Freshwater fish are the most endangered group of vertebrates on earth. Now, networks of home-based aquarists are trying to save some of the most threatened species, keeping them alive in basement aquariums in the hope they might someday be reintroduced into the wild.
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Forests
Does a Fire-Ravaged Forest Need Human Help to Recover?
Rising temperatures and more frequent forest fires have reignited a longstanding debate among foresters, ecologists, and conservationists: Is logging and other human intervention needed to regenerate severely burned woodlands, or should these charred lands be left to revive on their own?
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Energy
As Subsidies Wane, Market Forces Drive the Growth of Renewables
Competitive bidding on new power installations is becoming increasingly common worldwide, with solar and wind energy now reaching parity with fossil fuels in many countries. But the rise of renewables auctions carries risks, including the elimination of smaller green energy producers.
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Analysis
After Years of Green Promises, Automakers Renege on Emissions Standards
For decades, government pressure has been needed to force U.S. automakers to agree to reduce pollution and CO2 emissions from their fleets. Now, with the Trump administration, the job of pushing Detroit to cut emissions falls to California and other environmentally minded states.
Solutions
Waste Heat: Innovators Turn to an Overlooked Renewable Resource
Nearly three-quarters of all the energy produced by humanity is squandered as waste heat. Now, large businesses, high-tech operations such as data centers, and governments are exploring innovative technologies to capture and reuse this vast renewable energy source.
E360 Digest
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To Control Red Deer Populations, A Call to Reintroduce Wolves to Scotland
A team of European scientists says that the best way to bring back gray wolves to the Scottish Highlands is to establish expansive, fenced reserves in which the wolves can cull abundant populations of red deer, which are degrading the landscape through over-grazing. More about To Control Red Deer Populations, A Call to Reintroduce Wolves to Scotland →
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Freshwater Fish More Critical to Global Food Security Than Previously Thought
Freshwater fish play an important role in global food security, particularly in low-income nations. But scientists and policymakers have never had a good grasp on exactly how much freshwater fish people eat. Now, a new survey of 548,000 households in 42 low-income countries finds families eat 9.26 million metric tons of wild-caught freshwater fish annually — 65 percent more than previously estimated. More about Freshwater Fish More Critical to Global Food Security Than Previously Thought →
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McDonald’s Will End Use of Plastic Straws at Thousands of Locations
McDonald’s plans to stop using plastic straws in all of its 1,361 restaurants in the UK and Ireland by the end of 2019, according to a company press release. It will start testing non-plastic alternatives in select locations in the United States, Belgium, France, Sweden, Norway, and Australia later this year, as well as test only giving straws upon request in markets such as Malaysia. More about McDonald’s Will End Use of Plastic Straws at Thousands of Locations →
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Eight months after Hurricane Maria damaged 80 percent of Puerto Rico’s electricity grid, energy expert Lionel Orama-Exclusa talks to e360 about how the island is missing an opportunity to transform its energy system from fossil fuels to renewables.
Food & Agriculture
How Seeds from War-Torn Syria Could Help Save American Wheat
As temperatures rise, pests and diseases are moving north into the U.S. heartland, killing crops and diminishing yields. To combat this, researchers are turning to a wild grass variety whose seeds were smuggled out of Syria as the bombs fell.
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Biodiversity
Do Conservation Strategies Need to Be More Compassionate?
Some scientists and ethicists are criticizing traditional conservation strategies, which they say focus on saving valued species while discounting the lives of less charismatic animals. Will these advocates of “compassionate conservation” point the way to new approaches, or are they simply being naïve?
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Policy
With China in the Lead, New Obstacles to Climate Progress Are Emerging
With its move toward a clean-energy future, China has become the de facto leader in international climate efforts. But is the world’s leading carbon emitter now pulling back on its commitments and offshoring its polluting industries to less developed Asian nations?
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Wildlife
Coyote Carnage: The Gruesome Truth about Wildlife Killing Contests
Coyote killing competitions, where contestants vie to shoot the most animals, are held throughout the U.S. But some hunting groups are denouncing these events as unethical, and states from New Mexico to New York are considering bans on these and other wildlife killing contests.
Our 10th Anniversary
From the E360 Archives
This month marks the 10th anniversary of Yale Environment 360. Here are some of our most popular and favorite content, including an essay by Bill McKibben that appeared on the day we launched in 2008.