All Environment
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.
First LookMassachusetts town had a plan to protect its shore. One storm took it away.Salisbury, Massachusetts trucked in 14,000 tons of sand to protect homes and roads – but a storm swept it out to sea. The incident exemplifies the challenges with shoreline restoration, a strategy to shield waterfronts as the climate crisis intensifies.
The last coal plant in New England is sputtering. What happens next?New England is on the verge of becoming the first region in the United States to go coal-free. What lessons does the last coal-fired plant in New Hampshire hold for the rest of the country?
Can electric vehicles keep Africa moving?As the world transitions to electric vehicles, African companies and governments face significant challenges.
First LookWinter gets the cold shoulder: 2023-24 winter was warmest ever in USSome are calling it “the lost winter.” Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were nearly ice-free, and parts of Vermont and Maine never fell below zero. The warmest-ever cold season is leading to concerns about natural repercussions.
Europe burns wood pellets. Impacts rise for US communities, forests.The wood pellet industry has surged under a clean energy label. Critics say the industry puts the environment and marginalized communities at risk.
Utah media competitors unite on Great Salt Lake projectLocal newsrooms in Utah are trusting collaboration over competition to shore up solutions for the critically low water levels of the Great Salt Lake.
A beaver project in England offers lessons in coexistenceBeaver populations are rebounding in Europe and North America. Communities are seeking balance between valuing the rodents’ benefits and managing conflicts with humans.
In Pictures: Indigenous women guard against illegal mining in EcuadorIndigenous peoples have long been stewards of their land. In Ecuador's Amazon, a group has mobilized to safeguard waterways and critical habitat.
First LookIceland volcano eruption sends lava toward pipeline, tourist spotsLava flow from a volcano in Southwestern Iceland has shut off heat and water for the people of Grindavik. The Blue Lagoon, a local tourist attraction, has shut its doors.
First LookUS soot pollution has been dropping. An EPA rule will drop it further.The amount of allowable soot pollution coming from smokestacks, tailpipes, and power plants will be lowered for the first time in over a decade when the Biden administration sets its new rules on Feb. 7.
First LookPineapple express? Mudslides? What’s happening in California.A pineapple express – a nickname for a long band of water vapor over the Pacific Ocean – pummeled Southern California with nearly half its annual rainfall in two days. The atmospheric river is causing deadly mudslides and overflowing rivers.
