Environment

Why people are skeptical of green initiatives — like water-saving washing machines

4:59pm September 18, 2023

by Rachel Estabrook

A laundromat owner in Aurora, Colo., installed washing machines that conserve water. His customers abandoned him, but he was able to win them back after learning why they might be skeptical.

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Poet Laureate Ada Limón hopes to help people commune with nature in new project

4:40pm September 18, 2023

by Derek Operle

U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón has announced her signature project titled " You Are Here," which hopes to engage people with poetry and nature.

Environment

Environmentalists want to protect a rare 'ghost' orchid as an endangered species

7:54am September 17, 2023

by Greg Allen

Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit because they want the federal government to list a rare orchid, found mainly in Florida, as an endangered species.

Pesky Pete Barron holds the leaves of poison ivy illustrating how it grows in clusters of three leaves.

Poison ivy is poised to be one of the big winners of a warming world

5:00am September 17, 2023

by Gabrielle Emanuel

Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels give the toxic vine the oomph it needs to grow earlier, bigger and itchier, scientists say.

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In this aerial picture taken on Aug. 21, a vehicle drives through floodwaters following heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary in Thousand Palms, Calif.

California sues oil giants, saying they downplayed climate change. Here's what to know

5:51pm September 16, 2023

California accuses oil companies of misleading the public on the dangers of fossil fuels for decades. The state demands they help fund recovery efforts after climate change-fueled disasters.

Rich Snyder, who retired as the fire marshal of Sierra Madre, Calif., now works for Allied Disaster Defense, a California company that hardens homes against wildfire. One strategy is covering air vents with ember-blocking mesh.

Preparing homes for wildfires is big business that's only getting started

5:00am September 15, 2023

by Alina Selyukh

Climate change, technological leaps, panicked insurers, the shifting sense of responsibility: All are powering the still-nascent, but fast-growing industry of preparing homes for wildfires.

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Internal Exxon documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal span Rex Tillerson's tenure as the company's chief executive from 2006 until 2016.

Exxon minimized climate change internally after conceding that fossil fuels cause it

5:33pm September 14, 2023

by Michael Copley

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that as recently as 2016, Exxon executives were privately pushing back on the idea that humans need to cut their use of oil and gas to limit global warming.

Most of the 177 environmental activists killed last year were in Latin America

5:13pm September 13, 2023

by Carrie Kahn

Global Witness says 177 environmental activists were killed in 2022, and the majority were murdered in Latin America.

Homeowners in Vermont weigh whether to repair or take a buyout after floods

5:38pm September 12, 2023

by Liam Elder-Connors

After summer storms flooded many Vermont communities, homeowners are deciding whether to repair their buildings or accept a buyout.

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A livestream set up by Explore.org in the Katmai National Park for bear enthusiasts captured a missing hiker pleading for help on Sept. 5.

They logged on to watch the famous fat brown bears. They saved a hiker's life instead

9:48am September 12, 2023

by Emily Olson

Viewers of the Katmai National Park bear cameras caught more excitement than they may have hoped for last Tuesday when a hiker wandered into view, mouthing the words "help me."