. For both the sailors and spectators, the competition has become a rallying cry for sustainability.
- First LookFog catchers turn mist into water in the Moroccan mountains
With groundwater levels dropping, collecting water is a tedious and dangerous chore for many rural Moroccan women. But the world's largest fog collection project, headed by a mathematician, is seeing success and could offer a roadmap for other drought-stricken regions.
- First LookAs climate change worsens, East African beekeepers struggle with harvest
Beekeeping has been recognized as an alternative way for farmers to make money as climate change brings harsher weather and unpredictable growing seasons. However, even honey yields are down as parched trees offer little nectar during droughts.
- First LookFacing prolonged droughts, Zambia regulates groundwater use
Longer droughts, population growth, and growing water consumption by farming and industry has lead Zambia to impose fees on groundwater use. The measures aim to create more shared wells, which will improve water conservation and raise funds to address water pollution.
- Where the wild books are
Liam Heneghan aims to show how children’s literature can instill a lifelong love of nature.
- Life on a volcano: Hawaiians face Kilauea eruption with reverence
The eruption of Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island has driven roughly 2,000 people from their homes, but many have already vowed to return as soon as they can. What keeps people coming back?
- First LookNatural ocean barriers could soon be covered by insurance
As climate change worsens ocean conditions, the insurance industry is looking to insure "green infrastructure" such as coral reefs, mangroves, and salt marshes, which can protect land masses from intense storms.
- First LookUAE tries vertical farming to produce food with little water
Sustainable agriculture is a challenge in the arid United Arab Emirates, but a new indoor approach to farming may be the key to supplying the region with food without overdrawing from its limited water stores.
- Do global travelers have to leave their environmental ethics at home?
Global tourism is responsible for some 8 percent of total carbon emissions, about three times more than what previous studies had calculated, according to a study published Monday.