Environment
The Amount of Water Used in Fracking Has Increased Dramatically
A new study of major U.S. fracking sites finds that water use per well increased by up to 770 percent from 2011 to 2016.
How One Kid Stopped the Contamination of a River
To halt the illegal flow of raw sewage into Nova Scotia’s LaHave River, it took a determined 11-year-old with water samples and a Facebook page.
Will Washington State Voters Make History on Climate Change?
The state could be the first in the union to adopt a carbon price by ballot.
Tong-Wielding ‘Trash Runners’ Fight Litter in Shanghai
Picking up trash while jogging is not everyone’s idea of a good time, but in Shanghai, it’s an increasingly popular way to socialize (and keep litter in check).
Here Comes Amsterdam’s Man-Made Island for Sustainable, Affordable Housing
Centrumeiland will soon hold hundreds of affordable homes with the lightest of possible carbon footprints.
Gasping for Air in India’s Industrial North
Air pollution kills one million Indians annually. In the northern city of Patna, the toxic air shaves an average of four years off residents’ lives.
Why Did So Many Die in Quebec’s Heat Wave?
When temperatures in Montréal spiked, living alone proved to be deadly.
Climate Report: Not Good
In a week full of climate-related terrors, don’t expect to find much good news in the American Meteorological Society’s annual report card on the state of the planet.
Animals Feel the Strain of Europe’s Heatwave
They’re getting shoes, taking shelter in tunnels, and finding other ways to keep cool in the dangerous heat.
Fake Riverbanks Turn a Chicago Canal ‘Wild’
Chicago’s manmade North Branch Canal is polluted and lacks natural habitat. Enter 80 coconut-fiber “islands” that host wildlife and filter the water.
The Cost of Flood Insurance Is a Price Worth Paying
Hours before it was set to expire, Congress reauthorized the National Flood Insurance Program. That’s a good thing: Despite its many problems, America needs it now more than ever.
How to Fight Police Violence, Pollution, and Poverty, at the Same Time
Summer Lee is the first black woman elected to represent the Pittsburgh region in the state legislature. And she wants to set the record straight on the confluence of factors eating her constituents alive.
Environmentalists by Necessity
In the old steel town of Braddock, Pennsylvania, the toxic footprint is emblematic of what it means to suffer environmental injustice in the U.S. And nobody invested in the town’s future can afford to ignore it.
How Trump Is Targeting California’s Air Pollution Standards
At stake: The state’s half-century-long right to regulate auto emissions.
Animals Need Infrastructure Too
Highways are dangerous barriers for all sorts of wildlife. Around the world, bridges and tunnels just for animals make it easier for them to migrate, mate, eat, and survive.
The Healing Potential of Turning Vacant Lots Green
A new study finds turning vacant lots into green space can improve the mental health of residents in the hardest-hit neighborhoods.
The Teen Who Wanted to Fix Atlanta’s Noise Pollution Problem
In the 1970s, one local high-school girl went to some of the loudest parts of the city to see just how bad the problem was.
Scientists Decry the Border Wall’s Harm to Wildlife
More than 2,500 scientists have co-signed a paper describing the “significant” harm to wildlife posed by infrastructure on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Just How Bad Is the European Heat Wave?
As fatal wildfires ravage the Athens region, Northern European cities are broiling in record-breaking summer heat.
L.A.’s Incentive for Urban Farming Fails to Take Root
Hardly any lots have received a tax break so far under the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones program.
Climate Change May Cause 26,000 More U.S. Suicides by 2050
Unusually hot days have profound effects on mental health and human physiology.