US cities were designed and engineered around cars. Now some are working to increase walking and biking, but the shift isn't easy.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Street safety
Analysis and Comment
There are precedents regarding power generation and ethanol but no nation has ever achieved as comprehensive and dramatic this fast.
It will be hard and complicated to replace Venezuela's heavy sour crude.
An Obama administration veteran offers some insights from his experience about driving massive increases in clean energy.
It's often more effective, cheaper and less controversial than other efforts to confront climate change.
Urban farming can make it easier for city residents to obtain healthy, affordable food. But to raise big yields from small pieces of land, farmers need training and support.
US agriculture is dominated by large farms that rely on chemical inputs. In contrast, regenerative farming makes land and water healthier by mimicking nature instead of trying to control it.
Whether to attending a conferences or giving in to a meeting, the global research community is keen on air travel. That’s a habit that needs to change.
Can a new government, perhaps by shoring up democracy and oversight, harness this commodity for peace and prosperity?
Dozens of cities, states and nations are enacting bans and restrictions on single-use plastic bags and other items. A legal expert explains how a global treaty could build on these efforts.
The coal, oil and natural gas industries are also connected with human rights violations, public health disasters and environmental devastation.
Polls suggest that the majority of Americans think climate change is real, is caused by humans and needs to be addressed. But climate change isn't a priority when Americans go to vote.
The Trump administration wants to end federal protection under the Clean Water Act for many small streams and wetlands. But as a geoscientist explains, these are critical parts of large river systems.
Marshes, swamps and other kinds of wetlands provide valuable services, such as effective natural flood control. But they are being destroyed for development in many parts of the world.
An atmospheric scientist explains why water can do some strange-looking things at very cold temperatures, and what's different about snowfalls on Mars.
These technologies could turn into a powerful tool for fighting global warming, and they have the potential to address historical climate injustices.
Making electric grids better able to withstand extreme weather events will require teamwork from engineers, researchers and the government.
Life-threatening cold temperatures in the central US are caused by changes in wind circulation in the Arctic that bring cold air south. Climate change could make these events more frequent.
Nearly 1,800 Brazilian dams are at risk of failure, according to the government. Fixing them is expensive – but ignoring aging dams can have considerable social, economic and environmental costs.
Fifty years after a major oil spill in Santa Barbara helped launch the environmental movement, Californians strongly oppose the Trump administration's push to expand offshore drilling.
It's cheaper to prevent biological invasions than to react after they happen. But it's hard to detect invaders while there are still just a few of them. Knowing when and where to look can help.
Climate change is happening and will intensify in coming decades. Some experts say it's time for a triage strategy that focuses investments where they are most likely to have an impact.
Snorkeling off the California coast, a high school student found heaps of golf balls on the ocean floor. With a marine scientist, she showed that golf courses were producing tons of plastic pollution.
What is the best way to conserve US national parks in a climate-altered future? One answer is connecting parks and other public lands, so plants and animals can shift their ranges.
Distrusting large federal bureaucracies isn't reserved for conservatives anymore.
There are ways to reduce the risk of protests like France's yellow vests movement.
Fixes for small pieces of massive problems show that overarching crises may be less hopeless than they appear.
Research into volcanic activity in the waters off Indonesia shows how active this region is and how destructive landslide-caused tsunamis can be.
Researchers unpack the vast impact of plastic on our society – from emerging health worries and pollution to recycling and plastic's contributions to modern convenience.
Many homes, parks and businesses in US cities stand on former manufacturing sites that may have left legacy hazardous wastes behind. A new book calls for more research into our urban industrial past.
Research and News
In a global economy, passing laws to conserve forests, fisheries or other natural resources can simply shift demand for those goods to other countries or regions where they aren't as well protected.
Satellites hundreds of miles overheard are helping scientists to predict drought, track floods and see how climate change is changing access to water resources.
Minorities are driving the bicycling boom, but bike infrastructure investments often neglect their needs. A new study explores what riders in low-income and minority neighborhoods want.
Fertilizer is a key source of nitrogen pollution which fouls air and water worldwide. Current regulations target farmers, but focusing on producers could spur them to develop greener products.
Climate change
The results of a study that measured public responses to a policy aimed at reducing carbon emissions contradict a common environmental concern.
As climate change alters temperature and precipitation patterns across the US, it is having especially severe impacts on national parks. These changes could happen faster than many plants and animals can adapt.
Social justice
Communities that are majority black, Hispanic or Native American are over 50 percent more vulnerable to wildfire compared to other communities.
Brazil's new president could clear the way for plans to develop remote areas around the Tapajos River basin over the objections of the indigenous people who live there.
Animal science
How do you pack butterflies for shipping, or frogs for an overland hike to a new habitat? Three scientists explain how they keep threatened species safe on the road and in the air.
Bison once dominated the Great Plains but were nearly wiped out by hunters in the 1800s. Now scientists are learning that bison's presence improves plant and wildlife diversity on the prairies.
Politics and the environment
Data gathered from EPA reports, staffers and retirees show the Trump administration has brought fewer environmental enforcement actions to conclusion and deferred more to states.
Conservative skeptics of climate change may support projects focused on 'resilience' – for example, preparing a community for future major weather events.
Research and Expert Database
Colombian researchers hope to revive an endangered species by rehabilitating monkeys confiscated from smugglers. The captive animals' struggles show that survival is not guaranteed.
Ensuring that everyone doesn't charge their cars simultaneously will make a big difference.
Trump's energy plan may meet the letter of the law but the Affordable Clean Energy Plan reflects the administration's clear agenda to move slowly or not at all on climate change.
Research is yielding strategies for making plastics greener and more sustainable. But without support as they scale up, new versions will struggle to compete with well-established synthetic plastics.
As California reels from another devastating fire season, environmental resource scholars explain how the state – and other fire-prone areas – can better prepare and coexist with wildfires.
The Grand Canyon, which marks 100 years as a national park on Feb. 26, 2019, is known today as an iconic natural wonder. But early European visitors weren't impressed.
From bird songs to wind patterns, sound is a key but often underappreciated element of natural places. Learning how to listen to nature can alert us to changes in the environment before we see them.
Reporters who cover environment and natural resource issues are commonly threatened and harassed around the world. Some have been killed for coverage that threatens powerful interests.
Raising livestock has clear impacts on the environment, but contrary to what many critics say, it is not the biggest driver of climate change.
The fossa, Madagascar's largest predator, is a cat-like carnivore that eats everything from insects to lemurs. Because they are rare and elusive, scientists know very little about them, including how many there are.
The ocean floor holds unique information about Earth's history. Scientific ocean drilling, which started 50 years ago, has yielded insights into climate change, geohazards and the key conditions for life.
A big spill in Michigan's Straits of Mackinac could have devastating consequences. But does replacing the pipeline running beneath it make sense in a warming world?
Widespread flooding in North Carolina from Hurricane Florence shows the need for better advance planning in inland areas of the south and mid-Atlantic, especially near rivers.
Several states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have developed ambitious renewable energy targets that hinge in large part on getting their power from turbines stationed in the water.
Many people who live near large-scale livestock farms complain about noxious smells, air and water pollution and health risks. With little help from regulators, they are turning to lawsuits.
Most Read past week
- Why US cities are becoming more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians
- Bike-friendly cities should be designed for everyone, not just for wealthy white cyclists
- Why stop at plastic bags and straws? The case for a global treaty banning most single-use plastics
- Satellites reveal a new view of Earth’s water from space
- Michigan says Flint water is safe to drink, but residents’ trust in government has corroded
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