All Environment
Points of ProgressWhere cellphones help users save money, and pricey calls are now freeProgress roundup: To better connect incarcerated New Yorkers with loved ones, the state is paying for phone calls. In Africa, mobile money helps people save.
Katrina holds lessons as US debates role of states and FEMA in disaster responseHurricane Katrina was a wake-up call for states as well as for federal disaster response. Lessons in resilience have born fruit, but a proposed scaling back of FEMA鈥檚 role is stirring debate in an era of rising storm costs.
Ford is a bellwether: Electric vehicles are coming, despite Trump policy shiftsFord has a stunning goal: a small electric pickup priced below $30,000. The company seeks a new 鈥淢odel T moment,鈥� responding to competition from China more than to Washington politics.
Cover Story20 years after Hurricane Katrina, the heart of New Orleans beats onAfter Hurricane Katrina, the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, New Orleans has worked to rebuild and revive 鈥� a recovery achieved in part through music and culture.
Points of ProgressHow a city鈥檚 hardship opened eyes to wider problem-solvingProgress roundup:聽Flint, Michigan, completes pipe replacements for clean water; India鈥檚 Gujarat state pilots pollution trading and lowers emissions.
Yes, AI is power-hungry. But there鈥檚 more to surging electricity prices.Rising electricity bills are stinging consumers across the United States. Experts say the trend reflects rising demand for electricity 鈥� including from AI 鈥� but also the need for upgraded and more adaptable power grids.
Rise in extreme heat spurs efforts to keep workers safeSummers have been getting longer and hotter, with more days of extreme heat. A pending federal rule would create safety guidelines for outdoor workers regarding breaks, water access, and more.
Points of ProgressWhere a women鈥檚 tax is canceled, and businesswomen鈥檚 decisions valuedProgress roundup: Malta brings free period products to schools, a study in Kenya and Senegal finds women鈥檚 decision-making superior to men鈥檚, and more.
Where did your shrimp dinner really come from? This reporter surfaces hard details.From shrimp to squid, seafood鈥檚 journey from ocean to table is often fraught with labor and environmental abuses. Journalist Ian Urbina's work is shedding light on a largely unpoliced realm.
With cruise ships comes pollution. European ports search for ways to clear the air.Europeans have been pushing back on overtourism. For many, especially in places like Barcelona, the issue is not just crowds but also pollution. Is there a way for port cities to have needed cruise dollars and cleaner air?
Points of ProgressIn California and in Poland, new laws for who belongs whereProgress roundup: A $56 million purchase doubles the Yurok tribe鈥檚 holdings along the Klamath River, and Shanghai bus riders create new routes.
Cities scramble to make up for cuts in flood-safety fundingWith climate change predicted to bring more severe weather, many U.S. communities used federal grants to help prepare. President Trump鈥檚 funding cuts are kicking off a race to replace the money, or lose projects.
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.