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Governments must take into account the risks of climate change when considering a refugee’s claim for asylum, the United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled in a landmark case. The decision could protect refugees from climate change-stricken nations…

The frozen layer of soil that has underlain the Arctic tundra for millennia is now starting to thaw. This melting, which could release vast amounts of greenhouse gases, is already changing the Arctic landscape by causing landslides, draining lakes, and…

Deadly urban heatwaves disproportionately affect underserved neighborhoods because of the legacy of racist housing policies which have denied African Americans home ownership and basic public services, a landmark new study has found.Read more on E360 →

Australia has always been a dry continent where fire has played an important ecological role. But the latest massive conflagrations there are evidence that a hotter climate has thrust Australia into a new normal where fires will keep burning on an…

2019 was the second-hottest year on record, capping what scientists say is the warmest decade on record, according to a new analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA. The five warmest years on record have all occurred…

The United Nations is calling for world governments to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030 in order to stop the rapid loss of biodiversity, restore ecosystem functions, and help stave off the worst impacts of climate change. At least 10 percent of this…

With thousands of species on the move as the climate changes, a growing number of scientists say that the dichotomy between native and alien species has become an outdated concept and that efforts must be made to help migrating species adapt to their new…

A growing body of research points to the beneficial effects that exposure to the natural world has on health, reducing stress and promoting healing. Now, policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers are increasingly considering the human need for nature…

Scientists estimate that as many as 1 billion animals have died in Australia’s record-breaking wildfires, with more than 800 million lost in New South Wales alone. The fires, which started in September following prolonged drought and high temperatures, have…

After a tough transition from the military to civilian life, Jon Turner found solace in working in the soil. On his 10-acre hillside farm, he aims to keep it all in balance — garden plots, fruit trees, geese, and goats — and to leave a legacy for those who…

The Llano River is an ecological gem in Texas Hill Country, supporting dozens of native and rare plants and animals. But due to weak state environmental protections, the Llano — along with other waterways in Texas — is increasingly facing pressure from…

For a young ecologist, the mountains of the Western Ghats are a respite from India’s intense urban life — a lush land of monsoon rains, elephants, king cobras, leopards, and a spectacular assortment of birds — and a place where wildlife and villagers…

The shutdown of hundreds of coal-fired power plants in the United States over the past decade has saved an estimated 26,610 lives, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Sustainability. This closure of coal plants also has reduced carbon…

The Nepali government is seeking to build roads to every village in the mountainous nation. But some warn the road boom could have high costs for communities and the environment, especially in areas where traditional livelihoods and trek tourism rely on…

Scientists have discovered what they believe is the world’s oldest known forest — a set of 386-million-year-old fossilized root systems found in an old sandstone quarry in the Catskill Mountains in New York. The researchers say the new site is evidence…

As deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon soars under President Jair Bolsonaro, a new study warns that the regrowth of logged Amazon forests, and the amount of CO2 they store, is far less than previously believed. Read more on E360 →

Scientists have long recognized the potential to generate renewable energy from the world’s oceans by harnessing the power of tides and waves. These forms of energy are often more difficult to tap into than other renewable sources like wind or solar, but new…

Suitable geological formations exist on Earth to easily store enough carbon dioxide to meet a global goal of capturing and storing sufficient C02 to provide 13 percent of worldwide emissions cuts by 2050, according to a new study.Read more on E360 →

Climate change is hitting the United States’ corn and soybean belt on two fronts. Warming temperatures are both increasing evaporation of soil moisture in the region and causing weaker summer rainstorms that are dropping less precipitation in the Midwest…

A global effort to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 would cost nations $73 trillion upfront — but the expense will pay for itself in under seven years, according to a new report from researchers at Stanford University. The study also found…

A world awash in plastic will soon see even more, as a host of new petrochemical plants — their ethane feedstock supplied by the fracking boom — come online. Major oil companies, facing the prospect of reduced demand for their fuels, are ramping up their…

Global demand for coal is expected to remain largely stable through 2024, driven by robust economic growth and the construction of new coal-fired power plants in Asia, particularly in China and India, according to new data from the International Energy Agency.…

Ten indigenous people have been murdered so far in Brazil in 2019, including seven tribal leaders — the highest number of indigenous leaders killed in two decades, Mongabay reported. The violence is centered largely in the state of Maranhão, in northeastern…

At 17 million acres, Alaska’s Tongass is the largest U.S. national forest and the world’s largest remaining temperate rainforest. Now, the Trump administration wants to resume large-scale logging in the Tongass, one of several initiatives threatening some…

European Union leaders have agreed on a “common goal” of net-zero emissions by 2050, setting a major economic transformation, known as the European Green Deal, into motion. All but one of the EU’s 28 member states approved the new 2050 target; Poland,…

Scientists believe they have found one of the key drivers behind a spike in global methane emissions in recent years. Satellite data captured a large influx of water entering the Sudd wetland in South Sudan, fueling plant growth and soil microbial activity and…

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…

Nevada recently approved more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of new solar capacity and 590 megawatts (MW) of energy storage — more than 37 other U.S. states currently have combined, PV Magazine reported. The new capacity is part of the Nevada Public Utilities…

Agriculture’s global footprint is decreasing — more land globally is now being abandoned by farming than converted to it. This, some researchers contend, presents an opportunity for ecological restoration that could help fight climate change and stem the…

Over the past decade, U.S. states eliminated 4,400 jobs at agencies responsible for protecting the environment, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit. From 2008 to 2018, 30 states also cut…