Billions of sea stars, victims of a deadly wasting illness, have perished over the last decade, imperiling marine ecosystems and spurring a global hunt for a biological or environmental culprit. Recently, researchers identified a likely suspect, but the case is far from closed.
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Solutions
Plagued by Flooding, an African City Reengineers Its Wetlands
As climate change and urbanization intensify flooding in Rwanda, the capital of Kigali has embraced nature-based solutions. The city is restoring and reshaping 18,000 acres of degraded wetlands, planting native species to filter and slow runoff, and enhancing biodiversity.
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WATER
After Ruining a Treasured Water Resource, Iran Is Drying Up
Iran is looking to relocate the nation’s capital because of severe water shortages that make Tehran unsustainable. Experts say the crisis was caused by years of ill-conceived dam projects and overpumping that destroyed a centuries-old system for tapping underground reserves.
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FILM
At a Marine Field Station, Rising Seas Force an Inevitable Retreat
The scientists at a New Jersey marine station are conducting a sobering experiment: monitoring the destruction of their facility from rising waters. Oscar-winning filmmaker Thomas Lennon shows how the researchers are working to produce useful science before they must leave.
SPACE
Scientists Warn of Emissions Risks from the Surge in Satellites
With hundreds of satellites launched each year and tens of thousands more planned, scientists are increasingly concerned about an emerging problem: emissions from the fuels burned in launches and from the pollutants released when satellites and rocket stages flame out on reentry.
E360 Digest
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U.S. Gas Exports Are Pushing Up Energy Bills, Report Finds
Higher exports of liquefied natural gas in 2025 played a significant role in rising utility bills, an analysis of federal data found. More about U.S. Gas Exports Are Pushing Up Energy Bills, Report Finds →
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Photos Capture the Breathtaking Scale of China's Wind and Solar Buildout
Last year China installed more than half of all wind and solar added globally. In May alone, it added enough renewable energy to power Poland, installing solar panels at a rate of roughly 100 every second. More about Photos Capture the Breathtaking Scale of China's Wind and Solar Buildout →
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Our Changing Planet, as Seen From Space
Humans are altering the planet on an unthinkable scale, both by converting vast tracts of wilderness into farms and cities and by pouring huge volumes of heat-trapping gas into the atmosphere. The impact of these enormous changes can be seen from space. More about Our Changing Planet, as Seen From Space →
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WILDLIFE
A Troubling Rise in the Grisly Trade of a Spectacular African Bird
Researchers are finding a disturbing uptick in the trade of African hornbills and their body parts in West African voodoo markets and globally on the internet. Conservationists want international protections for these birds, which play a key role in Africa’s forest ecosystems.
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Energy
To Feed Data Centers, Pennsylvania Faces a New Fracking Surge
A rash of data centers planned for western Pennsylvania has residents and environmentalists on edge. The sprawling complexes will be powered by plants that burn fracked natural gas, whose production has caused air and water pollution in the region and has known health risks.
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MINING
In Myanmar, Illicit Rare Earth Mining Is Taking a Heavy Toll
As China has cut back on domestic extraction of rare earth minerals, uncontrolled mining in Myanmar has boomed in areas ruled by powerful ethnic armies. New reporting reveals how this activity is damaging water supplies, forests, and the health of workers and communities.
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Solutions
From Ruins to Reuse: How Ukrainians Are Repurposing War Waste
Russian bombardments have generated more than a billion tons of debris across Ukraine since 2022. Now, local and international efforts are meticulously sorting the bricks, concrete, metal, and wood, preparing these materials for a second life in new buildings and roads.
