Yale E360 https://e360.yale.edu/ Yale Environment 360 is an online magazine offering opinion, analysis, reporting, and debate on global environmental issues. en-us Zambia Under Pressure to Clean Up Shuttered Lead Mine Poisoning Town https://e360.yale.edu/digest/zambia-kabwe-mine Three decades after one of the largest lead mines in the world closed down, people in Kabwe, Zambia, are still dealing with the aftermath. Facing pervasive lead contamination that continues to endanger their children, families in Kabwe, with a coalition of human rights groups, are calling on the African Union to force Zambia to clean up the site.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-17T09:10:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/zambia-kabwe-mine Rusting Rivers: Alarm Grows Over Uptick in Acidic Arctic Waters https://e360.yale.edu/features/rusting-rivers Climate change has thawed permafrost and increased rainfall in the Far North, producing sulfuric acid that is turning rivers and lakes yellow or rusty orange. Scientists are scrambling to parse the impacts on wildlife, fish, and the drinking water of Indigenous communities.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-16T04:45:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/rusting-rivers Israeli Strikes Have Decimated Farmland in Southern Lebanon https://e360.yale.edu/digest/lebanon-war-farmland Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have devastated orchards and fields. Lebanese officials say that one-fifth of the country's farmland has been damaged in the course of the war.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-15T06:18:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/lebanon-war-farmland In a First for the U.S., Renewables Generate More Power Than Natural Gas https://e360.yale.edu/digest/us-renewables-natural-gas-coal In a first last month, renewables supplied more power to the U.S. than natural gas, a milestone in the shift to clean energy. However, rising power demand is complicating the transition away from fossil fuels by extending the lives of many aging coal power plants.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-14T08:37:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/us-renewables-natural-gas-coal One in Five Gray Whales Entering San Francisco Bay Die There https://e360.yale.edu/digest/san-francisco-gray-whales As oceans warm and whale prey become increasingly scarce, gray whales have begun venturing into San Francisco Bay in search of food. But nearly one in five gray whales who enter the bay die there, many of them killed by passing boats, new research shows.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-13T08:59:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/san-francisco-gray-whales The Global Wildlife Trade Is Fueling the Spread of Viruses https://e360.yale.edu/digest/wildlife-trade-disease Scientists have long known that deadly diseases, from HIV to SARS to Ebola, can begin in animals and spill over to people. But a new study is the first to quantify the risks from the global trade in wildlife, finding that nearly half of traded mammals share at least one pathogen with humans.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-10T09:35:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/wildlife-trade-disease A More Troubling Picture of Sea Level Rise Is Coming into View https://e360.yale.edu/features/sea-level-rise-land-subsidence Scientists have uncovered a "blind spot" in the research on rising seas, revealing that tens of millions of people thought safe from coastal flooding are at risk of inundation. Across much of the world, sea levels are higher than previously assumed and land is sinking faster.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-09T05:19:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/sea-level-rise-land-subsidence A Shift to EVs Would Lower the Price of Gasoline, Study Finds https://e360.yale.edu/digest/evs-gas-study A broad shift to electric vehicles would benefit drivers of gas-powered cars by lowering the price of fuel. That is the finding of a new study, which comes as the war in Iran rattles energy markets, making oil more expensive.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-08T09:35:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/evs-gas-study Google to Use Natural Gas to Power Massive Data Center in Texas https://e360.yale.edu/digest/google-natural-gas-data-center

A planned gas-fired power plant at a Google data center in Texas would generate up to 4.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, more than the city of San Francisco.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-07T09:27:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/google-natural-gas-data-center U.S. Biofuels Target Could Fuel Destruction of Tropical Rainforest https://e360.yale.edu/digest/biofuel-diesel-deforestation

The U.S. doesn’t produce enough vegetable oil to meet a new biofuels mandate, so suppliers will have to ramp up imports, putting pressure on tropical forests overseas, which may be cleared to grow oil crops.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-03T03:00:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/biofuel-diesel-deforestation Why Protecting Flowering Plants Is Crucial to Our Future https://e360.yale.edu/features/david-george-haskell-flowers-interview In his latest book, biologist David George Haskell describes flowering plants as “world creators.” In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he explains how they spurred the evolution of new ecosystems and what flowering plants can teach us about survival on a warming planet.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-02T11:56:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/david-george-haskell-flowers-interview Trying Times: Keeping the Faith as Environmental Gains Are Lost https://e360.yale.edu/features/trying-times-essay For people who came of age in the 1970s, it is especially painful to witness the Trump administration’s relentless rollback of hard-won environmental progress. But as the assaults on clean air and water, endangered species, and more mount, a noted ecologist finds reasons for hope.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-02T04:36:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/trying-times-essay Dozens of New Species Discovered In Deep Waters Off Australia https://e360.yale.edu/digest/coral-sea-new-species Scientists have identified more than 110 new species discovered deep underwater beyond the edges of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-04-01T09:44:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/coral-sea-new-species Indonesian Mega-Farm Drives Surge in Deforestation https://e360.yale.edu/digest/indonesia-mega-farm-deforestation-2025 Indonesia saw the loss of forest hit its highest level in eight years last year, a jump driven in part by a sprawling effort to turn rainforest into rice and sugarcane plantations.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-31T09:58:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/indonesia-mega-farm-deforestation-2025 Even a Few Scattered Trees on Farmland Can Be a Boon for Wildlife https://e360.yale.edu/digest/forest-fragments New research finds that planting even a few trees on farms can give a big boost to forest wildlife.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-30T15:00:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/forest-fragments Experts Failing to Account for Ripple Effects from Extreme Weather, Paper Warns https://e360.yale.edu/digest/casading-impacts-extreme-weather A drought in Russia led to riots in Egypt. Fires in Canada fueled deadly pollution in Spain. Extreme weather can have knock-on effects in faraway places that are not well understood and rarely accounted for in planning, a new paper warns.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-27T04:05:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/casading-impacts-extreme-weather As It Boosts Renewables, China Still Can't Break Its Coal Addiction https://e360.yale.edu/features/china-coal-five-year-plan Despite being a renewables superpower, China continues to permit and build new coal-fired power plants at a rapid pace. Analysts say the nation’s new five-year plan will ensure further coal plant expansion and jeopardize China’s ability to deliver on its climate promises.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-26T07:16:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/china-coal-five-year-plan European Stoves Leaking Cancer-Causing Benzene https://e360.yale.edu/digest/europe-stoves-benzene Benzene, a compound linked with leukemia and other blood cancers, is leaking from gas stoves in Europe, a new study finds. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-25T06:09:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/europe-stoves-benzene World's Freshwater Fish in Crisis, U.N. Report Finds https://e360.yale.edu/digest/migratory-freshwater-fish Over the last half century, populations of migratory freshwater fish have dropped by 81 percent, according to a stark new U.N. report. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-24T06:53:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/migratory-freshwater-fish Can America’s Wolves Survive an Onslaught of Political Attacks? https://e360.yale.edu/features/wolves-endangered-species-act Gray wolves made an uneasy comeback in the Northern Rockies and are struggling to return to the Southwest. But legislation now working its way through Congress is being spurred by misinformation and myth, rather than science, and threatens to end wolf recovery in the U.S.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-23T06:37:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/wolves-endangered-species-act In Mexican Forests, Monarch Butterflies Halt Their Decline https://e360.yale.edu/digest/monarch-butterfly-recovery

In the forests of central Mexico, the number of monarch butterflies grew for the second year in a row, suggesting the population has stabilized after years of decline. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-20T07:09:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/monarch-butterfly-recovery As Zambia Pushes New Mining, a Legacy of Pollution Looms https://e360.yale.edu/features/zambia-lead-zinc-copper-mines Zambia is expanding development of its rich deposits of critical minerals, which are needed for the global shift to renewables. But poisoning from past mining and a huge toxic spill at a mine site are raising fears that new wealth will come at a high cost for people and the environment.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-19T05:47:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/zambia-lead-zinc-copper-mines Citing Conservation, Tanzania Pushes Ahead on Evictions of Indigenous Maasai https://e360.yale.edu/digest/tanzania-maasai-evictions Five years ago, Tanzanian authorities set out to push the Indigenous Maasai off their ancestral lands in the famed Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Despite global outcry over the forced removals, this month two presidential commissions called for the evictions to continue, citing the need to protect wildlife.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-18T09:07:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/tanzania-maasai-evictions The Quiet Pennsylvania Town Facing a Data Center Boom https://e360.yale.edu/digest/archbald-data-centers Archbald, Pennsylvania, a borough of fewer than 8,000 people, may soon be home to five massive data centers that, when completed, would rank among the largest now in the world. While residents are worried that data centers will strain the electric grid and drive up power bills, officials are clearing the way for these projects, which are a potentially lucrative source of tax revenue.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-17T11:15:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/archbald-data-centers As Iran War Drives up Gas Prices, Interest in EVs Grows https://e360.yale.edu/digest/iran-war-gas-prices Since President Trump launched the latest bombing campaign against Iran, the price of a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. has climbed by 20 percent. The spike in fuel costs has reportedly driven a surge in interest in electric cars.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-16T09:53:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/iran-war-gas-prices Medieval Farms Were a Boon for Biodiversity, Research Finds https://e360.yale.edu/digest/lake-constance-farming-biodiversity In parts of Europe, the diversity of plants was greatest in the years before the Black Death, at a time when small farms and pastures existed alongside grasslands and forests, new research reveals. The findings show how, under the right conditions, farms can be a boon to nature.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-13T09:22:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/lake-constance-farming-biodiversity Long Overlooked as Crucial to Life, Fungi Start to Get Their Due https://e360.yale.edu/features/fungi-kingdom Fungi create soil, sequester vast amounts of carbon, and contribute $55 trillion to the global economy, but knowledge about them is scarce. Now, mycologists are pushing to get the international scientific community to recognize fungi on the same level as plants and animals.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-12T06:20:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/fungi-kingdom Global News Coverage of Climate Change Falls for Fourth Straight Year https://e360.yale.edu/digest/climate-news-coverage Global news coverage of climate change declined for the fourth straight year in 2025, even as emissions hit new highs, according to a new analysis.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-11T09:07:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/climate-news-coverage War Brings Black Rain to a Parched Iran https://e360.yale.edu/digest/iran-war-black-rain-water As U.S. and Israeli forces pummel Iran, oil installations and a desalination plant have come under fire. Experts warn that attacks on key infrastructure threaten the supply of fresh water in a country already coping with a brutal drought.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-10T10:20:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/iran-war-black-rain-water Global Warming Is Accelerating, Study Shows https://e360.yale.edu/digest/warming-gaining-pace The Earth is warming at the fastest rate on record as emissions hit new highs and critical carbon sinks break down.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-09T11:01:00-04:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/warming-gaining-pace Among Young Climate Scientists, a Growing Interest In Geoengineering https://e360.yale.edu/digest/young-climate-scientists-geoengineering Fed up with a lack of action on climate change, some students are researching dimming the sun despite the pushback from other scientists.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-06T03:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/young-climate-scientists-geoengineering Species Slowdown: Is Nature’s Ability to Self-Repair Stalling? https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecosystem-turnover-slowdown When scientists recently analyzed hundreds of studies of ecosystems, they were surprised to see a marked slowing in the rate of species turnover. If new species don’t replace old ones, they say, ecosystems may have less flexibility to respond to habitat loss and climate change.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-05T05:54:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecosystem-turnover-slowdown Record Number of Objects Launched Into Space Last Year https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-satellite-launches Humans launched a record number of objects into space last year, from satellites to probes to crewed spacecraft. As launches increase, scientists see new risks in the growing number of satellites amassing over the planet. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-04T09:47:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-satellite-launches Beyond ‘Endangerment’: Finding a Way Forward for U.S. on Climate https://e360.yale.edu/features/endangerment-finding Environmentalists are challenging the EPA’s repeal of the “endangerment finding,” which empowered it to regulate greenhouse gases. Whether or not the action holds up in court, now is the time to develop climate strategies that can be pursued when the political balance shifts.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-03T05:02:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/endangerment-finding China's Fossil Fuel Emissions Dropped Last Year as Solar Boomed https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-emissions-2025 In China, the world's leading carbon emitter, a massive buildout of solar power is beginning to push coal into decline. Last year China saw its fossil fuel emissions drop, even as demand for energy rose. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-03-02T05:45:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-emissions-2025 Older Humpbacks Prove Better at Wooing Mates https://e360.yale.edu/digest/older-humpback-whales-singing-mating As humpback whale populations recover, researchers are gaining a richer understanding of these wondrous creatures. A new study suggests it may take years for humpbacks to learn how to successfully serenade a mate.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-27T11:03:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/older-humpback-whales-singing-mating The E.U.’s Burgeoning Repair Movement Is Set to Get a Boost https://e360.yale.edu/features/europe-repair-cafes Europe’s new Right to Repair Directive will make it easier — and cheaper — for consumers to get their household goods fixed, rather than buy something new. Part of the E.U.’s Green Deal, the plan is expected to slash waste, promote recycling, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-26T00:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/europe-repair-cafes A.I. Weather Models Fell Short in Predicting Northeastern Blizzard https://e360.yale.edu/digest/ai-weather-forecast-northeast-blizzard While artificial intelligence has ushered in a new era of more accurate weather forecasting, A.I. models may still struggle to predict freak storms. This week a historic blizzard blanketed the Northeast in snow, dumping more than 2 feet on parts of New York and Massachusetts, and a conventional weather model outperformed A.I. models in accurately predicting the storm.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-25T08:58:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/ai-weather-forecast-northeast-blizzard Warming Raises the Risk That Multiple Wildfires Strike at Once https://e360.yale.edu/digest/simultaneous-wildfires-climate The extreme heat, high winds, and severe dry conditions that produce towering, fast-moving flames that advance by the acre are not just becoming more common; new research shows that these factors are increasingly arising in multiple regions at the same time, creating the conditions for simultaneous wildfires around the world.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-23T03:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/simultaneous-wildfires-climate A High-Stakes Lawsuit Against a French Oil Giant Is Closely Watched in Africa https://e360.yale.edu/digest/french-total-lawsuit-eacop Hearings began Thursday in the first major climate suit of a multinational oil company in France. Judges will decide if oil giant TotalEnergies must curb its production of fossil fuels to keep its emissions in check. Among those following the case are African campaigners now rallying against a controversial pipeline backed by the oil giant.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-20T03:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/french-total-lawsuit-eacop Baboon Raiders: In Cape Town, Can Big Primates and People Coexist? https://e360.yale.edu/features/cape-town-baboons For years, baboons have roamed Cape Town suburbs, entering yards and houses in search of food. Now officials have a conservation plan aimed at reducing conflicts between the large primates and people — but like most things baboon-related here, it is sparking heated controversy.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-19T08:24:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/cape-town-baboons Brazilian Amazon on Track for Record Low Deforestation https://e360.yale.edu/digest/amazon-record-low-deforestation The Brazilian Amazon is on pace to see forest clearing hit a record low this year, government figures show. Officials credit the decline to stepped-up enforcement against illegal deforestation.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-18T09:21:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/amazon-record-low-deforestation Even in Antarctica, Insects Are Eating Microplastics https://e360.yale.edu/digest/antarctic-midges-microplastics Microscopic particles of plastic have been found across the Earth, from the clouds over Mount Fuji to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Now, scientists have found microplastics in the bellies of Antarctic midges, the only insects found exclusively in Antarctica.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-17T07:12:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/antarctic-midges-microplastics Despite Rollbacks, U.S. Fossil Fuels Face Tough Road Ahead https://e360.yale.edu/digest/endangerment-coal-oil-demand Last week, the Trump administration declared the federal government has no legal authority to regulate greenhouse gases, its latest move aimed at weakening regulations and boosting fossil fuels. And yet, analysts continue to see waning fortunes for miners and drillers.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-16T07:01:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/endangerment-coal-oil-demand Warming Tripled the Odds of Patagonia Wildfires https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2026-patagonia-wildfires-climate The climate crisis inflamed wildfires that left 23 people dead in Chile and devastated forests in Argentina that host some of the world’s oldest trees, scientists have found.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-13T03:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2026-patagonia-wildfires-climate As Renewables Take Center Stage in China, Coal Is Moving Into a Supporting Role https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-coal-backup-power In China, the rapid buildout of wind and solar power is pushing coal into decline. China is now upgrading its vast fleet of coal plants to serve as a complement to wind and solar, rather than as a source of baseload power. Analysts say the country is on track to retrofit almost every coal plant by the end of next year.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-12T08:10:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-coal-backup-power Scientists See Growing Risk of 'Hothouse Earth' as Warming Gains Pace https://e360.yale.edu/digest/hothouse-earth-study Warming is accelerating, threatening a cascade of tipping points that destabilize the climate. In a new paper, scientists say the risk of "hothouse Earth" is greater than once believed.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-11T11:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/hothouse-earth-study How Ukraine Is Turning to Renewables to Keep Heat and Lights On https://e360.yale.edu/features/ukraine-war-renewable-energy Russia continues to bomb Ukraine’s fossil-fueled power plants, leaving much of the nation shivering during a brutal winter. But Ukraine’s new emphasis on developing decentralized power — from solar panels to wind turbines — is advancing an unexpected green energy transition.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-10T00:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/ukraine-war-renewable-energy Wolf Found in Los Angeles for the First Time in a Century https://e360.yale.edu/digest/wolf-los-angeles For the first time in at least a century, a gray wolf has been found in Los Angeles County. Its arrival is a milestone in the return of the long-embattled predator.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-09T10:28:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/wolf-los-angeles Seas to Rise Around the World — but Not in Greenland https://e360.yale.edu/digest/greenland-sea-levels-fall As the planet warms, seas will rise around the world — but not in Greenland, where they are projected to fall by several feet, according to a new study.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-06T08:53:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/greenland-sea-levels-fall U.S. Push for Greenland’s Minerals Faces Harsh Arctic Realities https://e360.yale.edu/features/greenland-critical-minerals President Trump has made access to Greenland’s vast reserves of critical minerals a focus of ongoing negotiations. But experts say the U.S. is underestimating the difficulties of mining in a rapidly changing Arctic region that is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-04T13:37:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/greenland-critical-minerals As the Arctic Gets Louder, Narwhals Are Going Quiet https://e360.yale.edu/digest/narwhals-noise-climate-change In a warming Arctic, noise from growing shipping traffic is interfering with the ability of narwhals to hunt and communicate.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-04T09:23:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/narwhals-noise-climate-change China to See Solar Capacity Outstrip Coal Capacity This Year https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-solar-coal-2026 This year China will see its solar capacity outstrip its coal capacity for the first time, according to an industry group.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-03T07:07:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-solar-coal-2026 India Says Its Grasslands Are 'Wastelands.' Medieval Folklore Suggests Otherwise https://e360.yale.edu/digest/india-grasslands-poems-songs-stories The sprawling grasslands of western India are, in the popular imagination, the remains of woodlands that were leveled under British rule — areas to be reforested, rather than conserved. But a recent analysis of stories, songs, and poems from centuries past reveals that western grasslands predate British colonization.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-02-02T10:16:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/india-grasslands-poems-songs-stories Mojave Solar Farm a Haven for Rare Desert Plant https://e360.yale.edu/digest/desert-solar-farms-rare-plants A rare desert plant is flourishing at a solar farm near Las Vegas, new research finds. The study is the latest to show how, under the right circumstances, solar arrays can be a boon to nature.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-30T06:20:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/desert-solar-farms-rare-plants Polar Bears Are Thriving on This Arctic Island, Even as Sea Ice Dwindles https://e360.yale.edu/digest/svalbard-polar-bears-warming In parts of the Arctic, polar bears are in decline as sea ice, which they depend on to hunt, disappears. That is not the case, however, on the Norwegian island of Svalbard, where bears have actually managed to grow more plump even as ice melts away.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-29T11:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/svalbard-polar-bears-warming Overshoot: The World Is Hitting Point of No Return on Climate https://e360.yale.edu/features/1.5-degrees-tipping-points With warming set to pass the critical 1.5-degree limit, scientists are warning that the world is on course to trigger tipping points that would lead to cascading consequences — from the melting of ice sheets to the death of the Amazon rainforest — that could not be reversed.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-28T06:38:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/1.5-degrees-tipping-points Europe to Ramp Up Offshore Wind in Push for Energy Independence https://e360.yale.edu/digest/europe-north-sea-offshore-wind A group of European leaders pledged Monday to build 100 gigawatts of offshore wind, enough to power more than 50 million homes. As Europe faces a hostile Russia and an increasingly bellicose U.S., experts see deepening risks in its reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-27T05:34:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/europe-north-sea-offshore-wind Global Investment in Clean Tech Hit a New High Last Year https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-clean-energy-investment Global investment in clean tech reached a record-high $2.3 trillion last year, according to an analysis. Investment grew even in the U.S., despite a sweeping rollback of government support for clean energy.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-26T09:24:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-clean-energy-investment As L.A. Fires Receded, Indoor Air Pollution Grew, Study Finds https://e360.yale.edu/digest/la-wildfires-indoor-pollution Even after the disastrous L.A. wildfires abated last year, the danger from smoke persisted for many people living nearby. A new study finds that, by some measures, indoor air pollution actually worsened after the fires.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-23T11:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/la-wildfires-indoor-pollution Europe Now Generates More Power from Wind and Solar Than From Fossil Fuels https://e360.yale.edu/digest/europe-wind-solar-fossil-fuels Last year, for the first time, wind and solar supplied more power than fossil fuels to the E.U., according to a new analysis.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-22T08:50:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/europe-wind-solar-fossil-fuels In Hunt for Rare Earths, Companies Are Scouring Mining Waste https://e360.yale.edu/features/mining-waste-rare-earth-minerals Tailings and acid mine drainage from mines contain critical minerals needed for clean energy technologies. Now, researchers are developing new techniques for retrieving these key metals, which could reduce the need for new mines and help clean up pollution at old mining sites.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-21T08:37:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/mining-waste-rare-earth-minerals Much of the World Facing 'Water Bankruptcy,' U.N. Report Warns https://e360.yale.edu/digest/water-bankruptcy-report Around the world, people are drawing down reserves of fresh water faster than they can be replenished. The heedless consumption of water, combined with worsening drought globally, has ushered in an era of "water bankruptcy," according to a dire new U.N. report.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-20T13:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/water-bankruptcy-report Urban Greenery Is Making Some Cities Hotter, Study Finds https://e360.yale.edu/digest/urban-greenery-heat As urban planners look to expand green spaces to help cool cities, a new study finds that, in arid regions, grassy areas can actually have a warming effect.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-19T11:47:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/urban-greenery-heat A.I. Is Keeping Aging Coal Plants Online https://e360.yale.edu/digest/ai-coal-nuclear Energy-hungry data centers have been a lifeline for ailing U.S. coal plants, analysts say.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-15T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/ai-coal-nuclear A Boom in Gas Exports Is Pushing Up U.S. Energy Bills https://e360.yale.edu/digest/lng-exports-costs Greater exports of natural gas have played a significant role in rising U.S. utility bills, an analysis of federal data found.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-14T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/lng-exports-costs Photos Capture the Breathtaking Scale of China's Wind and Solar Buildout https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-renewable-photo-essay Last year China installed more than half of all wind and solar added globally. In May alone, it added enough renewable energy to power Poland, installing solar panels at a rate of roughly 100 every second.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-13T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-renewable-photo-essay Sea Star Murder Mystery: What’s Killing a Key Ocean Species? https://e360.yale.edu/features/sea-star-wasting-disease Billions of sea stars, victims of a deadly wasting illness, have perished over the last decade, imperiling marine ecosystems and spurring a global hunt for a biological or environmental culprit. Recently, researchers identified a likely suspect, but the case is far from closed.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-12T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/sea-star-wasting-disease Our Changing Planet, as Seen From Space https://e360.yale.edu/digest/nasa-satellite-images-2025 Humans are altering the planet on an unthinkable scale, both by converting vast tracts of wilderness into farms and cities and by pouring huge volumes of heat-trapping gas into the atmosphere. The impact of these enormous changes can be seen from space.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-08T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/nasa-satellite-images-2025 For Some Americans, Gas Stoves Are a Big Source of Toxic Pollution https://e360.yale.edu/digest/gas-stoves-nitrogen-dioxide A common kitchen appliance plays an outsized role in exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a toxic air pollutant.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-07T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/gas-stoves-nitrogen-dioxide Plagued by Flooding, an African City Reengineers Its Wetlands https://e360.yale.edu/features/kigali-rwanda-wetland-restoration As climate change and urbanization intensify flooding in Rwanda, the capital of Kigali has embraced nature-based solutions. The city is restoring and reshaping 18,000 acres of degraded wetlands, planting native species to filter and slow runoff, and enhancing biodiversity.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-06T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/kigali-rwanda-wetland-restoration A Year of Clean Energy Milestones https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-energy-review Even as the Trump administration rolled back support for renewable energy in the U.S., wind, solar, and electric vehicles made huge strides globally in 2025. For the first time, wind and solar supplied more power than coal worldwide, while plug-in vehicles accounted for more than a quarter of new car sales.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-05T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-energy-review Alaska Wolf Found With Record Amount of Mercury, a Sign of Growing Contamination https://e360.yale.edu/digest/alaska-mercury-wildlife When Alaska’s wolves began eating sea otters, it looked like a story of adaptation. Then they started getting sick.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2026-01-02T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/alaska-mercury-wildlife 2025 Was Another Exceptionally Hot Year https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-second-hottest-year This year will conclude as the second hottest on record, surpassed only by 2024. It continues a recent trend of exceptional, unexplained warming. The last three years have been, by a wide margin, the hottest ever recorded.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-30T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-second-hottest-year Sea Ice Hits New Low in Hottest Year on Record for the Arctic https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-arctic-report-card The Arctic endured a year of record heat and shrunken sea ice as the world’s northern latitudes continue a rapid shift to becoming rainier and less ice-bound due to the climate crisis, scientists have reported.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-29T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/2025-arctic-report-card As U.S. Pulls Support for Clean Tech, Manufacturing Takes a Hit https://e360.yale.edu/digest/u.s.-clean-tech-manufacturing-2025 This year saw U.S. clean tech companies abandon dozens of manufacturing projects as the Trump administration slashed support for renewable energy.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-26T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/u.s.-clean-tech-manufacturing-2025 Britain Just Had Its Sunniest Year on Record https://e360.yale.edu/digest/u.k.-sunniest-year This year will conclude as the sunniest on record for the U.K., weather officials say.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-23T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/u.k.-sunniest-year Drought Is Fueling an Air Pollution Crisis in Iran https://e360.yale.edu/digest/iran-drought-air-quality Iran is being choked by deadly air pollution, another consequence of one of the worst droughts in decades.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-22T01:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/iran-drought-air-quality After Ruining a Treasured Water Resource, Iran Is Drying Up https://e360.yale.edu/features/iran-water-drought-dams-qanats Iran is looking to relocate the nation’s capital because of severe water shortages that make Tehran unsustainable. Experts say the crisis was caused by years of ill-conceived dam projects and overpumping that destroyed a centuries-old system for tapping underground reserves. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-18T04:40:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/iran-water-drought-dams-qanats Warming Responsible for Two-Thirds of Emissions from Western Wildfires https://e360.yale.edu/digest/warming-western-fire-emissions Warming is fueling ever larger wildfires in the U.S. West, which are becoming a major source of pollution. A new study finds that warming is to blame for nearly half of particulate pollution and two-thirds of emissions unleashed by western wildfires.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-17T06:35:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/warming-western-fire-emissions Living Near Humans, Italian Bears Evolved to Be Less Aggressive https://e360.yale.edu/digest/italian-bears-aggression-evolution Brown bears living near villages in central Italy have evolved to be less aggressive, according to a new study, the latest to show how humans are shaping the evolution of wildlife.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-16T06:39:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/italian-bears-aggression-evolution At a Marine Field Station, Rising Seas Force an Inevitable Retreat https://e360.yale.edu/features/rutgers-marine-field-station-film The scientists at a New Jersey marine station are conducting a sobering experiment: monitoring the destruction of their facility from rising waters. Oscar-winning filmmaker Thomas Lennon shows how the researchers are working to produce useful science before they must leave.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-12T10:56:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/rutgers-marine-field-station-film Dozens of Countries See Their Economy Grow as Emissions Fall https://e360.yale.edu/digest/climate-economy-decoupling A growing number of countries are showing that it is possible to achieve growth while also cutting emissions.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-12T06:07:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/climate-economy-decoupling To Feed Data Centers, Pennsylvania Faces a New Fracking Surge https://e360.yale.edu/features/pennsylvania-data-centers-natural-gas A rash of data centers planned for western Pennsylvania has residents and environmentalists on edge. The sprawling complexes will be powered by plants that burn fracked natural gas, whose production has caused air and water pollution in the region and has known health risks.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-11T07:08:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/pennsylvania-data-centers-natural-gas EPA Removes Information on Human Drivers of Warming from Its Website https://e360.yale.edu/digest/epa-website-climate-change The Environmental Protection Agency has scrubbed from its website information on how humans are driving warming. A web page that once explored the central role of fossil fuels in heating the planet now only mentions natural drivers of climate change.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-10T06:10:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/epa-website-climate-change In New York City, Congestion Pricing Leads to Marked Drop in Pollution https://e360.yale.edu/digest/new-york-congestion-pricing-pollution A new toll applied to cars driving in parts of New York City has led to a measurable drop in traffic, and with it, a 22 percent decline in particulate pollution, according to a new study.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-09T09:12:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/new-york-congestion-pricing-pollution Severe Heat Linked With Developmental Delays in Children https://e360.yale.edu/digest/severe-heat-children-reading-math A study of thousands of children across the developing world found that those continually exposed to severe heat were more likely to see developmental delays.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-08T10:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/severe-heat-children-reading-math Growing Number of Satellites Will Leave Streaks on Photos from Space Telescopes https://e360.yale.edu/digest/satellites-orbiting-telescopes-photos The growing number of satellites overhead may soon obscure photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and other orbiting observatories. New research finds that passing satellites could leave streaks on up to 96 percent of images.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-05T06:56:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/satellites-orbiting-telescopes-photos Scientists Relaunch the 'Internet of Animals' https://e360.yale.edu/digest/icarus-2025-launch German scientists have relaunched a satellite system that will be used to track wildlife all across the globe. The "internet of animals" was first launched in 2020, in collaboration with Russian researchers, but was abruptly halted after Russia invaded Ukraine. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-04T05:34:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/icarus-2025-launch Countries Agree to New Protections for Imperiled African Hornbills https://e360.yale.edu/digest/cites-hornbill-protections Countries agreed Wednesday to new limits on the international trade in African hornbills. The spectacular birds, which play a key role in African forest ecosystems, are threatened by the growing global sale of hornbill parts.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-03T08:46:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/cites-hornbill-protections Scientists Warn of Emissions Risks from the Surge in Satellites https://e360.yale.edu/features/satellite-emissions With hundreds of satellites launched each year and tens of thousands more planned, scientists are increasingly concerned about an emerging problem: emissions from the fuels burned in launches and from the pollutants released when satellites and rocket stages flame out on reentry.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-02T08:49:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/satellite-emissions African Forests Have Become a Source of Carbon Emissions https://e360.yale.edu/digest/african-forests-carbon-source Africa’s forests have turned from a carbon sink into a carbon source, according to research that underscores the need for urgent action to save the world’s great natural climate stabilizers.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-12-01T09:54:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/african-forests-carbon-source Traditional Chinese Medicine Drives Poaching of Pangolins, Records Show https://e360.yale.edu/digest/chinese-medicine-pangolins The use of pangolin parts in traditional Chinese medicine is driving poaching of the small, scaly mammals, according to an analysis of legal records.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-11-26T03:00:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/chinese-medicine-pangolins World's Mountains Warming Faster Than Lowlands https://e360.yale.edu/digest/mountain-warming Around the world, mountains are warming faster than surrounding lowlands, scientists warn. More intense heat is melting glaciers and diminishing snowfall, threatening a vital source of fresh water for more than a billion people, according to an exhaustive review of scientific research.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-11-25T08:25:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/mountain-warming U.N. Climate Talks End Without Plan to Wean Off Fossil Fuels https://e360.yale.edu/digest/cop30-brazil-final-agreement Offering no new plans to cut fossil fuels, the U.N. climate conference failed to produce a roadmap to stop global warming.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-11-24T10:33:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/cop30-brazil-final-agreement A Troubling Rise in the Grisly Trade of a Spectacular African Bird https://e360.yale.edu/features/african-hornbill-trafficking Researchers are finding a disturbing uptick in the trade of African hornbills and their body parts in West African voodoo markets and globally on the internet. Conservationists want international protections for these birds, which play a key role in Africa’s forest ecosystems.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-11-24T06:34:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/african-hornbill-trafficking New European Service Will Investigate Role of Warming in Weather Disasters https://e360.yale.edu/digest/europe-attribution-service A new E.U. service will determine how warming is reshaping weather. Its findings, experts say, could help insurers better understand climate risks and help advocates hold polluters accountable for climate damages.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-11-21T06:47:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/europe-attribution-service In Myanmar, Illicit Rare Earth Mining Is Taking a Heavy Toll https://e360.yale.edu/features/myanmar-rare-earth-mining As China has cut back on domestic extraction of rare earth minerals, uncontrolled mining in Myanmar has boomed in areas ruled by powerful ethnic armies. New reporting reveals how this activity is damaging water supplies, forests, and the health of workers and communities. 

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-11-20T08:04:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/myanmar-rare-earth-mining How Batteries, Not Natural Gas, Can Power the Data Center Boom https://e360.yale.edu/features/jigar-shah-interview Tech companies are turning to natural gas to help power the growing number of A.I. data centers in the U.S. Jigar Shah, a former Energy Department official, explains how installing batteries instead can help balance the grid, lower electricity bills, and support renewable energy.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-11-19T06:31:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/features/jigar-shah-interview Race a 'Potent Predictor' of Where Texas Petrochemical Plants Will Be Built https://e360.yale.edu/digest/texas-petrochemical-plants-fenceline-communities A new report warns that a wave of proposed petrochemical plants in Texas will largely be built near communities of color, often in areas that are already heavily polluted.

Read more on E360 →

]]> 2025-11-18T08:20:00-05:00 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/texas-petrochemical-plants-fenceline-communities