All Environment
First LookPatagonia clothing company sues Trump for altering Utah monumentsPatagonia's lawsuit against Trump's decision to shrink two national monuments in Utah is bringing up questions of presidential power. While presidents can create new monuments it is unclear if they have the authority to undo actions of their predecessors.
First LookIndia to ban imports of petcoke as concerns about air pollution growThe Indian government will phase out imports of petroleum coke, or petcoke, though the use of petcoke within the country continues to be debated. An AP report found US oil refineries are exporting the product to India in huge amounts, unable to unload it at home.
First LookScientists watch Bali's volcano for signs of eruptionMount Agung continues to smolder and rumble in alarming ways. With the aid of the internet, volcanologists around the world are monitoring Agung to help residents and tourists prepare for a possible massive eruption.
In Jordan, an empowering solution for UN-run refugee campsAt two UN-run refugee camps, solar power projects bring reassuring light to the desert night, renewable energy sources for Jordan's future, and jobs and training for Syrian refugees.
With monument reductions, Trump Inflames century-old debateAmerica's unique relationship with public lands has long been a source of pride – and strife.
Cover StoryForest gumption: How scientists are tapping everything from drones to pruning shears to stem global warmingOne method of stemming greenhouse gases – by pruning excessive undergrowth that prevents forests from flourishing – is one of a slew of quixotic ideas being worked on by scientists and researchers around the world to help solve what could be the dominant issue of the next 100 years.
On Tybee Island, a glimpse of why flood insurance is a vexing US challengeCongress faces a Dec. 8 deadline to mend a federal flood insurance program that runs chronic imbalances in an era of rising flood risks and densely populated coastal areas.
First LookKeystone pipeline leaks more than predicted in risk assessmentsTransCanada's Keystone pipeline has already leaked more than 5,000 barrels of oil in South Dakota. The company originally predicted spills larger than 1,000 barrels of oil would occur no more than once every 100 years.
FocusIs culture missing from conservation? Scientists take cues from indigenous peoples.We typically think of conservation as removing humans from the ecosystem to return it to its 'natural' state. But the practices of many indigenous cultures offer a different way to view humanity's relationship with the natural world.
Attuned to temblors: How well can scientists forecast massive earthquakes?Headlines portending a coming spike in devastating earthquakes ignited concerns this week. But seismologists say such forecasts work best when they spark action, not fear.
In post-conflict Colombia, land-rights and funding for peacebuilding face offColombia's Constitutional Court overturned a 2001 law that gave the federal government ultimate say over where mining projects took place. It's a victory for local communities, but with the government in need of billions to bank roll peace programs, can it last?
First LookLion trophies: ban against imported lion parts has also been loosened by Trump administrationUnited States officials allowed importation of heads and hides of lions shot for sport one month before President Trump reversed the ban on elephant trophies.
First LookInsurers face new challenges after long series of natural disastersFollowing a season of hurricanes, flooding, and earthquakes around the world, customers and governments are facing rising insurance rates. Experts suggest that insurance companies should re-evaluate their repricing strategies as disasters become more common.
First LookClimate refugees to be welcomed in New ZealandNew Zealand announced it will create a new refugee visa for Pacific Islanders displaced by rising seas. The nation says it is preparing for the possibility of a larger evacuation of island residents in the future as a result of ongoing climate change.
First LookTrump administration revokes ban on imported elephant trophiesThe US Fish and Wildlife Service has reversed the ban on elephant parts from Zimbabwe and Zambia, saying it will help fund conservation. Critics argue allowing wealthy big-game hunters to kill would confuse efforts to curb illegal poaching.
First Look20 countries agree to end coal use by 2030Twenty countries and two US states have banded together through the Powering Past Coal alliance to phase out coal and cut carbon emissions by 2030 in an effort to keep to the Paris Agreement target for lowering emissions.
Backyard bird feeders prompting beak evolutionBackyard birders in Britain have welcomed songbirds into their yards for decades with bird feeders. And one bird appears to be evolving as a result.
As bird lovers rejoice the sandhill crane's return, hunters eye the 'ribeye of the sky'At its root, Michigan's debate over a proposed sandhill crane hunt stems from a fundamental clash of worldviews between people who see the natural world as something to be protected and preserved and those who view the land as a resource to be managed.
This year, as winter nears, residents of China's coal country turn to gasShanxi province's coal helped fuel China's economic boom. But as awareness about the risks of pollution grows, officials in the provincial capital are cracking down on heavy industry and shifting to natural gas – giving workers a cleaner, if uncertain, future.
