Climate + Environment

Latest Stories

How Southern Africa’s Elephants Bounced Back

< 1

From Tanzania southward, populations have rebounded, thanks in large part to “buffer” zones that connect more protected areas.

Turning Waste Into Charcoal in Uganda

6 min read

By switching from wood to food scraps, women leaders aim to protect what remains of the country’s rainforest.

Could Wild Horses Help Fight Wildfires?

2 min read

The controversial animals graze on the grass and brush that fuel blazes. So one California naturalist asks: Why not send them to fire-prone wilderness?

Ski Resorts Are Turning Wastewater into Snow

3 min read

The Yellowstone Club is the first in Montana to use the technique, which could become more common as climate change leads to drier winters across the American West.

A Ranch, Rewilded: The Transformation of California’s Next State Park

< 1

Floodplain restoration is one key way to make the Central Valley more resilient as climate change intensifies both flooding and drought.

A Carbon Offset Project in Alaska Is Making a Local Difference

6 min read

Getting to Juneau is a fossil fuel-heavy endeavor. To help mitigate that, some tourist dollars are going toward heat pumps for residents.

The New Mexico Electricity Co-op Breaking Up With Fossil Fuels

6 min read

An 80-year-old electricity supplier is going all in on decarbonization.

‘Take It Down and They’ll Return’: The Stunning Revival of the Penobscot River

9 min read

A historic project in Maine shows that when dams are removed, a river and its fish can recover with surprising speed.

Counting Bugs to Save Birds

6 min read

As the western US struggles to save the greater sage grouse, one researcher is proving that insects can play a powerful role.

Generating Life on the Baja Peninsula, One Mangrove at a Time

9 min read

Meet the couple tirelessly planting desert mangroves — and helping to restore a valuable carbon sink.

The Legendary Ocean Explorer Protecting ‘Hope Spots’ Around the World

7 min read

Sylvia Earle, a pioneer of both deep sea diving and ocean conservation, has made it her mission to protect the ocean’s biodiversity, one spot at a time.

The Galapagos Are Going Green

< 1

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to transform the archipelago into a beacon of sustainability.

The EU Just Banned Microplastics. How Are Companies Replacing Them?

4 min read

Some manufacturers are years ahead of the game, pioneering natural alternatives to microplastics.

Rāhui and the Ancient Art of Marine Conservation

8 min read

In French Polynesia, an age-old practice puts everyone in charge of protecting the sea.

The Reappearing Forests of West Bengal

5 min read

The trees in this corner of India vanished decades ago, leaving heat waves and drought. What happened when they returned proves the healing power of reforestation.

How France Brought Brown Bears Back to the Pyrenees

6 min read

Thanks to biological monitoring and community outreach, the once-nearly-extinct bruins are again ambling through the mountains.

Cranberry Growers Are Bringing Wetlands Back from the Dead

6 min read

In Massachusetts, the onetime cranberry capital of the world, former bogs are transforming into thriving, carbon-storing swamps.

The Texas Shrimper Holding Industrial Polluters Accountable

7 min read

The “reclusive fisherwoman” turned “controversial hell-raiser” is battling some of the biggest petrochemical companies — and winning.

A ‘Tape Recorder for the Planet’: What Natural History Museums Bring to the Climate Fight

6 min read

Behind the scenes, their vast collections can help us better understand the past, present and future of our planet.

The Backyard Farmers Who Grow Food With Fog

& < 1

In one of the world’s driest cities, an ingenious system channels water from the air to those who need it most.

From Blacktop to Green: Cities Are Depaving for a Cooler Future

4 min read

Climate-related heat and flooding have planners rethinking the heat-absorbing, impermeable stuff that covers so much of the urban landscape.

From Sea to Plate to Sea: How Oyster Shells Are Shoring Up Coastlines

5 min read

Long after the oysters are gone, their shells help protect the marine environment. “Once you shuck ‘em, don’t just chuck ‘em!”

The Life-Changing, Solar-Charged Power of ‘Regenerative Travel’

5 min read

Meet the intrepid e-bikers who are helping others to travel ecologically and give back along the way.

A Thriving Garden at a Former Coal Mine Is Feeding Thousands

6 min read

The Texas mine’s restoration is ongoing, but in an area with few grocery stores, the small garden is already making a big difference.

A Wild Cat Comeback — Thanks to Vultures

< 1

Birds and cats aren’t usually allies. But in Zambia, a common threat — and a concerted effort to fight it — unites them.

The Cascading Effects of Bringing Back Sea Otters

8 min read

In Oregon and California, efforts to repopulate these furry engineers could revive struggling ocean ecosystems.

West Texas Oil Country Is Revealing a Sky Full of Stars

7 min read

Astronomers and oil refineries are working together to dim the lights of industry — and set celestial sights ablaze.

Reviving the Lost Waterways of India’s ‘City of Lakes’

6 min read

Bengaluru is slowly re-earning its watery reputation, one lake restoration project at a time.

Wind Power’s Explosive Growth Is Blowing Past Green Energy Goals

5 min read

The production of wind energy keeps breaking records, and its potential for expansion is as wide as the oceans.

Shrimpers Get Paid to Clear ‘Ghost Fishing’ Crab Traps From Mississippi Waters

3 min read

Collecting left-behind traps leaves wildlife safer while putting money in shrimpers’ pockets — a true win-win.

The Ancient ‘Wonder Material’ Sucking CO2 Out of the Atmosphere

5 min read

Though public awareness is low, some scientists believe “biochar” is quietly becoming the world’s first major carbon removal success story.

To Restore Watersheds, Think Like a Beaver

6 min read

People are building beaver-inspired obstructions along waterways to make the surrounding landscape messier and more complex. That’s a good thing.

A Biodiversity Hotspot Flourishes as Costa Rica Puts Nature on the Payroll

6 min read

For years, locals have protected the thriving wildlife of Osa Peninsula. When the government started paying them, a whole new conservation-based economy bloomed.

Fortified with Coconuts, ‘Living’ Shorelines Are Stopping Coastal Erosion

6 min read

From New Jersey to Texas, a nature-nurturing alternative to concrete sea walls is protecting America’s coastline.

Up-Close Ecotourism Is Nurturing Gray Whales in Mexico

9 min read

In the lagoons off the Pacific coast of Baja Sur, physical contact between tourists and whales is at the heart of a new model of marine conservation.

Wind Farms and Birds Are Learning to Coexist

6 min read

With bird-tracking AI and turbines that grind to a halt before strikes occur, today’s wind farms are safer than ever for travelers on the wing.

Over 2,000 Companies Buy and Sell Recycled Plastic at This Online Marketplace

6 min read

Activist-entrepreneur Christian Schiller’s global platform is where plastic sellers and seekers keep your old shampoo bottles out of the waste stream.

Don’t Demolish That House — ‘Deconstruct’ It!

3 min read

Instead of tearing down houses, a local business in Minneapolis picks them apart and resells the material, reducing waste and creating jobs.

Is There Anything ‘Solar Meadows’ Can’t Do?

4 min read

Nourishing pollinators. Recharging groundwater. Preventing erosion. Sequestering carbon. Solar farms, once devoid of life, have become ecological superheroes.

Want to Help Rid the Ocean of Plastic? Grab an Oar

4 min read

Along a rocky stretch of the British coast, a modest yet highly replicable low-tech solution to ocean cleanup is setting sail.

‘Dead’ Electric Car Batteries Find a Second Life Powering Cities

5 min read

What do you do with old EV batteries that are too weak to run a car? Connect them by the hundreds to power vital urban infrastructure.

The Wollemi Pine’s Survival Proves We Can Save More Trees

5 min read

Decades ago, there were only 48 mature Wollemi pines left in the world. Then home gardeners stepped in.

Seed-Planting Drones Are Reforesting Canada With Lightning Speed

4 min read

Dropping five seed pods per second into wildfire-scarred lands, aerial tree planting is quickly creating biodiverse forests from the sky.

Recycled Glass, Turned into Sand, Is Restoring Louisiana’s Coastline

5 min read

It’s just one example of how pulverized glass has become an upcycling hero, finding new purpose in landscaping, construction, even coastal restoration.

Heat from an Amazon Data Center Is Warming Dublin’s Buildings

5 min read

Cities are capturing heat emitted by computer servers and using it to warm everything from government buildings to college dorms.

The New Generation of Hydropower Dams Let Fish Swim Straight Through

5 min read

Redesigned turbines are solving the problem that has long plagued hydroelectric dams, churning out green energy while leaving fish unharmed.

Conservationists Are Saving America’s Prairies by Selling Them Off

5 min read

In an unlikely collaboration, Oregon conservationists are selling grasslands to cattlemen on one condition: they keep it pristine forever.

As the Water Rises, Mobile Home Parks Are on the Move

5 min read

Threatened by climate change, entire communities are working with government to relocate — and stay intact.

How a Country Embraced the River It Feared

7 min read

After years of fighting floods on the Waal River, the Netherlands decided to let the water in — and turn a looming threat into a natural asset.

Cities Take on a New Front in the Climate Battle: Meat Eating

5 min read

From Buenos Aires to L.A., there’s a growing consensus that serious climate action means getting citizens to change one very popular habit.

What If Extinction Wasn’t Forever?

6 min read

At the frontier of conservation, scientists are learning how to bring back “functionally extinct” species using cryogenically frozen cells from the past.

San Diego’s Frozen Zoo Is Bringing Species Back from the Brink

7 min read

In what sounds like science fiction, geneticists are using cryogenically frozen animal cells to stop species from going extinct.

A Notorious Invasive Plant Shows Promise in Green Construction

4 min read

Imported from Japan in 1876, kudzu strangles forests and farmland throughout the South. Could it build cities instead?

A Daring Rescue Mission Is Saving Kharkiv’s Bats

6 min read

Ukrainians are risking their lives to shelter a critical species in tunnels, basements and their own homes.

In Ghostly Graveyards, Biodiversity Is Nourishing the Living

5 min read

Few human-inhabited places are as ecologically rich as old churchyards, where nature’s spirits thrive undisturbed for centuries.

The Greening of Coal Country

9 min read

In West Virginia, mining has long been a source of money, identity and pride. Now something new is on the horizon.

To Grow Coral Reefs, Get Them Buzzed

7 min read

Zapped with solar electrical currents, struggling reefs can self-repair with incredible speed — and even grow where none have existed before.

Our Solar Powered Future Is Already China’s Reality

5 min read

No other country’s green transition approaches the scale of China’s, where a world powered by the sun is quickly taking shape.

Urban Residents Are Tracking ‘Indoor Heat Waves’

7 min read

In Harlem, a neighborhood network of sensors — and citizen scientists — are measuring a little-understood risk.

How Kenya Became the World’s Geothermal Powerhouse

5 min read

An effort that began 70 years ago is poised to propel the country to middle-income status on a wave of green energy.

Making a Desk with 10,000 Recycled Chopsticks

4 min read

A German engineer asked restaurants for their used chopsticks — and a sustainable furnishings business was born.

Floating Solar Farms Are a Game Changer

6 min read

A lack of available land is the biggest obstacle to solar power’s expansion — or maybe it isn’t.

The Sky’s the Limit

2 min read

How a last-ditch attempt to save the few remaining California condors became a conservation victory for the ages.

Owners of ‘Small Forests’ Can Now Get Paid to Leave Them Alone

5 min read

The US climate bill helps landowners access the carbon market, where eco-conscious companies reward regular folks for managing their land sustainably.

Inside the ‘Energy Villages’ Powering Germany’s Green Transition

9 min read

“We believe citizens taking responsibility for their own energy supply is the future.”

The Netherlands Is Building an Ark for Its Bees

5 min read

Insect hotels. Rooftop gardens. “Honey highways.” With its National Pollinator Strategy, one country is showing the world how to save pollinators.

Welcome to Our Cool Project

2 min read

A one-week series about surprising ways cities can crank down the temperature.

Greece’s Islands Are Zero-Waste Laboratories

5 min read

Even as mainland Greece struggles to meet its recycling goals, its islands are turning sustainability into a science.

Pakistan’s Mangroves Are a Coastal Conservation Marvel

5 min read

A far-reaching reforestation effort has dramatically turned the tide for a waterborne climate change warrior.

Your Yard Could Be a Wildlife Sanctuary

5 min read

Lawns are America’s biggest irrigated crop. Converting some of them into natural habitats could do wonders for Earth’s biodiversity.

The Tiny Australian Territory That Avoided the Global Energy Crisis

5 min read

Canberra’s commitment to renewables has made it the envy of Australia, as its energy costs stay low while fossil fuel prices soar across the rest of the country.

The Case of the Vanishing Cafeteria Tray

3 min read

Once a staple of communal dining, food trays are disappearing — along with a harmful human impulse.

Is This the World’s Most Eco-Friendly Landfill?

5 min read

Once-endangered Pinzgau goats are among the many animals to flourish on Vienna’s “trash mountain,” which heats roughly one-fifth of the city’s homes.

The Little-Known Tool Protecting California Towns from Polluters

7 min read

Most Californians have never heard of the CalEnviroScreen — even those whose communities it has shielded from ecological disaster.

Nuclear Crocodiles Invade Florida!

6 min read

A nuclear power plant that became a thriving habitat for endangered crocs shows how conservation can work even in the most human-altered environments.

Shifting Winds

2 min read

A new kind of cash crop is turning gusty Iowa into a renewable energy juggernaut — and preserving a rural way of life.

How Sweden Sends Just 1% of Its Trash to Landfills

5 min read

The country incinerates nearly half its garbage to create the energy that powers its homes and buildings.

California’s Floodplains Are Coming Back, and So Are Their Salmon

5 min read

Farmers and ecologists are partnering to restore the state’s natural flooding patterns, allowing native fish to thrive.

Epic Run

2 min read

A Canadian province and an American state sit side by side in the same ecosystem. On one side of the border, salmon are thriving.

Oregon Is Turning Sewage into an Endless Supply of Green Energy

5 min read

Converting poop into heat and electricity offers a tantalizing proposition: more waste equals more clean power.

More Women Than Ever Are Contributing to the IPCC Climate Report

4 min read

Ahead of the release of the next installment, a survey gives insight into the challenges — and importance — of being a woman author for the highly anticipated report.

The Eco-Friendlier Future of the Disposable Spork

5 min read

As cities and countries ban single-use plastics, sustainable alternatives are emerging.

Back from the Brink

5 min read

A Zambian park has reversed the national extinction of a precious and vulnerable species. Soon, it won’t be alone.

A Diet Rich in Probiotics Could Climate-Proof Coral Reefs

5 min read

New research shows that the “gut health” microorganisms can enhance the immune systems of living coral.

A Tall, Cool Glass of Air

5 min read

For drought-stricken places, pulling drinkable water from the atmosphere could become one of the easiest ways to stay hydrated.

France Is Freeing Fruit and Veg from Its Plastic Prison

4 min read

Under a new law, a large portion of the country’s produce will no longer be sold in single-use plastic containers.

Every Battery Is a Treasure Box

4 min read

A tsunami of spent EV batteries is coming, and the effort to recover the valuable materials inside them is already underway.

Amsterdam’s Instant Fix for Getting Rid of Junk Mail

4 min read

By only delivering it to people ask for it, the city is saving thousands of tons of paper per year.

Why Our Staff Is Optimistic about Climate Change

4 min read

As the world’s biggest climate conference comes to a close, we see reasons for hope on the horizon.

How One Woman Protected Millions of Acres

8 min read

Kristine Tompkins has conserved more land than any other single individual, calling it “capitalist jiujitsu” for the planet.

‘Green Infrastructure’ for Clean Water Proves Itself in Washington D.C.

7 min read

The U.S. capital is tackling a sewer overflow problem with a softer solution.

How to Turn a Desert into a Forest

6 min read

A group of “holistic engineers” wants to return the arid Sinai peninsula to the lush, green landscape it once was.

‘Eco-Score’ Labels Make Shopping More Sustainable

4 min read

A simple letter-grading system in the U.K. has led to a significant shift towards ecologically greener foods.

‘Community Ownership’ Might Be the Best Way to Fight Deforestation

6 min read

When forests are managed by the people who live in them, conservation tends to follow.

The Climate-Friendly Refrigerators of Decades Past

14 min read

As the U.S. phases out hydrofluorocarbons, the next generation of fridges is adopting low-emissions technology that’s nearly a century old.

How America Is Winning the War on Overfishing

6 min read

Though overfishing remains a global problem, a science-driven approach has led to surprisingly sustainable practices in some countries, including the U.S.

You May Already Be Wearing the World’s Most Sustainable Jeans

5 min read

A family-owned Italian denim manufacturer is turning one of fashion’s most toxic staples green, one global brand at a time.

Can We Suck Up Enough CO2 to Cool the Planet?

6 min read

As we speak, giant machines are removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in an urgent attempt to slam the brakes on climate change.

Meet the World’s First Carbon-Neutral Soccer Club

5 min read

An all-vegan stadium. A field fertilized with seaweed. How the owner of the sport’s most sustainable team is cultivating “a new kind of soccer fan.”

Returning 600,000 Acres to Nature, One Piece at a Time

4 min read

As homeowners, churches and even railway operators “rewild” their land, biodiversity is flocking back to England’s East Anglia region.

France’s ‘Peevolution’ Is Irrigating Farms With Liquid Gold

4 min read

A century ago, Paris recycled half of its urine. Today, it’s being used as a high-grade fertilizer once again.

Cleaning Up Rivers Is Saving the Oceans

5 min read

When an architecture student’s dazzling ocean cleanup concept fizzled, she started thinking smaller — and tackled the problem at the source.

When Oil Spills Strike, Call in the Hair Force

5 min read

Human hair is becoming a major player in ocean cleanups as a free, highly effective resource that never runs out.

Ancient Farming Techniques Are Climate-Proofing Today’s Agriculture

3 min read

In the Bolivian Andes, the low-water growing practices used by Mayans and Aztecs are making a comeback.

For a Clean Ocean, Just Add Oysters

4 min read

From picturesque Mediterranean isles to New York’s bustling harbor, strategically placed oyster colonies are depolluting the sea with ease.

Beirut Is Greening the Aftermath of Disaster

6 min read

One year ago an explosion decimated Beirut. Today, the city is picking up the pieces — and using them to rebuild.

Our Hydrogen-Powered Future Is Unfolding at the Edge of the World

4 min read

On an island community in the seas north of Scotland, the last frontier in green energy is being realized.

French Cuisine Has Gone Off the Grid

4 min read

As other businesses go green, food service remains an energy-intensive outlier. Europe’s first solar-powered restaurant wants to change the recipe.

This Is the First Ecosystem With Its Own Insurance Policy

7 min read

A 100-mile stretch of coral reef in Mexico is now insured just like any other valuable asset. Is this the future of conservation?

World’s Largest Seagrass Project Proves “You Can Actually Restore the Oceans”

4 min read

A “game changing” 20-year effort suggests that even severely depleted marine ecosystems can be brought back to life.

Louisiana’s Coastal Communities Are Solving Their Own Flooding Crisis

5 min read

What happens when you let the people most threatened by sea-level rise decide what to do about it?

“Community Choice” Is Getting Renewable Energy to Millions

6 min read

A novel system gives consumers a green alternative to what their utility companies offer.

Inside the Movement to Clean Up the World’s Most Toxic Sites

5 min read

A sprawling initiative identifies pollution hotspots so the communities affected by them can act.

Tree-Free Paper Is Saving Forests and Farmers in Washington State

5 min read

Creating paper from wheat waste gives forests a break — and harvesters a new revenue stream.

Where £100 Can Make You a Solar Entrepreneur

5 min read

In Bath, England, even the smallest investors can support – and profit from – the city’s green energy boom.

Wales’s “One Planet” Policy Is Transforming Rural Life

6 min read

By allocating residents their “global fair share” of resources, the government is making development in pristine environments sustainable.

The Island Where Everyone Owns the Wind

6 min read

On carbon-negative Samsø Island, renewable energy is collectively owned — which means that the greener the island gets, the more everyone benefits.

London Is “Rewilding” and Native Species Are Flocking In

5 min read

The British capital is resurrecting its long lost natural habitats to foster biodiversity.

A System for Sharing Household Heat Is Growing Beneath France

4 min read

Green energy is generated at a central location, then shuttled through underground pipes to homes in suburban Paris.

What if Climate Change Isn’t as Polarizing as We Think?

< 1

It benefits politicians to portray the issue as deeply divisive, but most voters don’t see it that way.

How Loggers Helped Environmentalists Save a Spectacular Canadian Rainforest

< 1

Spanning 16 million acres of wild Pacific coast, the Great Bear Rainforest is a magical place. The partnership that saved it is just as unique.

The Italian Fishermen Who Brought the Sea Back to Life

6 min read

When overfishing decimated Puglia’s biodiversity, conservationists and fishermen created a marine reserve that turned their catches around.

The New Solar Farm Is a Real Farm, Too

4 min read

The next generation of solar arrays benefits the earth — right beneath them.

Tasmania’s ‘Super-Kelp’ Is Making CO2 Vanish into the Ocean

7 min read

These towering seaweed forests are amazing climate change fighters. Now scientists are stepping in to make them even stronger.

The Renegade Winter Gardener of Austria

6 min read

When his lettuce survived an early frost, Wolfgang Palme realized he’d discovered how to grow vegetables all winter long. Now he wants you to do it too.

Europe Is Going Coal-Free

5 min read

By the end of this decade, the world’s dirtiest source of energy will have vanished from over a dozen European countries.

Can We All Be Like Texas?

4 min read

How a conservative, oil-pumping state became one of the world’s biggest generators of wind power.

This ‘Carbon-Negative’ Burger Is Fighting Climate Change

6 min read

As fake meat floods the market, some fast-food joints are insisting that their ultra-sustainably raised beef is better for the planet.

Abandoned Coal Plants Are a Huge Opportunity

6 min read

They’re cavernous, solidly built and often on prime urban land. Now, they’re being reborn as everything from charter schools to solar farms.

The No-Waste Goal That Succeeded by Failing

6 min read

Years ago, the Japanese village of Kamikatsu set the goal of producing zero waste by 2020. They’re not going to make it—and that’s just fine with them.

Mitigating Climate Change: The Game!

4 min read

Nothing says family fun during the holidays like a good ol’ game night. This season, here’s a game future generations might appreciate too.

Power Struggle

8 min read

In the haze of the California wildfires, a Native American tribe’s independent electricity grid saved the day. Is a new model for energy in America rising from the ashes? 

Ban the Bag!

5 min read

Those ubiquitous flimsy shopping sacks are vanishing from country after country, leaving less plastic in our seas, our trees and our own digestive systems.

Trees Are Healing Our Planet

5 min read

A recent study found that new forests might be our best shot at saving the world. A global guide to doing it right.

What Baltimore Gets Right about Urban Trees

3 min read

While other cities plant trees, Baltimore has focused on monitoring and maintaining the ones it already has—and is one of the few cities whose urban forest is expanding.

Let Them Eat Larvae

6 min read

Farmers are feeding their livestock the larvae of black soldier flies—an abundant, sustainable snack that’s quietly greening the industry, one maggot at a time.

The Necessity of Nuclear

3 min read

After reading David Byrne’s article suggesting that nuclear power is too risky to be a part of our green energy evolution, I had a few thoughts to share.

Can Lawsuits Save Planet Earth?

5 min read

These days, the litigators hauling climate change scoundrels into court are doing more than any politician to keep our environment healthy and livable.

Divest!

3 min read

More and more institutions and even whole countries are ending their investments in fossil fuels. This is happening. Money talks.

When Politics Fails, Call the Lawyers

6 min read

It was legal teams—not politicians—that ultimately held the tobacco industry to account. Their next target? Perpetrators of climate change.

Interactive: 30 Years of Suing the Bastards

< 1

Early lawsuits like the Exxon Valdez settlement paved the way for the cases now holding climate changers to account. See our timeline of the eco-litigation evolution.

My bookmarks