All Environment
First LookWinter gets the cold shoulder: 2023-24 winter was warmest ever in USSome are calling it 鈥渢he lost winter.鈥� 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聽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.聽
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鈥� benefits and managing conflicts with humans.聽
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聽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.聽
First LookPineapple express? Mudslides? What鈥檚 happening in California.A pineapple express 鈥� a nickname for a long band of water vapor over the Pacific Ocean 鈥� pummeled Southern California with nearly half its annual rainfall in two days. The atmospheric river is causing deadly mudslides and overflowing rivers.聽
First LookRace against time: Icelanders build towering structures to stop lavaLong-dormant volcanoes near Reykjavik have become active again, threatening Icelanders who live on the country鈥檚 southern peninsula. The country is erecting dykes the size of three-story buildings to protect homes and vital infrastructure from lava flows.
From Bubba Gump to bust? American shrimpers face extinction.American shrimp boats are being made obsolete by foreign shrimp farms with dubious practices. To survive, boat captains聽will need to change.聽
First LookWhy are dolphins at the heart of a Mississippi lawsuit?Mississippi state leaders are suing the Army Corps of Engineers, alleging the corps鈥檚 decision to divert water from the Mississippi River as a flood prevention strategy for New Orleans led to countless dolphin deaths in the Mississippi Sound.
At Sahara鈥檚 edge, old habits protect crops from new climateA modern spin on an ancient African planting technique can double聽farmer鈥檚 yields and help them cope with a changing climate.聽
Northeast wind projects notch a win, despite industry strugglesThe first major offshore wind farms in U.S. waters聽have begun to generate power.聽It鈥檚 providing a sign of hope at a time of uncertainty for the industry.聽
The weather is wild. One meteorologist on why, and what we can do.The extreme weather that鈥檚 recently pounded much of the United States will likely occur more often. But there are ways to become more adaptable, according to a climate expert.聽
First LookRecord global heat in 2023, scientists sound alarm on lives at riskThe year 2023 was the world鈥檚 hottest year on record, blowing past the mark set in 2016, according to Europe鈥檚 Copernicus climate agency. Global temperatures are on track to hit the Paris climate accord鈥檚 annual聽1.5 degree warming threshold this month.
The ExplainerAs disasters grow in scale, is government aid fairly distributed?This year set a record for $1 billion-plus natural disasters. Aid doesn't always get to those who need it most, making equity a rising priority for聽the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The ExplainerGray wolves return to Colorado. Will they be accepted?Wolves were released in Colorado Monday as required by voters. The effort to reintroduce the endangered species has sparked both controversy and cooperation in the state.聽
First LookHow 鈥榝ire culture鈥� restores ecosystems and friendship in the SouthGrassroots prescribed burn associations across the American South are restoring an ecosystem for the longleaf pine 鈥� as well as strengthening ecological resilience and neighborly ties.
How nearly 200 nations got to yes on climate actionThe U.N.鈥檚 annual climate conference concluded Wednesday with an agreement to transition away from fossil fuels like oil and coal.
Fossil fuels: Is a breakthrough within reach at COP28?A climate summit hosted by an oil giant? For many attendees at COP28, that connection cast a shadow over the event. But it might instead lead to breakthroughs.
