Environment
This Is What Adapting to Climate Change Looks Like
PG&E’s blackouts in California are a bleak preview of the disruptions that will become routine in a warmer world.
Why the Bay Area Is Having a Massive Power Outage
Wildfire risks have led the embattled California utility PG&E to order a preemptive electric grid shutdown, leaving more than 2 million at risk of losing power.
Cities Are Worried About the Health Effects of Glyphosate
Seattle has joined Miami, Austin, and other cities in restricting the use of herbicides with glyphosate, such as Roundup.
Carbon Emissions Are Already Falling in 30 Cities
As mayors gather for C40’s summit on climate change, the coalition reports that a third of its members have hit peak emissions.
Meet Los Angeles’s First-Ever Forest Officer
L.A. set a goal to plant 90,000 new trees by the end of 2021 as part of the city’s New Green Deal. Here’s how they’ll do it.
Five Radical Climate Policies That Most Americans Actually Like
Most registered voters are in favor of spending trillions on weatherized buildings and renewable-energy infrastructure.
Paris Has Opened Its First Green Cemetery
The city has devoted a section of its Ivry-sur-Seine cemetery to lower-carbon, chemical-free burials—with wooden grave markers used in place of tombstones.
What Climate Change Could Do to Cities' Power to Borrow Money
Cities rely on municipal bonds to pay for major projects like infrastructure. But financing could get harder as investors increasingly talk about climate risk.
The Problem With ‘Cool Pavements’: They Make People Hot
A tool to help solve the problem of urban heat islands could have an unwelcome side effect, new research in L.A. finds.
The Home of California’s Dirtiest Air Braces for Trump’s Smog War
As the EPA threatens to pull the state’s highway funding over air quality, Central Valley residents fear the dispute could render their region even more polluted.
Could a Solar-Powered Uprising Reshape Puerto Rico?
With coal ash wreaking havoc on Puerto Rican cities like Guayama, some activists are done waiting for government action.
Uncovering the Seeds of a Post-Lawn Future
Two artists are on a mission to replace the monoculture of the turf lawn with “leafy green goodness” from seeds that lie dormant in the soil.
Lessons From a Car-Free Street Fight in London
As part of a safe streets program, officials in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets closed a road to car traffic for 10 days. Things didn’t go as planned.
Megacities’ Air Pollution Is So Severe That It’s Affecting Kids’ Brains
Severe air pollution can speed up neurodegeneration when the brain is at the peak of its development—during childhood.
Germany Makes a National Commitment to Rescue Its Forests
“Every missing tree is a missing comrade-in-arms against climate change,” agriculture minister Julia Klöckner says.
How an Architect Who Designs ‘Half-Houses’ Rebuilt a City
Alejandro Aravena, who helped a city recover from an earthquake and a tsunami, says participatory design is not just inclusive but “more efficient.”
The Storm of the Century Could Soon Happen Every Year
A UN report warns extreme weather events that historically happened about once in 100 years could hit coastal cities yearly by 2050. Cities need to prepare now.
Lime Wants its Battery-Charging Gig Workers to Use Clean Energy
The dockless mobility company will encourage its battery-charging gig workers in D.C. and Maryland to convert to renewable energy.
Why Thomas Cook Faltered As Urban Tourism Boomed
With cheap flights and Airbnb at their fingertips, British travelers have branched out from the package beach vacations that were Thomas Cook’s specialty.
The Problem With Switching to Electric Cars
Switching to EVs en masse could help bring down planet-killing carbon emissions. But Americans also need to drive less, right now.
Squirrels Speak Bird
The skittish rodents are always listening for cues that tell them if they’re safe or not—including to the sounds of their avian friends.