Since plastic began to be mass-produced in the 1950s, the material has been building up in the environment and in people’s bodies. These six graphs illustrate just how bad the problem has gotten, and why delegates from more than 170 countries have committed to negotiating a global, legally binding treaty...
Energy projects across the country are in limbo after Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
When President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, he was in many ways delivering on a campaign promise: gutting the country’s signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA. The new budget law delivers deep cuts for programs like renewable energy, tree-planting, and...
As California burns, new research shows smoke is wildfire’s silent killer
Air quality alerts went into effect in 11 states this week, as wildfire smoke from Canada as well as Central California’s Gifford Fire — which has burned nearly 100,000 acres and is just 15 percent contained — spread across the United States. As the planet warms, such blazes are burning...
Food banks have long prevented emissions. Now they’re getting into the carbon credit business.
Eight to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food wasted somewhere along its journey from farm to table. When that organic waste ends up in a landfill, it emits methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, as it slowly decomposes. Food banks can help prevent food waste from occurring...
After Texas’ catastrophic floods, families face a daunting question: Rebuild or let go?
Brian Keeper doesn’t remember exactly when his family began spending holidays in Hunt, Texas, an unincorporated town on the banks of the Guadalupe River where they’d camp, swim, and fish. Sometimes they caught so many perch, bass, and catfish that it felt like his mother had the grill going all...
Who’s who at the plastics treaty talks, from delegates to lobbyists
As delegates from around the world have negotiated a global plastics treaty over five sessions since 2022, alliances have emerged among nations, across civil society, and throughout the private sector. Some countries have banded together in support of an “ambitious” agreement that prioritizes reducing plastic production; others have stood firm...
The unlikely coalition fighting to keep Energy Star labels on your appliances
When the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to eliminate the Energy Star program became public, pushback from environmental groups was expected. The government-funded labeling system helps consumers identify energy-efficient products and practices, saving them $40 billion annually in energy costs. Since its founding in 1992, Energy Star has helped avoid at least...
Groundwater is drying out, heating up, and causing sea level rise
The Verde River is one of the last free-flowing rivers in Arizona, winding through what’s known as the Verde Valley before feeding into the Salt River. Agriculturally, the valley is relatively fertile, supporting crops like sweet corn, alfalfa, peaches, and pecans, as well as a small wine industry. Recently, though,...
A new report shows how local climate activism leads to ‘remarkable’ gains
What do an offshore wind farm in New York, a campaign to install 275,000 heat pumps in Maine, and the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline have in common? They were all the result of “community-based strategies” with involvement or leadership from local grassroots groups. Advocates say this is a...
Here’s what to watch for at this month’s global plastics treaty talks
Negotiators from more than 170 countries are arriving in Geneva, Switzerland, this week to resume discussions over the United Nations plastics treaty, eight months after they missed their original deadline for finalizing the pact. Many delegates, advocacy groups, and U.N. officials are hopeful that the 10-day session, which kicks off...