Soaring energy costs are driving a solar rush in developing countries, but as households unplug from the grid, those who remain face higher electricity bills. If governments fail to manage the buildout, the growth of solar could destabilize power systems and deepen economic inequality.
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Climate
Why Germany Is Building an Ark for U.S. Climate Data
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.
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INTERVIEW
From Indigenous Loss, a Potent Legal Argument on Climate
In an interview, human rights lawyer Julian Aguon explores how climate change is undermining the cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples. He is citing these injuries in legal actions, including in a major victory at the International Court of Justice last year.
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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 Digest
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Alaska's ‘Rusting’ Waters More Acidic Than Mine Drainage
As the Arctic warms and tundra thaws, minerals long trapped in frozen soil are leaching into rivers, turning them orange and acidic. A study from northern Alaska found “rusting” waters to be more metallic and acidic than drainage from metal mines. More about Alaska's ‘Rusting’ Waters More Acidic Than Mine Drainage →
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This Map Shows Where Warming Has Accelerated
Some parts of the globe are not just heating up, but heating up faster than they were just a few decades ago. A new analysis reveals where warming has gained pace. More about This Map Shows Where Warming Has Accelerated →
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To Deter Seals, Tasmanian Salmon Farmers Have Set Off 1,800 Bombs This Year
In the first half of this year, salmon farmers on the Australian island of Tasmania detonated nearly 1,800 underwater explosives to scare away fur seals intent on nabbing fish, government figures show. More about To Deter Seals, Tasmanian Salmon Farmers Have Set Off 1,800 Bombs This Year →
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
