Native prairie and savanna once covered vast areas of the U.S. Southeast from Maryland to Texas, but agriculture and sprawl have left only small patches remaining. Now, a new initiative, driven by scientists and local communities, is pushing to restore these imperiled grassland habitats.
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Interview
To Stop Destruction of Liberia’s Rainforest, He Put His Life on the Line
Alfred Brownell had to flee Liberia after challenging the powerful palm oil and other extractive industries that were clearing its forests. But he remains committed to seeing that the West African nation’s biodiverse lands be developed sustainably and the rights of its indigenous peoples respected.
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Opinion
Despite Industry Pleas, White House Halts Progress on Fuel Economy
In its anti-regulatory zeal, the Trump administration is moving to weaken vehicle fuel efficiency standards so much that even U.S. carmakers are balking. The administration’s hard-line stance appears likely to stall efforts to make major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
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Solutions
As Water Scarcity Increases, Desalination Plants Are on the Rise
After decades of slow progress, desalination is increasingly being used to provide drinking water around the globe. Costs for processing salt water for drinking water have dropped, but it remains an expensive option and one that creates environmental problems that must be addressed.
Analysis
Fuzzy Math: The Strategy Behind the Trump EPA’s Deregulation Push
Polluters have long exaggerated the cost of new regulations and downplayed their benefits. Now, the Trump administration is turning that approach into policy as it seeks to slash regulations governing power plant emissions and weaken other environmental laws.
E360 Digest
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EPA Announces Its Replacement of Obama-Era Power Plant Rules
The Trump administration has announced a new rule for power plants that gives states more control over setting limits on greenhouse gas emissions and requires only modest efficiency upgrades at facilities. The rule, which is expected to come into effect in the next 30 days, fulfills a campaign pledge by President Donald Trump to roll back the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. More about EPA Announces Its Replacement of Obama-Era Power Plant Rules →
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U.S. Forests Are Being Clear-Cut to Supply Biomass Energy Industry, Report Finds
Forests in the U.S. Southeast are being devastated by demand for wood pellets to power biomass energy plants in Europe and Japan, according to a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Dogwood Alliance, and the Southern Environmental Law Center. More about U.S. Forests Are Being Clear-Cut to Supply Biomass Energy Industry, Report Finds →
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High Levels of DDT Found in Remote Canadian Lakes, 50 Years After Being Banned
More than 6,280 tons of DDT were sprayed on the forests of New Brunswick, Canada to fight insect outbreaks in the 1950s and 1960s. Now, 50 years after the chemical was banned, scientists have discovered it lingering in the sediments of remote lakes at levels high enough to potentially alter entire aquatic food webs. More about High Levels of DDT Found in Remote Canadian Lakes, 50 Years After Being Banned →
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Climate
Geoengineer the Planet? More Scientists Now Say It Must Be an Option
Human intervention with the climate system has long been viewed as an ill-advised and risky step to slow global warming. But with carbon emissions soaring, initiatives to study and develop geoengineering technologies are gaining traction as a potential last resort.
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Analysis
How Green Party Gains Could Make Europe a Leader Again on Climate
In recent years, Europe’s role as a global environmental leader has been jeopardized by rising nationalism and populism. But spurred by young climate activists, the Green Party fared well in the latest European Union elections and is now well-positioned to advance bold climate initiatives.
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Interview
Tackling Climate Change? Governor Jay Inslee Has a Plan for That
Jay Inslee has made climate change the centerpiece of his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president. In an e360 interview, the Washington governor talks about why a full-scale national mobilization is needed to address what he calls an “existential crisis.”
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Policy
How an Illicit Chemical Is Jeopardizing Recovery of the Ozone Layer
An international treaty signed in 1987 officially halted production and use of chemicals that deplete the atmosphere’s critical ozone layer. But new research finds a troubling rise in emissions of a banned chemical that is being routinely used in factories in northeast China.
E360 Series
Crisis on the Colorado
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Crisis on the Colorado: Part I
The West’s Great River Hits Its Limits: Will the Colorado Run Dry?
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Crisis on the Colorado: Part II
On the Water-Starved Colorado River, Drought Is the New Normal
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Crisis on the Colorado: Part III
Running Dry: New Strategies for Conserving Water on the Colorado
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CRISIS ON THE COLORADO: PART IV
In Era of Drought, Phoenix Prepares for a Future Without Colorado River Water
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CRISIS ON THE COLORADO: PART V
Restoring the Colorado: Bringing New Life to a Stressed River