Palestinians cross the desiccated Wadi Gaza as they return home to northern Gaza last month.

The war in Gaza has taken a heavy toll on the environment, with water supplies contaminated, raw sewage pouring into the Mediterranean, once-fertile soils ruined, and the land stripped of trees. Experts say the extent of the damage needs to be tallied to help plan for a recovery.

By Fred Pearce

WILDLIFE

Deadly Encounter: Mountain Lion Attacks Spark Controversy

A mountain lion attack that killed a young California man last year has reignited a debate over how the big cats should be managed. Some are calling for renewed hunting of the animals, while others are advocating nonlethal methods of instilling a fear of humans in the big cats.

By Jim Robbins

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The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, January 7.

INTERVIEW

Whiplash: How Big Swings in Precipitation Fueled the L.A. Fires

Climate scientist Daniel Swain says that two very wet years followed by a very dry one helped to turn the Los Angeles wildfires into raging infernos. This phenomenon of “hydroclimate whiplash,” he says, is expected to occur in more and more places as the world warms.

By Elizabeth Kolbert

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