All Environment
First LookWinter storms reverse California drought, burnish snowpackA surprising amount of snow is reversing California鈥檚 notorious drought, returning shades of green to wildfire-blackened hills. The winter storms also benefit the state鈥檚 water supply.
FocusWhose Key West? Climate change is driving up the price of paradise.Around the world, island communities are scrambling to cope with the impending threat of rising seas. Florida's Key West aims to prove that adaptation is possible. But at what cost?
Lions, leopards, and ... lessons? How safari tourism boosts rural education.For decades Uganda's efforts to divert tourist dollars into rural communities has been dogged by criticism. But a new focus on rural education is reviving hopes.
First LookAsh loggers rush to save trees before beetles eat them allThe emerald ash borer beetle kills almost every tree it attacks. In a race against time to save the lumber, one company is聽sawing ash at double its usual rate.聽
First LookHurricane lessons: the effect on rainforests offer insight into climate changeOngoing experiments in Puerto Rican rainforests are examining how already stressed ecosystems respond to severe weather such as hurricanes. The findings may hold the key to understanding how other regions might respond and adapt to global climate change.
Has the EPA lost its teeth? House to investigate dwindling enforcement.Deregulation has been a hallmark of the Trump administration's EPA. But data suggests that the agency may be bypassing the courts by declining to enforce pollution violations.
First LookToxic water: US abandoned mines leak millions of gallons dailyOld sites mined for gold, silver, and lead for more than a century now leave behind a toxic legacy of flowing, untreated wastewater. The mining pollution, which will require billions of dollars to clean up, should be addressed on a systematic basis, experts say.
Green New Deal: Saving America or turning it socialist?What鈥檚 the best path to move the United States toward an emissions-free future? For most voters, the answer has as much to do with their economic worldview as their ideas about the environment.
Nearly 2 billion people depend on Himalayan glaciers. What if they melt?Climate change could drastically reduce glacier cover in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. What will that mean for the people who call the region home?
The orchid whisperers: Rare blooms find an urban perchCan planting endangered plants in urban settings help heal the disconnect between humans and nature? Conservationists in Miami are trying a fresh approach to both landscaping and saving native plants.
Outdoor gear with a side of politics: More retailers embrace activismCan an industry that has traditionally been focused on profit lead value-driven change? A cohort of outdoor brands are stepping into that realm, even going as far as endorsing political candidates.
Putting the sun in Sunshine State? Florida鈥檚 about-face on solar powerSolar power has long been a pet issue for progressives and environmentalists. But in Florida, utilities are starting to embrace the technology for economic reasons.
Climate鈥檚 pressure on energy firms isn鈥檛 just political, it鈥檚 financialPG&E鈥檚 bankruptcy filing has wider implications. Will CEOs鈥� and shareholders鈥� closer attention to the business risks of warming accelerate the move to low-carbon power?
First LookOcean mixing that drives climate discovered in surprise locationScientists have found that a section of the Atlantic Ocean previously considered an "engine" of the world鈥檚 climate is actually hundreds of miles in another direction. Understanding ocean circulation offers critical insights into its affects on droughts and the frequency of hurricanes.
FocusLife after coal: Miners wonder how they fit into a low-carbon future.As the needs of a changing planet butt up against local economies, tough questions are emerging about how to help the global population without creating overwhelming hardship for vulnerable individuals.
First LookIn China, missing pangolins show endangered species not protected by lawsEven though China has adopted laws against trade in many endangered species, enforcement and oversight are lax. An environmental nonprofit in Beijing has launched an investigation after 33 trafficked pangolins died in government captivity, and their bodies went missing.
First LookScientists to explore Indian Ocean's uncharted depthsAn unprecedented, three-year mission will explore the Indian Ocean, one of the world's final frontiers. The expedition will document changes taking place beneath the waves that could affect billions of people as the region begins to feel the effects of global warming.聽
Farmers have a beef with plant- or lab-grown 鈥榤eat.鈥� Should you care?How we speak can say a lot about how we think聽鈥嬧�撀燼nd it can influence how we spend. Consider a rancher-led battle over food labels, where 鈥榩lant-based meat鈥� is either an oxymoron or cutting-edge Earth-friendly cuisine.- Farmers have a beef with plant- or lab-grown 鈥榤eat.鈥� Should you care?How we speak can say a lot about how we think聽鈥嬧�撀燼nd it can influence how we spend. Consider a rancher-led battle over food labels, where 鈥榩lant-based meat鈥� is either an oxymoron or cutting-edge Earth-friendly cuisine.
First LookEPA prosecutions against polluters drop to 30-year lowIn 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency lost its controversial chief to scandal and reduced the number of agents tasked to investigate crime 鈥� leading the agency to prosecute the fewest number of criminal cases since former President Ronald Reagan.