Environment
‘Unprecedented’ U.S. Flood Season Will Imperil Millions, Experts Warn
Two-thirds of the lower 48 states will have a heightened risk until May, NOAA forecast says, after severe flooding in the Midwest.
Why the Water Sector Needs More Women Leaders
In many countries, women collect water and manage its use in the home, but they are underrepresented in decision-making about this vital natural resource.
Is Our Green Future Battery-Powered Cities?
In episode 4 of the podcast Technopolis, we consider how energy storage could change everything about how we turn on the lights and get around town.
The Inequality of America’s Parks and Green Space
New research finds that income, education, and race are correlated with access to green space across and within U.S. metro areas.
To Avoid Climate Disaster, Urban Transportation Must Change, Now
Cities have a key role to play in confronting climate change, and it starts with shared mobility—and taking back the streets from the private car.
Why American Kids Are Joining the Global Climate Strike
“If the adults are going to screw up our entire future, we have to do something about it,” said one young activist joining the global Youth Climate Strike.
The Secret Ingredient of Resilient Cities: Culture
Investing in cultural cohesion and preservation can help rebuild cities devastated by war or natural disasters, says a new World Bank report.
How #Trashtag Inspired People to Clean Up Their Parks
A social media challenge had people across the globe cleaning up beaches, parks, rivers—and urging their friends to get in on the action.
Sorry, Houseplants Don’t Really Purify the Air in Your Home
The science is clear: Even the most enthusiastic indoor gardeners don’t have enough vegetation to make a difference in air quality.
Oh, the Places Mosquitoes Will Go!
Because of climate change, Aedes aegypti and Asian tiger mosquitoes will move north in large numbers, a new study finds.
To Fund the Green New Deal, Understand How the New Deal Actually Worked
The narrative of big-spending government programs isn’t quite right. The New Deal took great strides to encourage private investment.
To Fight a Pipeline, Live in a Tree
For the past year, environmental protesters have led an “aerial blockade” of tree-sitters along a proposed natural gas pipeline in the Appalachian Mountains.
Why Toledo Just Gave Legal Rights to Lake Erie
In a special election this week, voters supported a controversial ballot measure giving Lake Erie the right to “exist, flourish, and naturally evolve.”
Portland Promises a ‘Green’ Highway Expansion. It’s Not.
Here’s why Oregon officials claim that widening Interstate 5 will actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Ancient Poop Reveals Role of Climate Change in Cahokia’s Downfall
The decline of the famed prehistoric city near modern-day St. Louis is at least partially a story of climate change.
Mexico’s ‘Mayan Train’ Is Bound for Controversy
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s signature rail project would link cities and tourist sites in the Yucatan with rural areas and rainforests.
Why Planned Oil Drilling in the Everglades Has Florida Cities Worried
A Florida appeals court has approved exploratory oil drilling in the Everglades, prompting worries about Miami’s water supply and risks to the wetland ecosystem.
How Urban Agriculture Can Improve Food Security
U.S. cities could learn a thing or two from Cuba and Argentina when it comes to urban farming.
The New York City of 2080 Will Be as Hot as Arkansas
A new study finds the climate “twin city” for hundreds of places across the United States.
How Can the Green New Deal Deliver Environmental Justice?
There’s a reason why climate-change legislation failed in the past. Environmental-justice advocates don’t want the Green New Deal to repeat those mistakes.
How Natural Disasters Can Spur Gentrification
New Orleans neighborhoods that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were more likely to gentrify over the following 10 years, researchers find.