Last Call at the Disaster Department
Trump has signaled an end date for FEMA.
Planet
Your guide to life on a warming planet
A Food Reckoning Is Coming
Our diets are awful for the planet. But we can’t simply abandon food.
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The Debate That American Conservationists Should Be Having
What if the U.S. protected ecosystems directly?
The Pedestrians Who Abetted a Hawk’s Deadly Attack
A zoologist observed a Cooper’s hawk using a crosswalk signal as a cue to ambush its prey.
First My Mother Died. Then My Home Got Hit by a Tornado.
My street got leveled by 150-mph winds. Why do I feel somehow at ease?
The Trump Administration Is Tempting a Honeybee Disaster
Bees are dying. Federal funding cuts aren’t helping.
The Missing Part of Trump’s Minerals Math
Without demand from clean energy, the U.S. market for rare earth, graphite, and lithium will falter.
Trump’s Trade War Could Turbocharge Deforestation in the Amazon
Massive tariffs on China will drive up soybean production in Brazil at the rainforest’s expense.
America Is Backsliding Toward Its Most Polluted Era
A third of Americans still breathe unhealthy air after decades of improvements—which the Trump administration wants to roll back.
The Hottest Thing in Clean Energy
Little of America’s energy comes from geothermal sources, but that could change quickly.
The Great Tesla Sell-Off
You should buy a car from Elon Musk’s company—but only if it’s used.
The Truth About Trump’s Greenland Campaign
When the president talks about security in the Arctic, he’s talking about climate change.
Who Wants to Live in the Palisades Now?
Los Angeles is planning to rebuild with fire in mind, but the landscape is still primed to burn.
The Trump Administration’s Environmental Pile-On
Environmental justice was patching over gaps in federal law that allowed for zones of concentrated harms.
The American Weather Forecast Is in Trouble
Layoffs at NOAA will only make weather reports less reliable.
The Golden Age of Antarctic Science May Be Ending
The Trump administration is sabotaging the country’s gold-standard climate science in Antarctica and around the world.
Trump Could Start a New Pipeline Fight
A tax credit for carbon capture has fans in the oil industry.
The House Where 28,000 Records Burned
Charlie Springer spent a lifetime building his music collection. The Los Angeles fires incinerated it.
Sun and Wood Can Be a Powerful Combination
In the right place, at the right time
Trump Is Inheriting an Environmental Disaster
PFAS could be the rare environmental issue that gets addressed this term.
The Last Days of American Orange Juice
Savor every last drop.
Los Angeles’s Ash Problem
Without rain, neighborhoods covered in fine debris from the fires must find a way to deal with it on their own.
The End of L.A.’s Magical Thinking
The fires around Los Angeles are getting under control. But, inevitably, another fire will start.
The GoFundMe Fires
For now, Los Angeles has no choice but to crowdfund its way out of destruction.
The Place Where I Grew Up Is Gone
And so is the man who made it magical
My Favorite Trails Are Destroyed
Many of L.A.’s signature places to get outdoors have been wiped out by the wildfires.
What Happens When a Plastic City Burns
Most modern couches are basically blocks of gasoline.
It’s Time to Evacuate. Wait, Never Mind.
I have received 11 alerts. As far as I can tell, they were all sent in error.
The Unfightable Fire
The many fires burning around Los Angeles are pressing the limits of firefighting.
‘I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This’
The Palisades Fire is destroying places that I’ve loved.
The Palisades Were Waiting to Burn
Fire becomes a year-round danger when Southern California is this dry.
Eat Less Beef. Eat More Ostrich?
Ostrich is touted as a more sustainable red meat that tastes just like beef.
Climate Models Can’t Explain What’s Happening to Earth
Global warming is moving faster than the best models can keep a handle on.
Gas Will Be the First Big Climate Fight of the Trump Era
The Biden administration just made the case against increasing natural-gas exports.
Hyundai Is Becoming the New Tesla
Even in a Trump presidency, America’s EV future may not run through Elon Musk.
Bogotá’s Water Rationing Is a Preview
More places should practice going without crucial resources.
Environmental Internationalism Is in Its Flop Era
Every major international negotiation—over biodiversity, plastics, and climate—failed to meet its goals.
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Winter Is Cooked
It’s getting not only warmer but wetter.
A New Reckoning for Nuclear Energy
The U.S. is softening toward the idea of building a new fleet of nuclear reactors.