As the world’s largest producer of advanced computer chips, Taiwan is struggling to meet demand for electricity. Highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, soon to shutter its last nuclear plant, and slow to build out renewables, the island is heading toward an energy crunch.
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PHOTO ESSAY
Eye on the Fertile Crescent: Life Along the Mideast’s Fabled Rivers
A series of dams and years of conflict have transformed the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which gave rise to some of the world’s earliest civilizations. Kurdish photographer Murat Yazar focused his lens on these rivers of his homeland and on the people who live alongside them.
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Policy
Fortress Conservation: Can a Congo Tribe Return to Its Forest?
An African Union ruling finds that parts of a Congo national park should be returned to the Batwa people, who were evicted decades ago. Advocates say the ruling must be implemented and that the Batwa will need support to protect the park’s rare gorillas and other wildlife.
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Cities
Slowly but Surely, U.S. School Buses Are Starting to Electrify
With support from a $5 billion EPA program, school districts across the country are starting to switch from polluting diesel to electric buses. Advocates point to the health benefits for children and communities but say more needs to be done to promote this transition.
Food & Agriculture
How Agroforestry Could Help Revitalize America’s Corn Belt
By practicing agroforestry — growing trees alongside crops and livestock, for example — farmers can improve soils, produce nutrient-rich foods, and build resilience to climate change. Now, a movement is emerging to bring this approach to the depleted lands of the Corn Belt.
E360 Digest
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To Boost Renewables, Analysts Say, Cut Red Tape and Build Power Lines
The world is nearly on track to triple renewable power by the end of this decade. A major barrier to meeting that goal, or surpassing it, analysts say, is the speed of permitting wind and solar projects and of building new transmission lines. More about To Boost Renewables, Analysts Say, Cut Red Tape and Build Power Lines →
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Flooding, Not Lockdowns, Drove Methane Surge During Pandemic, Study Finds
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Earth saw a surge in emissions of heat-trapping methane. While some research shows the spike was related to the global drop in traffic during the pandemic, a new study suggests the sudden rise in methane levels was mostly due to flooding in the tropics. More about Flooding, Not Lockdowns, Drove Methane Surge During Pandemic, Study Finds →
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Extinct Volcanoes Could Be Source of Key Metals Needed for Clean Tech
Scientists have found that some extinct volcanoes, which have not erupted for thousands or millions of years, may contain key metals used in clean energy. More about Extinct Volcanoes Could Be Source of Key Metals Needed for Clean Tech →
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Biodiversity
With Hotter, Drier Weather, California’s Joshua Trees Are in Trouble
In the Mojave Desert, rising temperatures, less rainfall, and more intense wildfires are killing off Joshua trees. California officials are working on a plan to protect the distinctive yucca tree and its desert ecosystem by establishing refuges and controlling development.
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E360 Film Contest Winner
A Solitary Herder Cares for His Goats and the Bay Area Hills
In “Way of the Shepherd” — the First-Place Winner of the 2024 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest — filmmaker Matthew Boyd follows a Peruvian shepherd, two tenacious border collies, and a herd of goats that are reducing overgrowth on the fire-prone Berkeley Hills.
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Climate
As ‘Doomsday’ Glacier Melts, Can an Artificial Barrier Save It?
Relatively warm ocean currents are weakening the base of Antarctica’s enormous Thwaites Glacier, whose demise could raise sea levels by as much as 7 feet. To separate the ice from those warmer ocean waters, scientists have put forward an audacious plan to erect a massive underwater curtain.
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Cities
Faced With Heavier Rains, Cities Scramble to Control Polluted Runoff
To manage contaminated stormwater, Philadelphia went all in on “green” infrastructure, like rain gardens and permeable pavement. But an increase in extreme rain events is spurring other U.S. cities to double down on traditional sewer upgrades that can handle the overflow.
