All Environment
In charts: Amid searing heat, the hottest day ever?A claim that July 6 was the hottest ever deserves scrutiny. But regardless, it can be a useful wake-up call for the world to consider how thoroughly the abnormal is becoming normal 鈥� and what should be done.
First LookWarming world: How are Europeans staying cool in massive heatwave?A heat wave grips the Mediterranean as wildfires hit Spain, Switzerland, and Greece 鈥� symptoms of a warming globe. Officials have warned residents and tourists to stay indoors during the day鈥檚 hottest hours.
FocusWhen the floods surged, a focus on readiness helped VermontBack in 2011, Tropical Storm Irene gave flooded Vermont a wake-up call. Efforts since then to build resiliency 鈥� alongside a humanitarian spirit 鈥� are helping this week.
Points of ProgressIsland hopping: LGBTQ+ rights in the Caribbean, climate funds in IndonesiaProgress roundup: More Caribbean nations decriminalize same-sex relations. And Indigenous Indonesians have new funds to take climate control into their own hands.
First LookWhy large-scale global flooding could become new normalMany countries are experiencing deadly flooding this week and climate scientists say this is par for the course in a warming world. Climate pollutants, mainly carbon dioxide and methane, are holding more heat in the atmosphere.
First LookHeatwave inequality? Cities should protect vulnerable, experts say.Many cities have long had plans about how to deal with intense heat waves 鈥� systems to alert their citizens and connect them with resources. But amid record-setting heat globally, some experts say more needs to be done.
Cover StoryPlastics have shaped nearly every aspect of society. Now what?The wonder material of the 1950s has become so ubiquitous that communities are finding it hard to live without it.
Points of ProgressFairy circles and electricity from air: Inclusive and innovative scienceProgress roundup: In Australia, a research collaboration incorporated Indigenous expertise. In the U.S., engineers found a secret to harvesting energy from air 鈥� nanopores.
First LookEarth鈥檚 daily temperature reached a record high for two days. Why?After the planet set a record-high average temperature on Tuesday, Earth鈥檚 average temperature remained the same on Wednesday. With heat waves from Peru to Canada, climate experts caution against an ever-warming world.聽
Could battery boom change South鈥檚 views of green energy?Alabama could be the buckle of a new manufacturing 鈥渂attery belt鈥� across the South. The economic activity is putting green energy in a new light.聽
Proposed power plant emission cuts: Can US keep the lights on?A鈥� 鈥媎ebate over how fast to transition to clean energy 鈥媔s gaining urgency, as 鈥媋 proposed 鈥婨PA 鈥媏missions rule stirs concerns about electric grid reliability.
Cover StoryExtinct or elusive? Why birders aren鈥檛 giving up on the ivorybill.Experts say the ivory-billed woodpecker is probably extinct. Others think they鈥檙e wrong 鈥� and that the natural world still holds some surprises.
First LookSmoky haze: Air quality warnings persist as Canada's fires continueCanada鈥檚 wildfires have yet to be contained, and cities across the United States are seeing hazy skies as a result. Experts say Americans from the Midwest to the Southeast聽should remain prudent in poor air quality conditions.
In Thailand, conservation drive and Indigenous traditions collideResidents of Thailand鈥檚 Ban Sop Lan village are pushing back against efforts to expand the boundaries of a nearby national park.
First LookWhat鈥檚 a heat dome? Here鈥檚 why Texas heat is expected to spread.Scorching temperatures from a heat dome are taxing the Texas power grid, threatening to bring record highs to the state before expanding to other parts of the United States. Experts say more than 46 million Americans are under heat alerts.
Points of ProgressFor children in east Africa, the dignity of hairstyles and better healthProgress roundup: Rastafarians end hair discrimination in Malawi, and an opponent of female genital mutilation wins the Templeton Prize in Somaliland.
First Look3M to pay $10.3B for leaking 'forever chemicals' into water systemsChemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to pay $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over the contamination of many public drinking water systems with harmful compounds. Known as 鈥渇orever chemicals,鈥� PFAS don鈥檛 degrade and have been linked to health problems.
First LookMonstrous mustard? California chefs, artists target invasive species.California is blooming with wild mustard this year. The invasive species smothers native plants and serves as tinder for wildfires in a state already ravaged by blazes. In response, artists are using the plant as dye and chefs are cooking with it.聽
First LookWho should fund clean energy? IEA calls on rich nations.The International Energy Agency聽said that affluent nations must regain trust by financing clean energy in developing countries. In poorer nations, the implementation of net-zero goals faces significant financial hurdles.
Why this Indian village has fought a steel plant for 18 yearsA village鈥檚 enduring resistance against a massive steelworks project highlights gaps in India鈥檚 environmental protections and human rights.
