Climate and Environment

Likely in its last decade, a Czech coal mine provides fuel for electricity and heat

With just the light of a headlamp, workers — their bodies and clothes covered in soot and dust — effortlessly navigate the mines, drilling the deposits underground. Others load cars to take the rocks to the surface, where huge piles of it lie ready to be transported to power plants.

Drought is parching the world’s largest man-made lake, stripping Zambia of its electricity

Profiles in clean energy: Once incarcerated, expert moves students into climate-solution careers

Climate change gave significant boost to Milton’s destructive rain, winds, scientists say

Colombia’s river guardians battle to protect the Atrato amid threats and abandonment

Shares in India’s Adani Group plunge 20% after US bribery, fraud indictments

Asia’s controversial richest man, Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, is again in the spotlight. His companies’ stocks plunged up to 20% on Thursday after he was indicted by U.S. prosecutors on charges he duped investors in a massive solar energy project in India by concealing that it was being facilitated

Rain and snow pummel Northern California in latest wave of damaging weather to strike West Coast

At UN climate talks, a draft of the deal gives little clarity on climate cash for developing nations

At UN climate talks, “sewage” beer from Singapore highlights water scarcity and innovations

Papuan women’s mangrove forest in Indonesia is increasingly threatened by development and pollution

Feds outline ‘necessary steps’ for Colorado River agreement by 2026 but no recommendation yet

Federal water officials have made public what they call “necessary steps” for the seven states and multiple tribes that rely on the Colorado River to meet an August 2026 deadline for deciding how to manage the waterway in the future.

FEMA head sounds the alarm over disaster funding after double hurricanes

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says money available to help communities hit by disasters has shrunk after back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton.

As US ramps up nuclear power, fuel supplier plans to enrich more uranium domestically

A supplier of fuel for nuclear power plants has announced a $60 million expansion in Tennessee, promising more manufacturing of high-tech centrifuges there to enrich uranium.

Judge puts stop to governor’s effort to remove Virginia from greenhouse gas initiative

A judge has ruled that Virginia can’t withdraw from a multistate initiative designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions unless the Legislature agrees to it. The ruling issued this week by a judge in Floyd County deals a blow to Gov.

Second teen charged in New Jersey forest fire as rain should help douse New York blaze

A second teenager has been charged with intentionally setting a wildfire in a New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia.

Climate change goosed hurricane wind strength by 18 mph since 2019, study says

A new study says human-caused climate change made Atlantic hurricanes about 18 mph stronger in the last six years.

‘Bomb cyclone’ kills 2 and knocks out power to over half a million homes across the US Northwest

A major storm was sweeping across the U.S. Northwest, battering the region with strong winds and rain. It caused widespread power outages and downed trees that killed at least two people.

Ukraine has seen success in building clean energy, which is harder for Russia to destroy

This year, Russian missile attacks have knocked out about 50% of Ukraine’s power generation, a major threat as winter looms.

Deadline looms for negotiators seeking a deal for cash to curb global warming

Time is running short for negotiators at the United Nations climate talks in Azerbaijan to solve a difficult puzzle.

Southern China suspends ferry services as storm brings winds, high waters to coastal regions

Parts of coastal southern China have suspended ferry services as a major storm passes into the South China Sea, bringing high winds and heavy waves to much of the region.

Belem, host of next year’s climate talks, is Amazonian city plagued with pollution and violence

Belem, a bustling metropolitan area of 2.5 million people near the mouth of the Amazon River, is preparing to host COP30 next year.

Argentina’s Milei pivots to pragmatism in first talks with China’s Xi after shaking up the G20

Last year, then-presidential candidate Javier Milei declared Argentina would not “make deals with communists” in China or Brazil, calling their leaders “murderers” and “thieves” in a bid to channel the populist energies of Donald Trump into a winning political message.

Federal wildlife officials review the removal of a bald eagle nest in Alabama

Federal wildlife officials say they’re reviewing the removal of a bald eagle nest at the site of a planned subdivision in the east Alabama city of Auburn, following an outcry. The U.S.

Carcass of endangered fin whale washes up near Alaska’s largest city

An endangered fin whale that washed up near a coastal trail in Alaska’s largest city has attracted curious onlookers while biologists seek answers as to what caused the animal’s death.

What is a ‘bomb cyclone’?

A powerful storm is bearing down on the West Coast and bringing with it a scary-sounding weather term. That term is bomb cyclone. Bomb cyclone is a term used by weather enthusiasts to describe a process that meteorologists usually call bombogenesis.

Biden appeals to world leaders to stay in the climate fight as Trump casts shadow

President Joe Biden is making an urgent appeal to fellow world leaders to surge money to developing nations to curb climate change as he wraps up his final appearance at a major international summit.

17,000 axis deer were killed on Maui this year, but they just keep coming

The land adjacent to the botanical gardens is a county-owned park. Sherrill suspects barking dogs in the park pushed the deer toward the garden fence line on Nov. 7, the largest herd she’s seen there in her 20-plus years working with the organization.

Apartment buildings wrap up $1B in HUD funds for lower utility bills and climate upgrades

When the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development traveled to housing sites around the country, she heard from renters in affordable housing that they felt forgotten and left out of the nation’s transition to clean energy.

School closures and travel delays as Arctic air brings snow and sleet to parts of the UK

Dozens of schools were closed and road and train travel ground to a halt as a cold snap brought snow, ice and sleet across parts of the UK. The country’s Met Office issued snow and ice warnings due to an Arctic maritime air mass across the north.

German police break up an environmental activists’ camp near Tesla plant outside Berlin

German police have broken up a protest camp housing environmental activists in a forest near the Tesla electric car factory in Grünheide outside Berlin, citing violations of public safety and order.

Money to respond to climate change is key to UN talks in Baku. Nations are finding ways to raise it

Big money to respond to climate change is key to the United Nations talks underway in Azerbaijan. Vulnerable nations say they need as much as $1.3 trillion to cope with damage they’ve already suffered from extreme weather events, and to adapt to a warming planet.

‘Bomb cyclone’ brings high winds and soaking rain to Northern California and Pacific Northwest

What is expected to be one of the strongest storms in the northwest U.S. in decades has arrived. Heavy rain and winds are expected to pummel the region and potentially cause power outages and flash floods.

At UN climate talks, farmers argue for a share of money dedicated to fighting climate change

Developing nations have a long list of changes their farmers need to make to adapt to a warming climate. Things like new and more resilient seeds, more efficient tractors and other tools, better water management systems and much more.

Thousands of UK farmers descend on Parliament to protest a tax they say will ruin family farms

British farmers have descended on Parliament to protest a tax hike they say will deal a “hammer blow” to struggling family farms.

In southern India’s tea country, small but mighty efforts are brewing to bring back native forests

Forests of native trees and plants once blanketed the Western Ghats mountains in southern India, but nearly 200 years ago, British colonists installed rows upon rows of tea plantations there.

NYC issues first drought warning in 22 years, pauses aqueduct repairs to bring in more water

New York City issued its first drought warning in 22 years and paused major repairs to its main water aqueduct out of concern for the lack of rainfall.

What to know about Chris Wright, Trump’s choice to run the Energy Department

Fossil fuel executive Chris Wright, Donald Trump’s choice for Energy secretary, is a strong supporter of oil and gas development, including fracking, a key pillar of the president-elect’s quest for U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.

Report finds that America is catching and eating a little less fish

The volume and value of America’s commercial fishing industry both fell according to newly released federal figures, though members of the industry said the decline was to be expected following a spike in supply.

Western North Carolina’s water system is finally back online after Helene

More than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina are now allowed to drink and bathe with water from their home faucets. The change on Monday comes nearly two months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of the local water system.

Book Review: A young Walt Longmire battles animal and human predators on Alaska’s North Slope

In 1970, after fighting in Vietnam, young Walt Longmire took a job working security for an oil company in Alaska.