Twice a day for years, meteorologists in Kotzebue, Alaska, have launched weather balloons far into the sky to measure data like wind speed, humidity and temperature, and translated the information the balloons sent back into weather forecasts and models. It’s a ritual repeated at dozens of weather stations around the United States. On Thursday morning, … Read more
Mycorrhizal fungi are the supply chains of the soil. With filaments thinner than hair, they shuttle vital nutrients to plants and tree roots. In return, the fungi receive carbon to grow their networks. In this way, 13 billion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide — one-third of fossil-fuel emissions worldwide — enter the soil each year. … Read more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the world’s leading centers of climate research, has been hit by a new round of departures, just 24 hours after hundreds of employees were fired. About 500 employees left the agency on Friday after taking the so-called deferred resignation offer, according to three people familiar with the … Read more
If your house was on fire and you only had time to grab a few things, what would you take with you? When you’re an adult, it’s a question you’ve most likely thought about — a list in the back of your mind of Social Security cards, photo albums, family heirlooms. When you’re a kid, … Read more
A year ago, France embarked on an ambitious goal: To craft the world’s widest ranging ban on the use of harmful “forever chemicals” in everyday products. On Friday, that effort culminated in a national ban on PFAS that environmental and health experts hailed as a big step forward, with one notable exception. After campaigning by … Read more
Editor’s note: The Climate Fix is our twice-a-month guide to the most important solutions to fighting climate change across the world. Have comments about what we should cover? Email us at [email protected]. One of the biggest hurdles to bringing clean energy sources online in the U.S. often isn’t a lack of money, necessity or even … Read more
President Trump’s promise during last year’s election to make it far easier to drill for oil and gas thrilled energy executives who believed his policies would lower their costs and help them make a lot more money. Those hopes are now fading. Thanks to Mr. Trump’s tariffs, the oil and gas industry is contending with … Read more
In a city where world-class masterpieces sit in marble temples that line the National Mall, the small museum devoted to the work of the Environmental Protection Agency, tucked away in a federal building near the White House, has not exactly inspired much fanfare. But as President Trump and Elon Musk slash and burn their way … Read more
While the Trump administration in Washington was cutting environmental programs, delegates at U.N. biodiversity talks in Rome made modest progress Thursday on a series of measures to support nature. Governments gathered to tackle global biodiversity losses that are unprecedented in human history, driven by the ways people have transformed the world. The seismic geopolitical changes … Read more
The Trump administration has begun firing employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the world’s premier centers for climate science. The firings are expected to cost more than 800 people their jobs, out of a total of about 13,000 staff members, according to two people familiar with the situation who declined to … Read more