Features
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Why the Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement May Ultimately Win
The fossil fuel divestment campaign has so far persuaded only a handful of universities and investment funds to change their policies. But if the movement can help shift public opinion about climate change, its organizers say, it will have achieved its primary goal.
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With Camera Drones, New Tool For Viewing and Saving Nature
Filmmaker Thomas Lennon says camera drones have opened up dramatic new possibilities for seeing the natural world and inspiring the public to protect it. In an e360 interview, he talks about how his drone video from the Delaware River illustrates the potential of this new technology.
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Alien Islands: Why Killing Rats Is Essential to Save Key Wildlife
Alien rats introduced by ships are decimating populations of birds and other wildlife on islands from the sub-Antarctic to California. Effective programs to eradicate the rats are underway but are encountering opposition from animal activists and some green groups.
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The High Environmental Cost Of Illicit Marijuana Cultivation
Marijuana growers are ravaging forests in northern California to produce their lucrative crop. In a Yale Environment 360 interview, biologist Mary Power talks about the massive ecological footprint of marijuana growing and why nationwide legalization could help alleviate it.
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Resilience: A New Conservation Strategy for a Warming World
As climate change puts ecosystems and species at risk, conservationists are turning to a new approach: preserving those landscapes that are most likely to endure as the world warms.
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How Can We Make People Care About Climate Change?
Norwegian psychologist Per Espen Stoknes has studied why so many people have remained unconcerned about climate change. In a Yale Environment 360 interview, he talks about the psychological barriers to public action on climate and how to overcome them.
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A Clash of Green and Brown: Germany Struggles to End Coal
A recent battle over imposing a “climate fee” on coal-fired power plants highlights Germany’s continuing paradox: Even as the nation aspires to be a renewable energy leader, it is exploiting its vast reserves of dirty brown coal.
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Why a Leading Indian Politician Is Now an Environmental Hawk
Former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh believes the “cult” of unfettered economic growth has been ruinous for India’s environment. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he talks about his vision of “green growth,” which he says is essential for his nation’s future.
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On an Unspoiled Caribbean Isle, Grand Plans for Big Tourist Port
East Caicos is a tropical jewel — the largest uninhabitated island in the Caribbean and home to rare birds and pristine turtle-nesting beaches. But plans for a giant port for cruise and cargo ships could change it forever.
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Unnatural Disaster: How Climate Helped Cause India’s Big Flood
The flood that swept through the Indian state of Uttarakhand two years ago killed thousands. Now researchers are saying that melting glaciers and shifting storm tracks played a major role in the disaster and should be a warning about how global warming could lead to more catastrophic floods in the future.
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A Little Fish with Big Impact In Trouble on U.S. West Coast
Scientists are concerned that officials waited too long to order a ban on U.S. Pacific sardine fishing that goes into effect July 1. The dire state of the sardine population is a cautionary tale about overharvesting these and other forage fish that are a critical part of the marine food web.
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Cloning a Mammoth: Science Fiction or Conservation Tool?
Biologist Beth Shapiro has published a new book that looks at the many questions — both technical and ethical — surrounding any attempt to revive extinct species. In a Yale Environment 360 interview, she explains why she believes new genetic technology could benefit critical ecosystems.
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Beyond the Perfect Drought: California’s Real Water Crisis
The record-breaking drought in California is not chiefly the result of low precipitation. Three factors — rising temperatures, groundwater depletion, and a shrinking Colorado River — mean the most populous U.S. state will face decades of water shortages and must adapt.
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Despite Hurdles, Solar Power in Australia Is Too Robust to Kill
No nation has as high a penetration of residential solar as Australia, with one in five homes now powered by the sun. And while the government has slashed incentives, solar energy continues to grow, thanks to a steep drop in the cost of PV panels and the country’s abundant sunshine.
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Oil Drilling in Arctic Ocean: A Push into Uncharted Waters
As the U.S. and Russia take the first steps to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic Ocean, experts say the harsh climate, icy seas, and lack of infrastructure means a sizeable oil spill would be very difficult to clean up and could cause extensive environmental damage.
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Genetically Modified Mosquito Sparks a Controversy in Florida
Officials in the Florida Keys are seeking to use a GM mosquito that could help prevent a recurrence of dengue fever there. But fears among some residents — which scientists say are unfounded — are slowing the release of mosquitoes whose offspring are genetically programmed to die.
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A New Face at the Helm of The Oldest U.S. Green Group
The Sierra Club has chosen Aaron Mair as its president, the first African-American to lead the largest U.S. environmental organization. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he talks about the lack of diversity in the environmental movement and what can be done to change that.
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Oasis at Risk: Oman’s Ancient Water Channels Are Drying Up
Since pre-Islamic times, Oman’s water systems known as aflaj have brought water from the mountains and made the desert bloom. But now, unregulated pumping of groundwater is depleting aquifers and causing the long-reliable channels to run dry.
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Surge in Renewables Remakes California’s Energy Landscape
Thanks to favorable geography, innovative government policies, and businesses that see the benefits of clean energy investments, California is closing in on its goal of generating a third of its electricity from renewables by 2020.
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A Grassroots Effort to Save Africa’s Most Endangered Ape
The Cross River gorilla population in equatorial Africa has been pushed to the brink of extinction. In a Yale Environment 360 interview, a Nigerian scientist working to save the gorillas describes how local villagers are vital to protecting these apes.
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In South Korea, An Innovative Push to Cut Back on Food Waste
In the second in an e360 video series, filmmaker Karim Chrobog travels to Seoul, South Korea, which has implemented a high-tech initiative that has dramatically reduced its food waste. Seoul’s efforts could serve as a model for how a major city can recycle discarded food and keep it out of landfills.