E360 Video Contest Winner
Island in the Fires: A Forest Sanctuary for Orangutans Hangs On
The winner of the 2017 Yale Environment 360 Video Contest explores how logging and prolonged fire seasons on the island of Borneo are menacing the world’s largest population of orangutans as well as other endangered primates.
-
Interview
Paul Hawken on One Hundred Solutions to the Climate Crisis
Environmentalist Paul Hawken believes that to motivate action on climate change, the focus needs to be on solutions rather the problem. And, he says, those solutions – from changing the type of refrigerants used to reducing food waste – are already here.
-
Biodiversity
Should Genetic Engineering Be Used as a Tool for Conservation?
Researchers are considering ways to use synthetic biology for such conservation goals as eradicating invasive species or strengthening endangered coral. But environmentalists are worried about the ethical questions and unwanted consequences of this new gene-altering technology.
-
Climate
Heritage at Risk: How Rising Seas Threaten Ancient Coastal Ruins
The shores of Scotland’s Orkney Islands are dotted with ruins that date to the Stone Age. But after enduring for millennia, these archaeological sites – along with many others from Easter Island to Jamestown – are facing an existential threat from climate change.
Opinion
The Energy Secretary Is Wrong: The Grid is Ready for Renewables
U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry is expected to issue a report saying renewables pose a threat to the electricity grid. But the truth is that advances in technology and battery storage are making the grid ever-more capable of accommodating wind and solar power.
E360 Digest
-
Australia is Building a 1,250-Mile Highway for Electric Vehicles
Australia will install 18 electric vehicle fast-charging stations along a nearly 1,250-mile stretch of coastal highway in Queensland, creating one of the world’s longest EV roadways, Reuters reported. More about Australia is Building a 1,250-Mile Highway for Electric Vehicles →
-
The World Lost a Nebraska-Sized Chunk of Forest in 2015
The world lost nearly 49 million acres of forest in 2015 to logging, wildfires, palm oil plantations, and other development activity, according to new data by the conservation group Global Forest Watch. That is equal to an area roughly the size of Nebraska, Climate Central reported. More about The World Lost a Nebraska-Sized Chunk of Forest in 2015 →
-
Senators Reject Budget Cuts to Science and Energy Programs
U.S. senators have rejected efforts by the White House to slash funding for energy and scientific research, calling the cuts “short-sighted” in a report published by the Senate Appropriations Committee. More about Senators Reject Budget Cuts to Science and Energy Programs →
Support environmental journalism: E360's in-depth reporting, analysis, and commentary depend on readers like you. Donate Now
Biodiversity
Can the Monarch Highway Help Save a Butterfly Under Siege?
The population of North American monarch butterflies has plummeted from 1 billion to 33 million in just two decades. Now, a project is underway to revive the monarch by making an interstate highway the backbone of efforts to restore its dwindling habitat.
-
Opinion
Memo to the President: Support for Green Climate Fund Puts America First
President Trump plans to end U.S. contributions to the Green Climate Fund, which helps developing countries finance climate-related projects. But his decision ignores the reality that this cost-effective global initiative protects the strategic interests of the United States.
-
Energy
Could a Trade Dispute with China Bring an End to U.S. Solar Boom?
Low-cost solar cells produced in China have helped power the recent surge in the U.S. solar industry. But a case now before the federal International Trade Commission could lead to tariffs that would jeopardize U.S. solar’s rapid growth.
-
Biodiversity
Why the World’s Rivers Are Losing Sediment and Why It Matters
Vast amounts of river-borne sediment are trapped behind the world’s large dams, depriving areas downstream of material that is badly needed to build up the marshes and wetlands that act as a buffer against rising seas.
New Tools for Conservation
Advances in technology are providing scientists and conservationists with new tools for protecting the planet.