Environmental News
Breaking environmental news, policy updates, and ecosystem changes worldwide
How to build homes that can survive extreme heat
It was not the postcard-worthy aesthetics that prompted Greek islanders to first drench their cliffside-carved homes, churches, and pathways in a thick layer of pearly white paint. Much like wearing...
Datacentres drive up big tech's carbon emissions to a third of those of France
Microsoft, Amazon and Google say they still aim to achieve net zero output despite construction boomMicrosoft, Amazon and Google’s collective carbon emissions have increased by nearly a fifth in the...
'Every time the rain falls, the fear comes back': life in Lagos under the constant threat of floods
As Nigeria braces for another season of devastating rains, people affected describe the mental toll of repeatedly rebuilding their livesMurky water first tore down a perimeter fence, then bubbled into...
Recent Earthquakes Expose Problems with Venezuela's Disaster Preparedness and Response, Scientists Say
Two weeks after a pair of earthquakes decimated cities in the nation’s north, experts are still trying to understand the seismic activity that led to the deaths of more than...
The Case of the (France-Sized) Missing Antarctic Ice
‘It’s just a question of whether we’re fast enough to stretch out that loss to several thousand years versus dumb enough to keep warming the planet and seeing it collapse...
'Like a sauna': London tube travellers swelter in temperatures higher than legal limit for cattle
The tube cannot easily be adapted to cope with heatwaves, making conditions almost unbearableAs the escalator descends below ground at King’s Cross St Pancras station in London, the shift from...
The 13 biggest myths about heatwaves – and how to bust them
With some still unable to accept humanity’s role in climate chaos, we tackle common misconceptions and deceptionsSome people – and media organisations – still have difficulty connecting the heatwaves currently...
Days of salted codfish and cabbage leaves are over: how climate crisis is shaping Tour de France's future
Heatwaves have long been part of the Tour but temperatures now are pushing the riders to limit of human enduranceThe Tour de France and the heat of the midday sun...
'Children were calling for their mummies': UK pupils struggle in 40C-plus classrooms
Teachers call for schools to be urgently adapted for hot weather amid reports of nausea, fainting and heatstrokeThe extreme heat that has hit the UK twice in the past few...
As It Celebrates the Nation's Past, Philadelphia Braces for a Hotter Future
Extreme heat tests Philadelphia’s climate resilience during a weekend of historic celebrations.By Nina Sablan, Daniel PerrinPHILADELPHIA—To Eric Klinenberg, a packed stadium in 101-degree heat offering limited water access for fans...
Global Oil Demand Falls for the First Time Since COVID
The International Energy Agency expects demand to rebound in 2027, but analysts question whether the Iran war could hasten a long-term decline.By Dan GearinoGlobal oil demand, disrupted by the Iran...
The oceans are full of heat, and it's coming ashore
It’s barely the middle of summer in the northern hemisphere, and heatwaves are once again breaking temperature records. In the United States, dozens of cities sweltered through their hottest Fourth...
Meet ICN's 2026 Class of Summer Environmental Reporting Fellows
By ICN EditorsThirteen collegiate and post-collegiate journalists have joined Inside Climate News as reporting fellows this summer.
Congress is about to pass the biggest disaster reform in years
There are a lot of ways for disaster victims to get help in the immediate aftermath of a flood or fire. The Federal Emergency Management Agency gives out temporary housing...
Interview: COP31 president says electrification is 'surest way to protect citizens'
Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final energy to come from electricity by 2035. In an interview with Carbon Brief, Kurum says...
DeBriefed 10 July 2026: Deadly Europe heat | EU electrification leak | COP31 president interview
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week ‘Catastrophic’ climate impacts RECORD HEAT: Western Europe experienced its hottest June...
Will those responsible for global warming ever face the heat? | Fiona Katauskas
They’ve got a chance in hellSee more of Fiona Katauskas’s cartoons here Continue reading…
Eight facts about air conditioning amid an overheated global debate
As successive heatwaves hit Europe, air-conditioning (AC) has emerged as a new front in the international ‘culture war’ over climate action. France, Germany and the UK have experienced record-breaking heat...
Loss and damage fund delays first project approvals as needs dwarf resources
The board of the UN’s fledgling Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) has decided to consider its first package of projects for support at its next meeting in...
Pacific gray whales facing 'catastrophic' die-off as climate crisis hits food supply
Trump administration urged to relist a species in ‘very, very serious trouble’ under Endangered Species ActClimate change is driving a gray whale ‘catastrophic mortality event’ in the Pacific Ocean as...
MPs call on UK government to host televised emergency briefing on climate emergency
As UK swelters in another heatwave, 50-minute Chris Packham film outlines threats to security, economy and healthMPs are calling on the UK government to host a televised national climate emergency...
'He's forcing higher bills': Trump spends billions to kill clean energy and keep coal alive
Critics accuse president of ‘fattening the wallets of his cronies’ as working Americans face higher energy ratesThe Trump administration has directly spent $2.7bn of taxpayer money on its crusade against...
We know how to mourn other humans – but what about ecological grief?
In Iceland, people commemorated its first glacier formally declared lost to climate change. Western culture needs more of these ritualsI remember interviewing a North Atlantic right whale expert years ago....
Arizona Regulators Are Raising Contaminant Limits for a Uranium Mine With an Arsenic Problem
Federal and state governments are helping Energy Fuels boost its processing of uranium and rare earth elements, but the company has a checkered past with tribes and communities in the...
A Chemical Plant Mishandled Hazardous Waste for Years, Then Quietly Shuttered
Questions remain about cleanup at the North Carolina site, which had been hailed as a solution for dealing with plastic waste.By Lauren Dalban, Lisa SorgZEBULON, N.C.—The blank, beige building at...
Environmental Groups Challenge Trump Administration Order to Keep Florida Coal Plant Running
Advocacy groups said the order failed to establish an energy emergency. The Department of Energy partly attributed one to anticipated demand associated with data centers.By Amy GreenThe Trump administration is...
Workers are risking dangerous heat to keep the World Cup running
Extreme heat continues to be a major concern throughout this year’s World Cup, and organizers of the tournament have built hydration breaks into games designed to help players stay safe....
The nation's biggest public utility just doubled down on coal, gas, and nuclear
For the past four years, Angie Mummaw has been told the gas-fired electrical plant the Tennessee Valley Authority is building a few miles from her home in rural Tennessee was...
Iran war fuel shocks threaten Africa's clean cooking push, IEA says
Disruptions to global fuel markets caused by the war in Iran have hit Africa’s efforts to expand clean cooking with gas, prompting the International Energy Agency (IEA) – backed by...
Pollutionwatch: How harmful ozone builds up near ground in heatwaves
Concentrations of gas were continuously raised in Europe during June hot spell, with potentially deadly effectsWidespread air pollution was a feature of June’s record-breaking heat across western Europe and is...
Maryland County Adopts a Two-year Moratorium on Data Center Development
Counties across the state have resisted the federal push for a rapid buildout of AI infrastructure, buying time to craft legislation protecting electricity ratepayers and the environment.By Aman AzharMaryland’s second...
Pennsylvania's Legislature Is Likely to Punt on Mass Transit Funding—Again
Last year’s temporary fix relieved the pressure to find long-term funding for transit agencies, setting up another high-stakes fight down the road.By Daniel PerrinPHILADELPHIA—Four days before the deadline for Pennsylvania’s...
Report on Elevated Lung Cancer Fails to Quell Uproar Around New York's Largest Landfill
A June report by the New York State Department of Health found no link between the Seneca Meadows landfill and two nearby census tracts that had statistically significant elevation in...
Montana County Seeks Pause on AI Data Centers After Property Owner Withdraws Support
After months of community opposition, the proposal for a small data center in Bonner collapsed. Missoula County hopes to rewrite rules addressing environmental impacts before allowing others.By Mosabber HossainA proposed...
Florida Regulators Stood by as Dozens of Sloths Died, New Records Reveal
Internal emails obtained by Inside Climate News show the state of Florida saw no need to stop the unfolding mass deaths of sloths at a planned Orlando tourist attraction.By Katie...
Why heat is so deadly and how to stay safe
Don’t underestimate heat. While less visible than other extreme weather events like hurricanes or floods, heat consistently accounts for more U.S. fatalities than any other type of weather disaster. Around...
UK swelters in third heatwave of the year as western Europe counts cost of hottest-ever June
Britain expands heat alerts while estimates suggest June’s death toll could surpass 20,000 across continentThe UK is sweltering through the peak of its third heatwave of the year as countries...
China Briefing 9 July 2026: Guangxi floods | 'Beautiful China' plan | New EU-China mechanism
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s China Briefing. China Briefing handpicks and explains the most important climate and energy stories from China over the past fortnight. Subscribe for free here. Key developments...
Former top BHP economist urges tougher government policies to push miners to decarbonise
Exclusive: ‘The preferred policy is, of course, a carbon price,’ Dr Huw McKay says, amid slowdown in BHP action on emissionsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news...
Even With Tariffs and Tax Changes, Solar Power Is Soaring
Utility-scale solar is booming in the United States as electricity demand rises and projects remain relatively easy to develop.By Dan GearinoIt’s good to be in the utility-scale solar business, even...
Interview: Dr Sun Yixian on his new database tracking Chinese climate 'leadership'
The number of global climate initiatives launched or run by China has been growing since 2009, a new study shows. But whether this will translate into China taking up the...
Pets being hit by heatstroke even when resting, say UK vets
Experts say most cases used to be seen after exertion or being left in cars, but extreme heat has widened riskExtreme temperatures are causing heatstroke in pets even when they...
The loss and damage fund needs far more finance to deliver climate justice
Wamuyu Manyara is country director for Trócaire Malawi and Tarcizio Kalaundi is its climate resilience officer. This week, the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) faces a significant...
NYC Invests in Air Quality, but the Bronx Still Can't Breathe Easy
Highways, peaker plants and commercial and industrial activity cluster in the borough. Despite projects and policies designed to help, pollution remains a problem.By Lauren DalbanNEW YORK—When Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced...
A Court Ruling Leaves Some of New York's Most Important Wetlands Unprotected
The decision opened gaps in state protections at the same time that federal wetland regulations were weakened.By Madeline ShawFour years ago, the New York State Legislature made a major move...
How to build a highway in the age of climate change
Between the view, the marshes, and the birds, Liat Meitzenheimer concedes the drive along California State Route 37 is scenic. Still, she avoids it for two reasons: congestion and flooding....
The tiny cell that broke a big rule of biology
For decades, Jon Zehr was haunted by an organism he knew was here — but couldn’t see. It all started in the ’90s on a research boat in the middle...
India looks to untapped graphite riches for slice of critical minerals boom
Tucked among forested slopes and pristine valleys in a corner of northeastern India, young villagers have been busy knocking on doors – hoping to convince sceptical elders that graphite mining...