Alaska’s Tongass is the world’s largest temperate rainforest and a sanctuary for wildlife. The Trump administration’s plan to rescind a rule banning roads in wild areas of national forests would open untouched parts of the Tongass and other forests to logging and development.
-
INTERVIEW
Pakistan’s Solar Revolution Is Bringing Power to the People
Fed up with pricey electricity from an unreliable grid, Pakistanis have snapped up cheap solar panels. In an interview, Muhammad Mustafa Amjad, of Islamabad-based Renewables First, says his country can stand as a model for other nations as they transition away from fossil fuels.
-
Food & Agriculture
In Uganda, Deadly Landslides Force an Agricultural Reckoning
As growing populations denude its slopes and heavy rain intensifies, Mount Elgon has become increasingly vulnerable to landslides. In response, Ugandan farmers are planting native trees and changing the crops they plant in efforts to build resilience against future disasters.
-
Energy
Why U.S. Geothermal May Advance, Despite Political Headwinds
The Trump administration is outwardly hostile to clean energy sourced from solar and wind. But thanks to close ties to the fossil fuel industry and new technological breakthroughs, U.S. geothermal power may survive the GOP assaults on support for renewables and even thrive.
Climate
Lightning Strikes the Arctic: What Will It Mean for the Far North?
A warmer world is expected to bring more thunderstorms, especially at higher latitudes. Scientists are now reporting a dramatic surge in lightning in the Far North and are scrambling to parse how this could affect wildfires, the chemistry of the atmosphere, and Arctic ecosystems.
E360 Digest
-
Research Details Devastating Toll of Colonization on Pacific Northwest Wildlife
When Europeans arrived to the Pacific Northwest, they spread smallpox that devastated the Indigenous people, plundered stocks of salmon and herring, hunted down deer and other game, and built sprawling cities and ports. New research tallies the profound impact on wildlife. More about Research Details Devastating Toll of Colonization on Pacific Northwest Wildlife →
-
Clearcutting Can Lead to Severe Floods, But It Doesn’t Have To
It has long been understood that clearcutting forests leads to more runoff, worsening flooding. But a new study finds that logging can reshape watersheds in surprising ways, leading to dramatically more flooding in some forests, while having little effect on others. More about Clearcutting Can Lead to Severe Floods, But It Doesn’t Have To →
-
Ice Recovered from European Alps Holds 12,000-Year Record of History
Glacial ice offers a detailed record of the atmosphere, preserved in discrete layers, providing researchers with a valuable tool for studying planetary history. A sample taken from a glacier in the European Alps dates back at least 12,000 years, making it the oldest ice yet recovered from the region. More about Ice Recovered from European Alps Holds 12,000-Year Record of History →
Never miss an article. Subscribe to the E360 Newsletter for weekly updates delivered to your inbox. Sign Up.
NATURAL DEFENSES
How Restored Wetlands Can Protect Europe from Russian Invasion
The flooding of Ukraine’s Irpin valley thwarted Russia’s assault on Kyiv in 2022. Now, scientists are proposing Europe create a band of restored and protected wetlands along its eastern borders to deter future Russian aggression, and military strategists are taking notice.
-
Food & Agriculture
In War Zones, a Race to Save Key Seeds Needed to Feed the World
In conflict areas from Ukraine to Palestine, storage facilities holding seeds vital for future plant breeding are being lost. Scientists are rushing to send some remaining seeds to a “doomsday” vault in Norway so they can be available to provide food crops in a warming world.
-
RIVERS
A Win for Farmers and Tribes Brings New Hope to the Klamath
In the long-contentious Klamath River watershed, an experiment that turned a barley field into a wetland not only improved water quality. It also offered a path forward for restoring populations of two endangered fish species that are of cultural importance to Native tribes.
-
Solutions
Deconstructing Buildings: The Quest for New Life for Old Wood
A growing number of cities have launched initiatives to reuse the wood waste from construction and demolition that now ends up in landfills. The challenge, proponents say, is to deploy new techniques for disassembling old buildings and markets for repurposing the salvaged wood.
