All Environment
- First LookWhy did the Komodo dragon survive?
The wild population of Komodo dragons, while far smaller than it once was, appears to have stabilized – a stark contrast to the plight of many other large animals.
- The Republican shift on climate change since George W. Bush
In this edition: Behind looming budget cuts at the EPA, a changed GOP; China positioning itself as a global leader on climate action; How climate affects the weather.
- Why smog in Asia is an American concern
Air pollution in Asia is directly linked to smog in several western US states, say scientists.
- First LookBudget cuts at NOAA threaten climate-monitoring satellite program
A White House memo suggests a 22-percent budget cut. But it hasn't happened yet. Why the Congressional budget-making process could offer hope for climate monitoring.
- First LookLead shot OK'd for federal lands: what does that mean for conservation?
Zinke’s order threatens to set back a decades-long effort to get lead shot out of America’s backcountry. But over the years, environmental groups may have found ways to continue this effort without federal support.
- First LookBlizzard hits Hawaii as Sierra Nevada snowpack gets really deep
The blizzard in Hawaii and high levels of precipitation in California contrast sharply with the low snow levels across much of the rest of the country in 2017.
- America's biggest water users – farmers – learn to use less of it
In the Southwest and beyond, irrigation technology and other steps such as planting 'cover crops' to enrich the soil are making a difference.
- First LookUN agency announces record highs on Antarctica as scientists push for more data
Scientists say that to understand whether Antarctica’s new record fits a global pattern of warming climates, they need more data from the continent.
- First LookDoes California's 'phenomenal' snowpack spell the end of its water woes? Not quite.
As of Wednesday, the statewide snowpack was at 185 percent of normal March 1 levels. But the snow has been much wetter and warmer than officials prefer.
- How climate influences weather: six questions From extreme rains in some places to early spring in others, weather events prompt questions about what role climate change may be playing.
- First LookMinnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium is proving deadly for birds
Volunteers from three conservation groups said they found 60 dead birds and 14 more stunned from flying into the glass of the stadium in one migration period. This makes the newly opened stadium, home for the Minnesota Vikings, the top bird-killing building in Minneapolis.
- First LookA snowless Chicago? Windy City sees fewest flurries in 146 years.
Chicago has seen unseasonably little snow this year. In fact, no ground snow was documented in the first two months of 2017, for the first time since they began keeping records.
- In arid Southwest, cities expand but use less water
Phoenix reduced its residential water consumption in the past decade despite a 23 percent rise in population. Las Vegas recycles water from indoor drains and outdoor fountains.
- How the West is adapting for a drier future
In this edition: Climate change prompts adaptation in the Colorado River basin; how a map and an app might help bees; can science be unifying?
- First LookWhite House taking steps to repeal Obama-era EPA water rule
President Trump is set to sign an executive order Tuesday calling for a review of an Obama-era rule aimed at protecting small streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act.
- First LookWorkers begin clearing Oroville spillway debris as officials plan for the future
California water authorities shut off the flow of water down a damaged spillway Monday so that workers could begin clearing debris off of it.
- First LookStudy finds humans cause 84 percent of US wildfires
Either through arson or carelessness, humans have triggered five out of six wildfires in the US since 1992, new research finds.
- Why the EPA faces big cuts under Trump budget proposal
Environmental issues have become more polarized even since the years of George W. Bush. One factor: The stakes for both parties surrounding climate change have risen.
- First LookWith Dakota Access camp cleared, where are protestors headed?
Environmentalist and indigenous-rights protestors vow to take the fight to other pipeline projects as they leave the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota.
- West's challenge is still water scarcity, wet winter or not
With climate change affecting water supplies already strained by urban growth, states in the Colorado River basin are being forced to innovate and adapt.