Environmental News
Breaking environmental news, policy updates, and ecosystem changes worldwide
No major banks have yet committed to stop funding new oil, gas and coal, research finds
âThe objectives of the Paris agreement are slipping further out of reach,â say researchers from LSENo major bank has yet committed to stop funding new oil and gas fields or...
New York City Unveils Plan for Flood-Prone Neighborhood Nicknamed âThe Holeâ
A small neighborhood on the border of Brooklyn and Queens floods often. The city has finally mapped out a solution to the problem.By Lauren DalbanIt hadnât rained in two days...
Evacuating Remote Alaska Was Hard. Rebuilding Will Be Even Harder.
Villages in Western Alaska were hit by the remnants of a violent typhoon last week. Many survivors are unlikely to return home for more than a year.By Kiley PriceWhen the...
Climate-Warming Methane Emissions from the Worldâs Biggest Livestock Companies Are Bigger Than From Major Oil and Gas Companies
Ahead of the United Nations climate talks in Brazil, advocacy groups are pushing for companies and governments to set meaningful emissions targets to lower emissions from livestock.By Georgina GustinThe worldâs...
Trump Targets Federal Employees Working on Conservation and Environmental Protection
The Trump administration issued a new round of furlough notices to EPA employees on Monday while the Interior Department disclosed plans to cut 2,050 positions affecting national parks, endangered species...
Ahead of COP30, Brazil grants Petrobras a licence to drill for oil in Amazon region
Two weeks before Brazil hosts the COP30 summit in the Amazon city of BelĂŠm, its state-run oil firm Petrobras has been granted a licence to explore for oil in an...
Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time as climate crisis warms country
Three specimens discovered in what was previously one of the only places in the world without the insectsMosquitoes have been found in Iceland for the first time as global heating...
Renewable Energy Act Before Illinois Legislature Would Decrease Stress on Ratepayers, Advocates Say
Groups are pushing the state General Assembly to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, as increased strain on the grid has led to energy price spikes.By Sarah MattalianIllinois...
New England Says Goodbye to Coal as Merrimack Station Powers Down
After decades of operation, Merrimack Stationâs closure marks the regionâs final exit from coalâand the start of a new chapter in renewable energy development.By Ryan KrugmanThe towering smokestacks of New...
Why Democrats arenât talking about climate change much anymore
Nearly a year after the 2024 election, Democrats are still trying to figure out what went wrong. In the midst of this soul-searching, a new piece of advice has appeared:...
Solar Growth Cushions Colorado River Hydropower Declines
Southwest utilities are diversifying their electricity assets.By Brett Walton, Circle of BlueIn late May, as the outside temperature approached 100 degrees, Arizonaâs top water policy officials gathered in an air-conditioned...
COP30 needs an implementation forum, not another cover decision
Paul Watkinson is a former chief climate negotiator for France who now works independently on ways to improve the multilateral climate process and strengthen climate action. As COP30 in BelĂŠm...
October heat records broken across Australia as Sydney braces for temperatures âway above the normâ
Birdsville sets new high as BoM forecasts more record hot weather, with heatwave warnings in place in some statesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news...
Keir Starmer will attend Cop30 in Brazil, No 10 confirms
After speculation and conflicting pressures, prime minister will attend climate summit next monthKeir Starmer will travel to the Amazon rainforest for the UN climate summit next month, Downing Street has...
âA punch in the faceâ: Germanyâs dash for gas raises questions over climate targets
Plans for a fossil fuel project in Wadden Sea nature reserve have angered local people and campaigners, as political enthusiasm for renewables wanesPeering out on a clear day from the...
Global South campaigners question inclusivity of COP30 as some stay home
Expensive accommodation, combined with restricted funding and accreditation, are set to limit the participation of Global South climate activists in COP30, casting doubt on Brazilâs promise to host the most...
How plays like Weather Girl and Kyoto are finally bringing the climate crisis alive for audiences
The complexities of the climate crisis are a tough sell to audiences but these plays in New York show it can be doneDespite (or perhaps because of) its overwhelming awfulness,...
A New Generation of Industries Emerges in Texas From Federal Push for Mining Revival
The U.S. doesnât produce the minerals and metals needed for renewable energy, microchips or military technology. Authorities want to change that as quickly as possible.By Dylan BaddourMajor oil companies are...
Illinois Wants Climate Education in Schools. Now Teachers Need to Figure Out How to Make It Happen.
Itâs the seventh state to pass a law requiring climate education in public schools. The requirement will kick in next fall.By Amber X. ChenLast year, Laura Stamp asked her eighth-grade...
Racing against time, Illinois clears a major hurdle in containing an invasive fish
The silver carp is big, unwieldy, and requires Joe Greendyk to use both his hands to measure it before tossing the fish overboard into the Illinois River. The nearly 2-foot-long...
Coalition showdown on net zero looms amid speculation more MPs could quit over policy
Meeting called for end of sitting week inviting backbench MPs to argue for or against dumping the policy after Barnaby Joyce announced resignationGet our breaking news email, free app or...
FEMA has denied or not advanced most Kerr County aid applications after deadly July 4 flood
Only about one-fifth of applicants for federal disaster assistance from Texasâ Kerr County have been deemed eligible to get financial help so far, leaving hundreds without governmental aid more than...
China Helped Indonesia Build One of the Worldâs Biggest, Youngest Coal Fleets. Itâs Still Growing.
Indonesia is one of the few countries still building new coal power plants, the most polluting sources of power. Chinese companies are playing a large role despite a pledge by...
Alabamaâs E.O. Wilson Land Between the Rivers Preserve Is a âPlace That Time Forgotâ
Dubbed the father of biodiversity, the pioneering author and scientist E.O. Wilson spent his early years exploring the swamps and wetlands of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Now, 8,000 acres of that...
Our Newsroom Comes of Age
Go behind the scenes with executive editor Vernon Loeb and founder and publisher David Sassoon for an exclusive look at ICN as the newsroom celebrates its 18th anniversary.By David SassoonIn...
Techno-capitalists think innovation can save the planet. But that same thinking is what got us here
An upside-down mindset is emerging around the world. We have to rethink our relationship with the environment and the technology thatâs caused it harmGet our breaking news email, free app...
Americaâs biggest offshore wind farm will be online in 6 months
About 30 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia, workers have been building Americaâs largest offshore wind farm at a breakneck pace. The project will start feeding power to the grid by...
Worldâs landscapes may soon be âdevoid of wild animalsâ, says nature photographer
Margot Raggett, whose latest compilation shows animals scrubbed from natural habitats, calls for rethink on UK accelerated housebuildingMargot Raggett has spent the past decade raising money for conservation efforts around...
As EPA Stalls, States Are Left to Handle Solar Panel Waste
A federal plan to manage the coming âsolar waste tsunamiâ of retired panels has missed its start date, leaving states and the solar industry to patch together their own rules...
At a Solar Energy Conference, the Star Is ⌠the Soil?
Beneath the gleaming rows of panels, developers learn that healthy soil can make or break a solar project.By Rambo TalabongSAVANNAH, Ga.âImagine driving past a solar farm and underneath the panels,...
Rising Electric Rates Tied to Distribution Spending, Disasters and Some Clean Energy Programs, Study Says
A new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab identified broad trends in electric rates from 2019 to 2024, but cautioned that it could not prove causality, and pricing dynamics vary...
Gas Plant Thatâs Part of PJMâs Fast-Tracked Process Is Getting Pushback in Virginia
Tenaskaâs 1.5 gigawatt proposal would be part of the reliability resource initiative for âshovel-ready, high-reliabilityâ projects.By Charles PaullinSCOTTSVILLE, Va.âIn rural Fluvanna County about an hour west of the state capital,...
Use of Congressional Review Act on BLM Plans Could Impact State Plans Under Other Agencies
Republicansâ use of the little-known law could require agencies to get congressional approval for land management plans, creating uncertainty for planners and advocates in other parts of the U.S.By Sarah...
Earthâs Oceans Lose Some of Their Luster
New research reveals that a key biological carbon pump is weakening, threatening ecosystems and the climate.By Bob BerwynPictures of Earth from outer space often show the planet as a gaudy...
Wyomingâs Draft Pilot Conservation Program âA Good Starting Pointâ but Thereâs Room For Improvement
State water officials heard public feedback on its proposed water conservation program as Wyoming prepares for the fallout of Colorado River negotiations.By Jake BolsterWith the Nov. 11 deadline to finish...
Worldâs oceans losing their greenness through global heating, study finds
Researchers say decline in phytoplankton suggests weakened planetary capacity to absorb carbon dioxideThe worldâs oceans are losing their greenness owing to global heating, according to a study that suggests our...
US-led alliance wins a yearâs delay in adoption of green shipping deal
A landmark deal to clean up the global shipping industryâs emissions has been postponed for at least a year, after a successful campaign by the US and Saudi Arabia to...
International Coalition Joins Push for Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty: âWe Cannot Protect Nature While Expanding Fossil Fuelsâ
By Dennis PillionAn international coalition of more than 1,400 governmental and civil conservation organizations has called on its members to increase efforts to curb fossil fuel extraction and work toward...
Shipping emissions levy shelved as countries bow to US pressure
Long-planned charge on greenhouse gas emissions postponed as Trump officials accused of intimidation tacticsUnder intense pressure from Donald Trumpâs government, countries have postponed plans to force shipowners to start paying...
DeBriefed: Earthâs first âtipping pointâ; Climate adviser interview; How warming affects childrenâs health
Welcome to Carbon Briefâs DeBriefed. An essential guide to the weekâs key developments relating to climate change. This week Earthâs first climate âtipping pointâ reached CORAL IN CRISIS: A new report...
Overconsumption and ruin: before and after images predict how tech could harm our planet
From Venice in Italy to the Seine in Paris, an exhibition in London illustrates the hidden cost of our gadgets and devicesArtists have created visualisations of the impact of the...
Reward scheme for using less power at peak times could help lower US bills
With AI datacenters soaring power bills for households, a policy called âdemand flexibilityâ could help ease grid strainA cheap, bipartisan tool could help the US meet increasing energy demand from...
Countries must confront fossil fuels head-on in their NDCs
Sergio DĂaz is legal director at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. As governments submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP30, almost all of them share one...
How a Declaration of Ancestral Wisdom Is Changing Law, Science and Our Understanding of the World
JosĂŠ Gualinga discusses his Kichwa People of Sarayakuâs visionary Living Forest Declaration and the importance of collaborating across cultures and areas of expertise.By Katie SurmaWhen JosĂŠ Gualinga took the stage...
How EVs can fix the grid and lower your electric bill
Depending on whom youâre asking, renewable energy and electric vehicles will either destroy the grid or save it. The sun doesnât always shine and the wind doesnât always blow, true...
How EVs can fix the grid and lower your electric bill
Depending on whom youâre asking, renewable energy and electric vehicles will either destroy the grid or save it. The sun doesnât always shine and the wind doesnât always blow, true...
From genocide to ecocide: After years of war, Gaza faces an environmental crisis âabove imaginationâ
Over two years of nearly incessant bombardment, Israeli forces have killed over 60,000 Palestinians, at least a third of whom are children. The human toll has been called genocide by...
Global conservation body backs genetically modified wildlife over Indigenous opposition
This week, members of the International Union of Conservation of Nature, one of the worldâs largest conservation groups, voted against a moratorium on the release of genetically engineered species into...