Despite continued opposition, the World Bank has approved the first of five big dam projects expected to get its support in the coming months. Climate change has upped the need for renewable energy, but the environmental and social costs of building such massive projects remain.
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Biodiversity
As Wolf Populations Rebound, an Angry Backlash Intensifies
The reintroduction of endangered wolves to Yellowstone National Park 30 years ago was a major conservation victory. But as wolves have spread across the West, anger and resentment at the apex predator has escalated, with hunters in some states increasingly targeting them.
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INTERVIEW
Can Support for Clean Energy Withstand Changing Political Winds?
With billions in investment flowing to GOP districts, Donald Trump’s plans to repeal clean energy tax credits face Republican resistance. In an e360 interview, political scientist Leah Stokes, who helped craft U.S. climate law, talks about the new politics of renewable energy.
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Energy
As Drought Shrivels Hydro, This African Nation Pivots to Solar
An unprecedented drought has lowered reservoirs in hydropower-dependent Zambia, leading to economically crippling blackouts and spurring a push for solar. With multiple utility-scale arrays now in the works, the country is betting on solar to increase its power capacity by a third.
BIOECONOMY
Will UN Carbon Market Work? Indonesia Will Provide First Test
A U.N. carbon market is expected to open as soon as next year, with carbon-rich Indonesia planning to generate billions of dollars in credits from its vast rainforests. But critics say the trading system is susceptible to fraud and errors that will undermine emissions goals.
E360 Digest
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Ten Remarkable Plants and Fungi Named by Science This Year
In 2024, researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, recorded 172 new species of plants and fungi across the globe, from England to Cameroon. More about Ten Remarkable Plants and Fungi Named by Science This Year →
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Carnivorous Squirrels Discovered in California
Scientists have discovered that in addition to seeds and nuts, some California ground squirrels also eat voles. More about Carnivorous Squirrels Discovered in California →
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Expelling Batwa From Their Land Did Nothing to Help Endangered Gorilla, Study Finds
For decades, Congolese officials have barred the Batwa from their ancestral lands in the name of preserving the critically endangered eastern lowland gorilla. But a new study suggests the Batwa were never a threat to the creatures. More about Expelling Batwa From Their Land Did Nothing to Help Endangered Gorilla, Study Finds →
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ANALYSIS
Trump 2.0: This Time the Stakes for Climate Are Even Higher
Donald Trump has promised to halt federal climate action and repeal the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, which provides unprecedented spending for clean energy. The market momentum for renewables and efforts by states and cities may be the only hope for U.S. climate progress.
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Oceans
As Ocean Waters Warm, a Race to Breed Heat-Resistant Coral
Around the world, researchers are working on a range of projects that aim to enhance corals’ resistance to marine heat waves. In a promising sign, a U.K. team recently became the first to quantify an uptick in heat tolerance among adult corals selectively bred for the trait.
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Energy
Will Hydrogen Hubs Be a Clean Energy Boom or Boondoggle?
As part of a $7 billion investment in hydrogen, the U.S. Department of Energy is committed to building a network of hydrogen facilities and pipelines centered in southeast Pennsylvania. Critics are questioning the project’s expense and its net savings in carbon emissions.
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Solutions
Greening Concrete: A Major Emitter Inches Toward Carbon Neutrality
Concrete is the most ubiquitous man-made building material on the planet, but making it generates massive amounts of CO2 emissions. Companies are experimenting with ways to green the process, from slashing the use of limestone to capturing the carbon generated when it’s burned.
