All Environment
First LookEPA鈥檚 plan to curb emissions from cars: Could it actually work?The Environmental Protection Agency has an ambitious new plan to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions produced by passenger vehicles. But critics question both how realistic the plan is and whether it goes far enough.
First LookEndangered Species Act at 50: Is it facing its own extinction?Fifty years after the U.S. Endangered Species Act took effect, officials say 99% of the animals and plants it protects have survived. Yet聽scientists and activists fear the act itself is in trouble as聽lawmakers try to weaken the law and its protected list.聽
As extreme heat rises, so do concerns for worker safetyRecord-breaking extreme heat in the U.S. is casting renewed attention on how the country manages the risks workers face.聽
First LookBrazil鈥檚 golden monkeys swing from near extinction to thousandsAfter the number of golden lion tamarins fell to 200 in the 1970s, conservationists successfully brought the species back up to nearly 5,000. Anti-poaching, disease control, and reconnecting forest cover are all thought to be behind the rebound.
FocusAs sea levels rise, so does erosion. Hawaii offers lessons.The Hawaiian Islands are a test case for how island communities聽鈥� and coastlines worldwide聽鈥� must increasingly adapt to erosion as sea levels rise.
Points of ProgressChildren of adoption: How families from Chile to Taiwan are made wholeProgress roundup: Adults 鈥渟tolen鈥� from Chile during dictatorship are finding birth families. And in Taiwan, LGBTQ+ couples are granted adoption rights.
First LookKlamath River dam removal has begun. Next, comes restoring its banks.The largest dam removal project in the history of the U.S., which includes four dams from the Klamath River, has begun along the California-Oregon border and will be finished in 2024. Restoring its natural flow and habitat, however, will take decades.聽
From heat czars to tree planting, relief for urban heat islandsWith record-setting temperatures and greater awareness, cities ramp up to deal with heat, especially in marginalized communities.聽
First LookFlorida can't beat the heat. Seawaters swelter to hot tub temps.Florida聽recorded perhaps the hottest seawater ever measured. Manatee Bay recorded an unofficial 101.1 degrees Monday evening and nearby scientists saw devastating effects from prolonged hot water surrounding Florida, such as coral bleaching.
Points of ProgressSnakes, bats, and rocks, anyone? New species and a deep dig into Earth.Progress roundup: Scientists delve below the ocean floor and across the terrestrial hot spots of Southeast Asia, using words like 鈥渄ream鈥� and 鈥渨onder.鈥�
First LookClimate change is responsible for the intense heat, new study saysThis summer, a string of heatwaves has struck countries across the globe 鈥� in Europe, North America, and China. A new study says that climate change is very likely responsible for the unprecedented and dangerous heat
First LookDo clean energy incentives work? One-year effort in U.S. says yes.The Inflation Reduction Act passes its first year in August. The climate legislation boosted the U.S. transition to renewable energy, accelerated green domestic manufacturing, and made it more affordable for consumers to make climate-friendly purchases.聽
鈥楽pectacular鈥� wildflower season blooms in ColoradoWith the backdrop of a two-decade megadrought in the American West, an especially wet water year has produced a stunning wildflower show on the Western Slope of Colorado.
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.