Environment

Whale strandings draw emotional responses. But repeated rescues can cause more harm

A humpback whale repeatedly restranding in shallow waters in the Baltic Sea for more than three weeks has become the…

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Green tram tracks cut heat and beautify cities. Why isn’t Australia doing it?

Cities are hotter than the surrounding countryside. Paved surfaces such as asphalt and concrete trap heat and release it at…

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Foreign companies are making billions off Australia’s gas. It’s time that changed

Is Australia giving away its gas resources, virtually for free? That question is at the centre of this week’s parliamentary…

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It’s a sing‑off! Myth‑busting about birds and sex when it comes to defending the nest

Each spring, birds across America are in full voice. Cardinals chatter, sparrows sing and warblers warble. Birdsong lifts the human…

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Extreme rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin – this is the future in a warming world

Michigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy…

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Climate change means more landslides in NZ – but new tech can help reduce the risk

Thousands of slips in Tairāwhiti in January. The loss of eight lives in the Bay of Plenty later that month.…

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We eat a lot of wheat. So how can we grow more in a changing climate?

Whether it’s tucking into some toast, dumplings or a bowl of fresh pasta, humans love eating wheat. Wheat is the…

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States have driven climate action until now. It’s time for the Australian government to step up

For more than a decade, Australia’s emissions reductions have been driven not by the federal government but by the states…

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Why the Southeast is burning – extreme drought is only part of the reason

Large parts of the southeastern U.S. are in the midst of an exceptional drought, and it is fueling dozens of…

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Heavy rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin – this is the future in a warming world

Michigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy…

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No diesel, no power: why the global oil shock is hitting NZ’s small Pacific neighbours hard

When Tuvalu recently moved to declare a state of emergency, it laid bare a major vulnerability long faced by New…

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More shearwaters are washing up dead on Australian beaches. It’s not due to ‘natural’ causes

You might know the short-tailed shearwater and sable shearwater by the common name “muttonbirds”. These two species of seabird breed…

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New federal figures reveal 1 in 3 US households struggle to pay energy bills, but the reality is likely even worse

Americans’ concerns about being able to afford electricity and home heating fuel are elevated since the beginning of the Iran…

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What if Texas’ destructive Tax Day flood had centered on inner Houston instead?

Ten years ago, the infamous Tax Day storm swamped the Houston area with off-the-charts rainfall. Nearly 2 feet of rain…

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The beloved emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal are now officially endangered. Here’s what can be done

In 1902, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott spotted a large group of large black and white birds at Ross Island,…

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