All Environment
Points of ProgressHistory uncovered: Fossils older than dinosaurs, and a religious refugeProgress roundup: Discoveries in both Brazil and Turkey were so vast that paleontologists and archaeologists have a wealth of opportunities to learn.
First LookA year after wildfire disaster, life returns to California forestsIn the Sierra Nevada, tiny flowers are growing, suggesting that signs of life are gradually reemerging in the area. Experts say the effects of climate change can be 鈥渟ignificant鈥� on forest recovery, though, preventing some species from thriving as they once did.
Wildfires, hurricanes, and lessons on cooperation from Florida PanhandleWildfires made worse by a hurricane聽years earlier in Florida鈥檚 Panhandle show how connected environmental events can be 鈥� and the value of cooperation in working to prevent and respond to them.聽聽
First LookOne word, bioplastics: Investments pour into biodegradable plasticAs countless tons of plastics pile up in landfills and pollute waterways, investors are pushing billions of dollars toward innovative bioplastics, made from corn, sugar, and cooking oil, which biodegrade far more easily than traditional plastics.
First LookIn California, freshwater fish and farmers feel the droughtCalifornia鈥檚 vital waterways are becoming saltier in the face of severe drought. The change in river salinity puts fish and agriculture alike at risk. Some solutions against the saltwater intrusion include a desalination plant, an artificial rock barrier, and groundwater pumps.聽
Points of ProgressBouncing back: Cheese in Bosnia, trees around the worldProgress roundup: Bosnian cheesemakers revive their craft after the war, 36 countries count gains in tree coverage, plus briefs from Kenya, India, and the U.S.
How to cool cities, from heat officers to pavement sunscreenHow can urban planning enhance heat resilience? Researchers in Arizona say cooperation is key.
Carrots not sticks? Senate bill may offer template for climate action.Some analysts see the proposed Inflation Reduction Act as a blueprint for more carbon-reduction progress 鈥� focused around incentives and investments.
Points of ProgressWhat a view: More starlit skies and a mapped ocean floorProgress roundup: Cooperation across groups achieves goals such as understanding the geography of the seafloor and eliminating light pollution.
First LookOil-rich Middle East feels climate change heat, mulls going greenAs the driest part of the world gets drier, the Middle East is paying more attention to the impact of climate change. People and politicians alike want to explore green energy options, but in a region reliant on fossil fuels, that prompts hard questions.
First LookIn Las Vegas, intense drought means smaller swimming poolsAfter Sept. 1, residential swimming pools built in Las Vegas can only be about the size of a three-car garage. Officials cite concerns over dwindling water supplies from the Lake Mead reservoir on the depleted Colorado River. There are about 200,000 swimming pools in Las Vegas.
Points of ProgressRoofs and rights 鈥� protecting homeless people and migrant workersProgress roundup: In Houston, many different organizations worked together to help vulnerable people. In Indonesia, a lawsuit forced the government to act.
First LookMonarchs drift closer to extinction, but scientists hold out hopeMonarch butterflies were placed on the endangered list Thursday. In the eastern United States, the species has declined between 85% and 95% since the 1990s by some estimates. But the revitalization of previously endangered species offer a path toward full recovery.
As the world heats up, will climate action, too?Heat waves make global warming tangible. But do they change mindsets? It鈥檚 still hard for climate to rise to the top among political priorities.
The ExplainerPrescribed fires: Why they鈥檙e still trusted despite runaway blazeTwo planned burns that went wrong led to a record blaze this spring, but that鈥檚 rare. Prescribed fire聽is widely considered a trusted tool for wildfire prevention.
First LookScorched Europe: Record high temps behind heat wave, wildfiresHigh temperatures are being recorded in France and Spain, fueling large-scale wildfires in pine tree forests, as Britain swelters under a heat advisory. Swirling hot winds could complicate firefighting efforts in a parched region that scientists link to climate change.
First LookStanding strong: Prescribed burns aid sequoias in surviving wildfireGiant sequoias in Yosemite National Park have survived their first wildfire in more than a century because of intentional burning to remove undergrowth beneath the towering trees. Prescribed burns have proven to be effective methods to help prevent wildfires.聽
Points of ProgressThe changing face of justice, from Illinois to EcuadorProgress roundup: Stories of representation 鈥� from a Black female judge on a state鈥檚 high court to the Indigenous activists who won a Goldman Prize.
Cover StorySeaweed Inc.: As climate threatens lobster, Maine eyes new cash cropWarming waters put lobster harvests at risk, but Maine鈥檚 fishers are neatly positioned to farm kelp 鈥� aiding their livelihoods and the environment.
After Supreme Court ruling, can EPA still tackle climate change?A Supreme Court ruling limits Environmental Protection Agency leeway to regulate greenhouse gases, at a time when Congress hasn鈥檛 been acting on the issue.
