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.
Planet
Your guide to life on a warming planet
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.
Climate Diplomacy’s $300 Billion Failure
Climate negotiations at COP29 ended in a deal that mostly showed how far the world is from facing climate change’s real dangers.
Drought Is an Immigration Issue
And Trump’s climate policies are designed to ignore that.
Trump Is Handing China a Golden Opportunity on Climate
Already a leader in clean tech, China may see a new reason to act as leader in addressing climate change too.
The Georgia Chemical Disaster Is a Warning
Climate change could mean more spills and fires. America isn’t ready.
Democrats Are Treating a Big Win as a Liability
They don’t want to talk about how President Biden’s policies have created an EV-manufacturing boom.
Cheap Solar Panels Are Changing the World
“This is unstoppable.”
The Truth About Hurricane Geoengineering
Human attempts to control the weather are gaining momentum, but hurricanes are simply too powerful to harness.
Florida’s Risky Bet
Hurricane Milton was a test of the state’s coasts, which have everything to recommend them, except the growing risk of flooding.
Hurricane Milton Made a Terrible Prediction Come True
This monster storm has matched early forecasts for a season of major hurricanes.
Milton Is the Hurricane That Scientists Were Dreading
Climate change set up the Gulf of Mexico to birth a storm this strong, this fast.
America Is Lying to Itself About the Cost of Disasters
Exceptional circumstances, too often repeated, cease to be exceptions.
The EV Culture Wars Aren’t What They Seem
On the whole, Democrats are going electric and Republicans are not. Partisanship only partly explains the difference.
North Carolina’s Coming Run on Electric Cars
More than 1 million Americans are still without electricity. EV owners are using their cars to keep the lights on.
My Friend Was in the Valley
From my front porch, the river banks of North Carolina’s mountains held. But not from his.
Hurricane Helene Created a 30-Foot Chasm of Earth on My Street
We don’t know how long it will take for emergency crews to reach our rural North Carolina community. In the meantime, people aren’t waiting around.
North Carolina Was Set Up for Disaster
The climate deck is so stacked now that even places that seem safe are witnessing dangerous impacts.
America Needs a Disaster Corps
Mutual aid keeps communities afloat in the moments after disasters strike. Why not turn it into a jobs program?
America’s Hurricane Luck Is Running Out
Helene is a harbinger of relentless storm seasons to come.
How Climate Change Is Killing Cities
We mourn glaciers and forests lost to climate change. Why not streets and sewers?
Europe’s Heat Pumps Put America’s to Shame
If switching one home to a heat pump improves energy efficiency, why not whole cities?