Despite being a renewables superpower, China continues to permit and build new coal-fired power plants at a rapid pace. Analysts say the nation’s new five-year plan will ensure further coal plant expansion and jeopardize China’s ability to deliver on its climate promises.
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MINING
As Zambia Pushes New Mining, a Legacy of Pollution Looms
Zambia is expanding development of its rich deposits of critical minerals, which are needed for the global shift to renewables. But poisoning from past mining and a huge toxic spill at a mine site are raising fears that new wealth will come at a high cost for people and the environment.
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Biodiversity
Long Overlooked as Crucial to Life, Fungi Start to Get Their Due
Fungi create soil, sequester vast amounts of carbon, and contribute $55 trillion to the global economy, but knowledge about them is scarce. Now, mycologists are pushing to get the international scientific community to recognize fungi on the same level as plants and animals.
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ANALYSIS
Species Slowdown: Is Nature’s Ability to Self-Repair Stalling?
When scientists recently analyzed hundreds of studies of ecosystems, they were surprised to see a marked slowing in the rate of species turnover. If new species don’t replace old ones, they say, ecosystems may have less flexibility to respond to habitat loss and climate change.
Solutions
The E.U.’s Burgeoning Repair Movement Is Set to Get a Boost
Europe’s new Right to Repair Directive will make it easier — and cheaper — for consumers to get their household goods fixed, rather than buy something new. Part of the E.U.’s Green Deal, the plan is expected to slash waste, promote recycling, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
E360 Digest
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Experts Failing to Account for Ripple Effects from Extreme Weather, Paper Warns
A drought in Russia led to riots in Egypt. Fires in Canada fueled deadly pollution in Spain. Extreme weather can have knock-on effects in faraway places that are not well understood and rarely accounted for in planning, a new paper warns. More about Experts Failing to Account for Ripple Effects from Extreme Weather, Paper Warns →
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European Stoves Leaking Cancer-Causing Benzene
Benzene, a compound linked with leukemia and other blood cancers, is leaking from gas stoves in Europe, a new study finds. More about European Stoves Leaking Cancer-Causing Benzene →
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World's Freshwater Fish in Crisis, U.N. Report Finds
Over the last half century, populations of migratory freshwater fish have dropped by 81 percent, according to a stark new U.N. report. More about World's Freshwater Fish in Crisis, U.N. Report Finds →
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Gray wolves made an uneasy comeback in the Northern Rockies and are struggling to return to the Southwest. But legislation now working its way through Congress is being spurred by misinformation and myth, rather than science, and threatens to end wolf recovery in the U.S.
Biodiversity
Baboon Raiders: In Cape Town, Can Big Primates and People Coexist?
For years, baboons have roamed Cape Town suburbs, entering yards and houses in search of food. Now officials have a conservation plan aimed at reducing conflicts between the large primates and people — but like most things baboon-related here, it is sparking heated controversy.
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OPINION
Beyond ‘Endangerment’: Finding a Way Forward for U.S. on Climate
Environmentalists are challenging the EPA’s repeal of the “endangerment finding,” which empowered it to regulate greenhouse gases. Whether or not the action holds up in court, now is the time to develop climate strategies that can be pursued when the political balance shifts.
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Energy
How Ukraine Is Turning to Renewables to Keep Heat and Lights On
Russia continues to bomb Ukraine’s fossil-fueled power plants, leaving much of the nation shivering during a brutal winter. But Ukraine’s new emphasis on developing decentralized power — from solar panels to wind turbines — is advancing an unexpected green energy transition.
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Policy
U.S. Push for Greenland’s Minerals Faces Harsh Arctic Realities
President Trump has made access to Greenland’s vast reserves of critical minerals a focus of ongoing negotiations. But experts say the U.S. is underestimating the difficulties of mining in a rapidly changing Arctic region that is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth.
Living With Wildlife
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As Jaguars Recover, Will the Border Wall Block Their U.S. Return?
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Despite Criticism, the Last of the Rattlesnake Roundups Hang On
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As Wolf Populations Rebound, an Angry Backlash Intensifies
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Octopuses Are Highly Intelligent. Should They Be Farmed for Food?
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Deadly Encounter: Mountain Lion Attacks Spark Controversy