All Environment
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.
The ExplainerHeat waves: How to cope with new extremesHeat waves are getting more frequent and extreme. Here鈥檚 what communities are doing to beat back the heat and protect public health.
Drinking water in short supply? There鈥檚 a solution in the air.Drought: As the world gets drier and hotter, reliable access to water is becoming a greater challenge 鈥� lending urgency to innovations that could pull water right out of the air.聽
Aiming for 鈥榥et zero鈥� carbon emissions 鈥� even in Louisiana oil country?Louisiana is the first Southern state with a climate action plan. With it comes the chance to lead by example in the nation鈥檚 petrochemical corridor.聽
Points of ProgressNature takes over: Kenyan wastewater, US toxic dump turned wetlandProgress roundup: Time and ingenuity produce a hydroponic waste treatment system in Kenya, and a Superfund site becomes a wetland in Ohio.
First LookWhy Germany wants an emission-cutters fast laneAt the G-7 summit, Germany is pushing a plan for countries to join together in a 鈥榗limate club' to tackle global warming at a quicker pace. Who's in?聽
Points of ProgressEasing daily life for families, from Morocco to VietnamProgress roundup: Poverty reduction, parental leave, and how governments and big institutions can effect positive change for societies.
Cover Story鈥楻iver of Grass鈥�: Inside the quest to restore the EvergladesRestoration projects in聽the Florida Everglades are gathering momentum as new money flows in聽and long-slowed initiatives advance. Will it all work?
Power plants that burn wood: Renewable energy or major polluters?Is it honest and accurate to count power plants fueled by wood as clean energy? It鈥檚 a burning issue, literally, in the European Union and beyond.
Points of ProgressTree stumps and old phones as solutions, not throwawaysProgress roundup: Farmers who let trees regenerate in their fields improved crops. And to reduce e-waste, one country subsidizes electronics repairs.聽
鈥楩or the Birds鈥�: Music project celebrates birdsong to save itA new project, led by a sought-after Hollywood music pro, hopes to bring attention to birds and their songs 鈥� and the preservation of both.
鈥楽top fighting Mother Nature.鈥� How farmers adapt to extreme weather.With scientists forecasting extreme weather as a new normal, farmers are looking to regenerative practices that can build resilience into their soil.
Points of ProgressBeach and river cleanups: Strange finds, and fish fertilizer for saleIn our progress roundup, volunteers are cleaning up river trash by the ton, and others are making something useful out of the waste left by fishers cleaning their catch.
鈥榃e can鈥檛 wait鈥�: Grassroots solutions ease flooding in New OrleansIn New Orleans, as the government struggles to respond to climate change, neighborhood coalitions are taking the initiative to find 鈥� and implement 鈥� solutions.
First LookIndy 500 waves green flag for sustainability with lofty goalsAt this weekend鈥檚 Indy 500, fans can buy T-shirts made from recycled plastic bottles. They鈥檙e one of the many initiatives 鈥� along with renewable tires 鈥� contributing to the goal of holding carbon-neutral races by 2050.聽