As researchers around the world begin work on the next U.N. climate assessment, fears are growing that the Trump administration could meddle with critical U.S. climate data. In response, scientists are preparing to transfer vast troves of that data to repositories in Germany.
-
INTERVIEW
From Indigenous Loss, a Potent Legal Argument on Climate
Human rights lawyer Julian Aguon explores how warming threatens not only the survival of small island nations but also the traditions of their Indigenous peoples. He is citing these injuries in legal actions, including in a major victory at the International Court of Justice last year.
-
Biodiversity
Sargassum Superbloom: Seaweed Scourge or Ecological Boon?
Stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, a massive bloom of sargassum seaweed is swamping beaches and killing coastal wildlife. But scientists have discovered the floating algae also shelters a vast array of ocean creatures, and some are now calling for its protection.
-
Oceans
A Surge of Marine Heat Waves Threatens to Scramble Ocean Life
Fueled by climate change and a strengthening El Niño, record-setting marine heat waves are gripping oceans worldwide and playing havoc with sea life. Mounting evidence from recent events suggests the damage could be severe and long-lasting, both onshore and off.
E360 FILM CONTEST WINNER
Filipino Cacao Growers Learn to Live With a Hotter Climate
In “Chocolates Melting Away” — the First-Place Winner of the 2026 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest — Breech Asher Harani explores how cacao growers in the Philippines are developing new techniques to protect their crops from increasingly turbulent weather.
E360 Digest
-
Microplastics in Soil a ‘Trojan Horse’ for Toxins
Microplastics act like a “Trojan horse,” delivering pollutants, pesticides, and bacteria through the soil, a five-year multinational research project has found. More about Microplastics in Soil a ‘Trojan Horse’ for Toxins →
-
At Least 124 Environmental Defenders Killed Worldwide Last Year
At least 124 people were murdered last year for defending their forests, farms, or waterways from destruction or degradation, according to a stark new report. Its authors say that deep cuts to foreign aid by wealthy nations have weakened human rights groups that support environmental defenders. More about At Least 124 Environmental Defenders Killed Worldwide Last Year →
-
Iceland, One of Three Countries That Still Hunts Whales, Considers Ban
Iceland is one of just three countries, along with Norway and Japan, that still allows commercial whaling in its waters, but that may be about to change. The Icelandic government will put forward a bill in February that could ban the practice. More about Iceland, One of Three Countries That Still Hunts Whales, Considers Ban →
Never miss an article. Subscribe to the E360 Newsletter for weekly updates delivered to your inbox. Sign Up.
Policy
A Hard-Won Rule to Cut Chemical Plant Pollution Is Being Unraveled
In 2024, the Biden administration enacted wide-ranging regulations to protect communities near petrochemical plants from air toxics. The Trump administration has since granted exemptions to scores of polluting facilities and is working to rewrite the long-awaited rule.
-
E360 FILM CONTEST
A Bicycle Journey Across Brazil to Find a Vanishing Savanna
In “Here There Was Cerrado” — the Second-Place Winner of the 2026 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest — Natascha Otoya shows how industrial farms are plowing up the Brazilian savanna, changing the flow of water, and skewing human memory of the landscape.
-
OPINION
For America’s Rarest Wildlife, Survival May Hinge on a Single Word
For 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has defined "harm" as not just injury to individuals but to the habitat on which they depend. By narrowing that definition, the Trump administration is leaving hundreds of species at risk of extinction.
-
Biodiversity
‘Wastelands’ No More: India Charts a Future for Its Grasslands
Since the colonial era, India has regarded its native savannas as little more than degraded forests. Now, amid a growing recognition of rangelands globally, officials are working to map the nation's ailing grasslands, with a view to restoring these vital ecosystems.
