All Environment
- FocusIn race against rising seas, Louisiana scrambles to save dwindling coast
In the absence of broad federal support, state managers in Louisiana have had to go it alone in the quest to save the state's eroding coastline.
- First LookExperts cast doubt on Keystone XL construction despite political green light
Despite Trump's approval of the pipeline, which has faced extensive environmental and political resistance, some experts say that the duration of the project, costs, and lack of promised profit might kill plans for it after all.
- Tactical retreat? As seas rise, Louisiana faces hard choices.
As rising seas encroach on the Louisiana coast with increasing regularity, state managers face difficult choices about whom to relocate – and how.
- First LookCourt gives back endangered status to Great Lakes wolves
Gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region were dropped from the endangered species list five years ago. Now, they're getting put back on the protected list.
- First Look Poland continues logging venerable state forest, defying EU reforms
Environmentalists and EU officials have voiced opposition to Poland's intent to continue logging a UNESCO Heritage Site forest. Polish officials claim the action is necessary to stem a dangerous population of beetles.
- Cover StoryCan famine be checked as Africa faces its worst crisis since the 1980s?
Here's what Africa has learned about building ‘community resilience’ as millions in Africa’s arid zones gird themselves to cope better with drought and the threat of famine.
- [special project]How a 20-million-person crisis goes unseen
Shining a spotlight on far-away problems is always a challenge for aid groups – even amid drought and famine in Africa, which is being called the worst humanitarian crisis in decades. But when they succeed, public awareness often translates into action. Part 5 of our series on famine resilience.
- First LookEurope still wants American coal, boosting exports to new highs
European and Asian demand for coal has spiked, causing US coal exports from January to May to increase by 60 percent compared to the same time period in 2016.
- In drought-stricken Somaliland, age-old challenges meet WhatsApp
Six months ago, a handful of people in this self-declared republic had a novel idea: create a WhatsApp group to quickly connect donors with relatives' communities enduring drought. Now other sub-clans are using it as a model.
- [special project]Madagascar fights the subtler side of hunger: chronic malnutrition
Droughts and famines tend to afflict countries in cyclical fashion. But where chronic malnutrition is endemic, such as in Madagascar, they strike harder. Health education is a start, aid groups say – but adjusting priorities is important, too. Part 3 of our series on famine resilience.
- Urban farming 2.0: From plow beams to Leafy Green Machines
A new generation of urban farmers is leaving dirt behind and turning shipping containers into tech-driven vertical farms.
- [special project]Madagascar skirted famine – barely. Now, it's boosting resilience before drought returns.
Where persistent drought is the new normal, communities will have to adapt – a challenge across eastern Africa. But Madagascar’s success, and the lessons that it learned from its brush with disaster, point to how crises might be averted elsewhere. Part 2 of our series on famine resilience.
- [special project]In Ethiopia, model drought defenses are put to the test
The country's booming capital, Addis Ababa, sits in stark contrast to rural areas struggling against two severe droughts in three years. But innovative aid has helped farming communities manage the crisis. Part 1 of our series on famine resilience.
- Cities turn to trees to beat the heat
From California to Singapore, urban communities are embarking on tree planting efforts with the hope of to keeping rising temperatures in check.
- Should we pay people not to cut down trees?
A two-year study in Uganda helps ease some of the biggest concerns about programs that pay landowners to leave natural resources untouched.
- Battle over the Clean Water Rule: What's at stake?
The issue, which involves certain wetlands and temporary waterways, is likely to end up in court (again).
- First LookCalifornian lawmakers collaborate to extend emission-capping bill
Republicans and Democrats ‘set aside their differences,’ says Governor Brown, as they passed a measure that will extend the state’s cap-and-trade bill for another decade.
- First LookWind, solar do not harm power grid reliability, new study reports
A recent draft of the US Department of Energy study on renewable energy states that 'significantly higher levels of renewable energy can be integrated without compromise of system reliability.'
- First LookPakistan continues initiative to increase reliance on wind power
After a Chinese investment in renewable energy, Pakistan opens a new wind farm to bolster energy production and decrease reliance on fossil fuels.
- First LookPortland river once shunned by swimmers enjoys rapid renaissance
The push mirrors efforts to revive ailing rivers in other US cities, from the Charles River in Boston to the concrete-lined Los Angeles River, where efforts have been underway in recent years to reverse decades of environmental damage.