The Khavda solar park in India's Rann of Kutch salt marsh. When completed, it will be the world's largest solar installation.

While China's push to modernize sparked a surge in burning coal, India is turning to increasingly cheap solar to meet its booming energy needs. Though it faces big hurdles, including a rickety grid, India's solar buildout could soon be a model for other emerging economies.

By Fred Pearce

MINING

In Coal Country, Black Lung Surges as Federal Protections Stall

While the Trump administration is directing hundreds of millions of dollars to coal projects, miners in Appalachia are suffering from a resurgence of black lung disease. But industry pushback is delaying federal rules that would reduce miners’ exposure to deadly silica dust.

By Kate Morgan

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A bull elephant in Kenya's Amboseli National Park just before his death in January at the age of 54.

Biodiversity

Older and Wiser: How Elder Animals Help Species to Survive

A growing body of research is pointing to the critical, but unappreciated, role that older animals play in ensuring the survival of wildlife populations. Conservationists say the new findings should lead to policies that protect these elders and the essential knowledge they impart.

By Stefan Lovgren

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