All Environment
Difference Maker鈥楪reen time鈥� over screen time: The Greenagers group gets youths to love the outdoorsA transformative program in western Massachusetts helps young people learn the value of stewarding the land, while also taking joy in conservation.
Go, fish. How removing old New England dams is opening rivers to new wildlife.One Maine town, built on water-powered mills during the Industrial Revolution, is joining a dam-removal revolution聽moving across New England.
Amid flood tragedy, Texas officials promise improvements 鈥榳ill be made鈥�As recovery efforts continue in Texas, details are emerging about how the area could have been better prepared. Political will is growing for statewide action.
In Texas flood response, a scaled-back FEMA gets an early testThe Trump administration has reduced the staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and scaled back the amount of aid it delivers, saying states should take the lead.聽
Pangolins are the most-trafficked mammals. These are their protectors.鈥淥ur pangolins, our pride鈥�: That鈥檚 the motto for handlers who help rescue the scaly, nocturnal animals in central Zambia.
Points of ProgressProtecting homes from hurricanes, rice crops from heat, and seas from trawlingProgress roundup: Science reveals how rice crops can resist heat for better yields and quality, and how building codes work against hurricanes.
After deadly Texas floods, calls rise for better warningsAfter floods left more than 80 dead in Texas, questions are emerging about how to provide better warnings in a region known as 鈥渇lash flood alley.鈥�
Points of ProgressHelpful microbes: For cleaning up oil spills and helping crops growProgress roundup: Science enables Brazil to transform its economy, German researchers to find a microbe that makes detergent, and California to filter PFAS.
First LookFrozen clues: What hailstones say about a warming worldResearchers are chasing storms across multiple states to collect and study hailstones to better understand storm behavior. Their findings could reveal how climate change may impact future hail damage and storm intensity.
Their house survived LA鈥檚 wildfires. They still can鈥檛 go home.In California, residents of once-vibrant Altadena are deciding whether to return and rebuild after devastating wildfires. Part 2 in a series.
First LookWhat are planetary waves? Scientists warn of more extreme weather events.Scientists say that climate change has tripled the frequency of planetary waves linked to extreme summer weather. In the 1950s, there was one extreme weather event a year. Now, the Earth is experiencing three every summer.
Points of ProgressCitizen projects tear up pavement for plants, and keep solar panels goingChina, the largest producer and consumer of seafood, signs a safeguard against illegal fishing. And in Colombia,聽a program eases adoption of renewables.聽 聽
First LookGreenland鈥檚 record heat wave adds to sea level concernsA new analysis says climate change drove May鈥檚 record heat wave in Greenland and Iceland, prompting Greenland鈥檚 ice sheet to melt many times faster than normal. Scientists say the melt聽could disturb global climate and weather patterns.
Republicans say they want energy dominance. But will 鈥榖ig bill鈥� deliver?The Trump administration鈥檚 push for 鈥渆nergy dominance鈥� is leaving out an important sector that has also been aiding a manufacturing revival.
First LookSeasonal heat waves are typical in India, but this year is off to an 鈥榓bove normal鈥� startA scorching heat wave is sweeping through Northern India with temperatures reaching 117 F. Cities are working to cope with an overburdened health system and a power grid struggling to keep things cool.
Points of ProgressThe surprising resilience of a smiling salamander and some old buried seedsProgress roundup: Captive-bred salamander can survive in the wild, and old fynbos seeds will germinate, sowing science鈥檚 hope for habitat restoration.
First LookOnly 2.7 percent of the ocean is protected. Can the world do more?The top priority of the third U.N. Ocean Conference is to ratify the High Seas Treaty, which would allow nations to establish marine protected areas in international waters. Without a healthy ocean, experts say, climate goals will remain out of reach.
Cover StoryLocal, organic, and bipartisan: How Vermont is challenging Big FoodFarmers in Vermont are trying to build a sustainable local economy for agricultural聽products. Americans across the political spectrum want it to work.
First LookIt鈥檚 huge, stinky, and brown. Record amounts of seaweed are baffling scientists.Caribbean beaches are being engulfed by聽tons of sargassum seaweed just as tourism season arrives. Scientists think warming waters and agricultural runoff may be contributing to the increasing amount of seaweed washing ashore each year.
Points of ProgressThe benefits of living with bears and letting nature take its courseProgress roundup: Antarctica鈥檚 newest research base lowers fossil fuel use, a medieval Italian village welcomes its bears, and more.
