In India, Nature’s Power Overwhelms Engineered Wetlands

The picturesque Kerala backwaters in southern India, increasingly popular with tourists, form a network of engineered canals, lagoons, lakes, and rice paddies. But a fatal monsoon deluge has highlighted the global problem of how developed wetlands often lose their capacity to absorb major floods.

In Drive to Cut Emissions, Germany Confronts Its Car Culture

Despite its green image, Germany is being held back by its national love of the gasoline-powered car. To truly transition to renewable energy, experts say, Germans must start moving beyond private autos and embrace new digitally-run systems of shared mobility.

How Indigenous People Are Restoring Brazil’s Atlantic Forest

The Guarani Mbya people are working to restore the once-vast Atlantic Forest, which has been largely lost to development. Gaining official tenure of their lands, they hope, will boost their efforts, which range from planting native trees to reintroducing pollinators.

Solution or Band-Aid? Carbon Capture Projects Are Moving Ahead

Long discussed but rarely used, carbon capture and storage projects — which bury waste CO2 underground — are on the rise globally. Some scientists see the technology as a necessary tool in reducing emissions, but others say it simply perpetuates the burning of fossil fuels.

How Pressuring Corporations Can Save the Amazon from Destruction

As the Amazon undergoes another wave of deforestation, a blueprint for halting the runaway exploitation can be found in Southeast Asia, where pressure campaigns on companies and improved government monitoring are finally slowing the devastation caused by the palm oil industry.

How a Legal Loophole Allows Gas Leaks to Keep on Flowing

A new federal rule will cut major methane emissions from natural gas production. But residents of Pennsylvania’s fracking region contend that the cumulative impact of smaller leaks, which go unreported, will continue unabated, compromising their air, water, and health.

Assisting Evolution: How Far Should We Go to Help Species Adapt?

An Australian project to help threatened marsupial species adapt to avoid predatory cats is among a host of ‘assisted evolution’ efforts based on the premise that it is no longer enough to protect species from change: Humans are going to have to intervene to help them change.

As the Monsoon and Climate Shift, India Faces Worsening Floods

Extreme precipitation events are on the rise in India, driven by warming temperatures and changes in the monsoon. The resulting floods are being exacerbated by unplanned urban growth and environmental degradation, driving millions from their homes and causing widespread damage.

Amid Pandemic, Tribal-Run Conservation in Africa Proves Resilient

The Covid pandemic has hit African tourism and the wildlife conservation it supports extremely hard. But Indigenous-managed projects, such as the Il Ngwesi eco-lodge and conservancy run by Maasai in Kenya, have benefited by local people’s stewardship of their lands.

Geoengineer the Planet? More Scientists Now Say It Must Be an Option

Human intervention with the climate system has long been viewed as an ill-advised and risky step to slow global warming. But with carbon emissions soaring, initiatives to study and develop geoengineering technologies are gaining traction as a potential last resort.

Unraveling the Causes of the Pandemic, and Preparing for the Next

David Quammen was one of the first science writers to report on the spillover of viruses from wildlife to humans. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he talks about what scientists now know – and don’t know – about what caused the Covid-19 pandemic and why it matters.

Flying Green: The Pursuit of Carbon-Neutral Aviation Revs Up

To eliminate global aviation’s sizable carbon footprint, researchers are working on a range of alternatives to fossil jet fuel. Recent test flights powered only by hydrogen or biofuels have been successful, but steep challenges remain before aviation can become carbon-free.

As Polar Bear Attacks Increase in Warming Arctic, a Search for Solutions

With sea ice reduced, polar bears in the Arctic are spending more time on land, leading to increased attacks on people. Concerned Inuit communities want to increase hunting quotas, but researchers are testing new technologies they hope will reduce these often deadly confrontations.

With a Green Makeover, Philadelphia Is Tackling Its Stormwater Problem

In a major initiative, Philadelphia is building an extensive network of rain gardens, green roofs, wetlands, and other infrastructure to capture stormwater. The goal is to prevent runoff from overwhelming sewers and polluting waterways and to help green America’s fifth-largest city.

Why Taiwan and Its Tech Industry Are Facing an Energy Crisis

As the world’s largest producer of advanced computer chips, Taiwan is struggling to meet demand for electricity. Highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, soon to shutter its last nuclear plant, and slow to build out renewables, the island is heading toward an energy crunch.

An Amazon Defender Stands Up for Her Land and Her People

Amazon Indigenous leader Juma Xipaia has fought against massive dam projects and the incursion of illegal loggers and miners onto her community’s lands. In a Yale e360 interview, she explains why what’s at stake is the survival of her people and their millennia-old way of life.

Why India Is Making Progress in Slowing Its Population Growth

India is soon projected to become the world’s most populous nation, with nearly 1.5 billion people. But behind that statistic lies a more complex reality: Population growth is leveling off in most areas due to rising affluence and advances in women’s education and family planning.

Imperiled in the Wild, Many Plants May Survive Only in Gardens

As the impacts of climate change and other threats mount, conservationists are racing to preserve endangered plant species in botanical garden “metacollections” in the hope of eventually returning them to the wild. But what happens when there is no suitable habitat to return them to?

How a ‘Citizen Map’ Is Helping Brazil Prepare for Next Big Flood

In the wake of last month’s disastrous flooding in southern Brazil, researchers are asking residents to use their smartphone cameras to document the damage and high-water marks. The data collected will help scientists map flood risk and inform decisions on where to rebuild.

Fighting Fire with Fire: California Turns to Prescribed Burning

A century of fire suppression and historic drought have combined to kill 129 million trees and counting in California’s forests. As wildfires rage across the state, managers are increasingly setting fires to burn the dead timber and ward off catastrophe.