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A blurry image of a line of people wading through floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Beaumont Place, Houston, Texas, 2017

1.5 Degrees of Global Warming—Are We There Yet?

November 2, 2026 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalMolly Bergen

Here’s where the world stands in its fight against climate change. The end goal remains the same.

Jane Martin with the nebulizer and medications she uses at her home in Gloster, Mississippi, on September 20, 2025.

A Small Town in Mississippi Battles the International Biomass Industry

November 2, 2026 DispatchMississippi, United KingdomClara Chaisson

When the Drax wood pellet plant came to Gloster, reports of lung disease soon followed.

A woman prepares homemade spaghetti in a kitchen using bamboo tongs.

Is Bamboo Always Sustainable?

October 26, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesShelia Hu

This versatile plant is popping up in more and more consumer products, but when it comes to eco-friendly shopping, the details matter.

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A Fund for Cleaning Up Coal Mining’s Toxic Legacy Dries Up

April 27, 2026 ExplainerUnited States, Pennsylvania, Illinois, West VirginiaSusan Cosier

As rural communities seek to move on from polluted pasts, funds to address thousands of abandoned mines and wells are coming up short.

The Endangered Species Act Under Attack

March 19, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

The Trump administration takes aim at imperiled wildlife and the public servants who help protect them.

Venezuela’s Oil Resources Are Vast (and Should Stay Underground)

March 19, 2026 ExplainerVenezuela, United States, InternationalMolly Bergen

The pursuit of the world’s dirtiest oil would cost more than $100 billion, involve the U.S. military, and sabotage climate efforts.

Should Harmful Pesticides Come with Warning Labels?

March 5, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

As lawsuits over Roundup bloom and activists across the political spectrum push for safer foods, the issue of chemical company liability heads to the Supreme Court and beyond.

Mercury’s Journey from Coal-Burning Power Plants to Your Plate

February 23, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesSusan Cosier

The Trump administration is allowing utilities to release more of this potent neurotoxin into the environment.

How the Trump Administration Bakes Climate Denial into U.S. Policy

February 13, 2026 ExplainerUnited StatesMolly Bergen

Denying science no longer works, so the federal government is pretending the climate crisis doesn’t exist at all.

To Speed Up Climate Progress, Support for Developing Countries Is Key

January 28, 2026 ExplainerInternationalCourtney Lindwall, Shelia Hu

Here’s why follow-through on a $100 billion–per–year climate finance promise, from collecting data to determining success, remains complex but critical.

Meet the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

December 5, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

It’s one of the biggest climate players that you’ve (probably) never heard of.

The Trump Administration Wants to Take Away Protections for Endangered Species Look-Alikes

November 13, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

Here’s why the move risks bringing bog turtles, Miami blue butterflies, pallid sturgeons, and Florida panthers closer to extinction.

Why Nonstick Pans Are a Hot Mess

October 30, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesShelia Hu

The reasons to get PFAS out of cookware go far beyond the kitchen.

It’s Time to Fix Our Water-Logged National Flood Insurance Program

October 28, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer, Jeff Turrentine

The NFIP has made strides in reducing risk and promoting equity. But it’s still in hot water.

Finally, a High Seas Treaty to Protect the World’s Oceans

October 9, 2025 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer, Jeff Turrentine

A new U.N. agreement aims to bring order and conservation to what has—up to now—been an ocean of mismanagement and neglect.

The Attacks on Science Continue—This Time at the USGS

September 25, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesSusan Cosier

From sea level rise to bee populations, the agency’s wildlife and climate programs shed light on the world around us.

“Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home

September 18, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall, Molly M. Ginty

These toxic chemicals are so common in consumer products and manufacturing that they’re everywhere—including inside our bodies.

A Weakened USDA Will Hurt Small Farmers (and Everyone Else)

September 10, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesMolly Bergen

Meager budgets for farm grants and food safety and assistance programs will leave the country’s land—and people—undernourished.

Introducing Polluters Pay Laws—a New Tool for Climate Adaptation

August 21, 2025 ExplainerUnited States, Vermont, New YorkShelia Hu

As states begin to pass “climate superfund” bills, here’s a closer look at what they do and why we need them.

The Environmental Justice Movement

August 14, 2025 ExplainerUnited StatesRenee Skelton, Vernice Miller, Courtney Lindwall

Environmental justice is an important part of the struggle to improve and maintain a clean and healthful environment, especially for communities of color who have been forced to live, work, and play closest to sources of pollution.