All Environment
Cover StoryTo build for a warming planet, architects look to nature 鈥� and the pastIndigenous construction methods from around the world offer ways to beat the heat from a time before air conditioning 鈥� and are coming back in vogue.
FocusYoung Evangelicals seek to save the Earth 鈥� and their churchIs it possible to participate fully in two communities often at odds with each other? For Elsa Barron, bridging the differences between Evangelicals and environmentalists takes courage.
Renewing Old Ironsides, with help from an Indiana forestWhen the U.S.S. Constitution needed renovation, a forest in Indiana was undergoing some renewal of its own. Now trees from an inland Navy base are breathing new life into 鈥淥ld Ironsides.鈥澛�
Points of ProgressNew diversity in gaming 鈥� and in Oxford dictionariesProgress roundup: a wave energy first in Australia, a new Oxford Dictionary of Black English, and the female soccer stars of a new video game.
Taller grasses, deeper roots: Texas ranchers adapt to era of extremesDrought has imposed a harsh test on Texas cattle ranchers. But some have been adapting, even before this year, in ways that make them more resilient.
Is nuclear power a green solution? Why world tilts toward 鈥榶es.鈥�Nuclear power is getting a rethink from California to Germany, as a way to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in an energy-hungry, yet warming world.聽
Cover StoryBear ambassador: Lynn Rogers advocates for human-bear coexistenceLynn Rogers has done his research on wild black bears a little differently: walking alongside them, feeding them, sleeping next to them.
Points of ProgressDignity in a home address, and the right to a healthy environmentProgress roundup: The dignity of slum residents in India receiving home addresses, final exoneration in Salem witch trials, environment as a human right, and more.聽
The ExplainerHeat. Drought. Fires. Floods. Texas grapples with a new era.Texas may not be the epicenter of political聽passion about climate change, but it is increasingly emblematic of America鈥檚 climate change experience.聽
Postcard from Minnesota: Far from drought, but is it a climate haven?While climate change may appear most severe in places affected by drought or rising seas, inland and water-rich areas feel their own pressure to adapt.
Where should reporters draw the line in covering wildfires?When covering wildfires, reporters juggle a desire to give audiences up-to-the minute information and a need to respect residents鈥� and first responders鈥� boundaries. What is the media鈥檚 responsibility in such fast-moving situations?
Five years after Hurricane Harvey, a legacy of perseveranceLong after floods, Texans struggle to rebuild. But rather than losing hope, they are finding patience, resolve, and humor to carry them through.聽
Points of ProgressTiger births and Benin Bronzes: Restorations of nature and artIn our progress roundup, a return to the old, plus new ways of making food and fuel: more tigers in Nepal, the Smithsonian on returning artifacts, world鈥檚 largest vertical farm, and more.
Climate action: How values 鈥� and disasters 鈥� influence progressAuthor and sustainability professor Andrew Hoffman finds most people in the United States ready to acknowledge the dangers of climate change 鈥� and share the responsibility for mitigating it.
Air conditioning: Can people stay cool without warming the planet?As the climate warms, more people are seeking air conditioning to stay cool. But air conditioning itself can exacerbate global warming. Is there a way to balance these聽competing needs?
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