In the Delaware River and other waterways and estuaries across the United States, scientists and conservationists are restoring aquatic vegetation and beds of mussels and oysters to fight pollution and create a strong foundation for healthy ecosystems.
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E360 FILM CONTEST
A Thai Community Treasures — and Defends — Its Woodlands
“We and the Woods,” the Second Runner-Up in the 2022 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest, tells the story of an ascetic community in western Thailand whose residents have a deep connection to the forest and have banded together to protect their woodlands from logging, tourism projects, and other development.
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E360 Film Contest
In Nebraska, Bighorn Sheep Reclaim Their Former High Plains Home
In “High Plains Wild” — the Third Runner-Up in the 2022 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest — filmmaker Mariah Lundgren tells the story of efforts by wildlife biologists, conservationists, and landowners to reintroduce and sustain the magnificent bighorn sheep in Nebraska.
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Energy
More Energy on Less Land: The Drive to Shrink Solar’s Footprint
With the push for renewables leading to land-use conflicts, building highly efficient utility-scale solar farms on ever-smaller tracts of land has become a top priority. New approaches range from installing PV arrays that take up less space to growing crops between rows of panels.
Climate
Shifting Sands: Carolina’s Outer Banks Face a Precarious Future
Despite the risks of building on barrier islands, developers kept constructing homes on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Now, as sea level rises and storms become more frequent and powerful, the famed vacation spot is fighting an increasingly difficult battle to keep from washing away.
E360 Digest
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Once Feared Extinct, a Rare Hummingbird Is Rediscovered In Colombia
A rare hummingbird, not seen since 2010, has been rediscovered in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. More about Once Feared Extinct, a Rare Hummingbird Is Rediscovered In Colombia →
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A Summer of Arctic Melting Hits Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago
Elevated temperatures in the Arctic, which caused massive melting of the Greenland ice sheet during a three-day period in July, also have touched off rapid glacial melting in Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago. More about A Summer of Arctic Melting Hits Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago →
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Lack of Data May Be Hiding True Extent of Biodiversity Loss
The number of species facing extinction may be much higher than previously thought, according to a new study. More about Lack of Data May Be Hiding True Extent of Biodiversity Loss →
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Solutions
Bringing Back the Beasts: Global Rewilding Plans Take Shape
With a growing number of studies demonstrating the importance of large mammals to healthy ecosystems, scientists are proposing concrete plans to reintroduce these animals to the wild. The return of just 20 species to native habitats, they say, could be a boon to biodiversity.
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OPINION
How Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies Can Help on Climate
Voluntary family planning is too often ignored as a means to lower carbon emissions. But by making reproductive technologies more freely available, we can reduce global population — and human-caused emissions — in a manner that is consistent with personal liberties.
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Biodiversity
Will a Nile Canal Project Dry Up Africa’s Largest Wetland?
South Sudan is moving ahead with plans for a 240-mile canal to divert water from the White Nile and send it to Egypt. But critics warn the megaproject would desiccate the world’s second largest wetland, impacting its rich wildlife and the rains on which the region depends.
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Energy
Bitcoin’s Intensive Energy Demands Are Sparking a Crypto Backlash
The enormous energy demands of Bitcoin mining are prompting some U.S. municipalities to impose moratoriums or outright bans on cryptocurrency facilities. Bitcoin mining activity, critics warn, is leading to electricity price hikes and a revival of dirtier sources of power.
