climate change

During spawning corals release their eggs and sperm, filling the water like confetti, which combine to create the next generation of reef builders.

Environment

Scientists are breeding 'super corals.' Can they withstand climate change?

5:01am April 01, 2024

Coral reefs face a dire future as oceans get hotter. Scientists are breeding corals that can handle heat better, in the hope they can survive long enough for humans to rein in climate change.

"One second doesn't sound like much, but in today's interconnected world, getting the time wrong could lead to huge problems," geophysicist Duncan Agnew says. Here, an official clock is seen at a golf tournament in Cape Town, South Africa.

Science
Arts

Climate change is delaying world clocks' need for a 'negative leap second'

7:01am March 30, 2024

by Bill Chappell

We're nearing a year when a negative leap second could be needed to shave time — an unprecedented step that would have unpredictable effects, a new study says.

The country's two biggest reservoirs are on the Colorado River. Water levels at Lake Powell have dropped steeply during the two-decade megadrought.

The Colorado River rarely reaches the sea. Here's why

3:41pm March 28, 2024

by Nathan Rott

More than half of the Colorado River's water is used to grow crops, primarily livestock feed, a new study finds. The river and its users are facing tough decisions as the climate warms.

Image shows a river scene in Watauga County

Climate

Boone climate plan calls for community-wide carbon neutrality by 2050

3:12pm March 28, 2024

by Paul Garber

The Boone Town Council has adopted a community climate action plan that sets new goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Warehouse workers often labor in extremely hot conditions in California, as do many others whose workplaces are indoors. The state has been considering new rules protecting them when temperatures soar to dangerous levels, but political headwinds have left the rules in limbo.

California wants to protect indoor workers from heat. That goal is now in limbo

10:46am March 23, 2024

by Alejandra Borunda

The state was on the cusp of making new rules to protect people who work in places like warehouses from dangerous heat. A last-minute shake-up leaves workers wondering if they'll be safe come summer.

What the collapse of salmon populations means for one Alaska family

7:42pm March 20, 2024

by Kavitha George

For Alaska Native communities along the Yukon River, fishing for salmon has always been a central part of life. But climate change is driving a massive collapse in salmon populations.

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Mikey Burke's home was destroyed during the Lahaina fire. She's joined a new effort to create a community land trust to buy properties and keep them in the community.

After the fires, a Maui community tries a novel approach to keep homes in local hands

3:13pm March 14, 2024

by Lauren Sommer

As burned properties come up for sale in Lahaina, many worry outside developers will scoop them up. Some are turning to a tool that's helped other towns after a disaster: a community land trust.

Texas investigators say the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest in state history, appears to be caused by a downed utility power pole. When it comes to increased risks of starting wildfires, Michael Wara professor at Stanford University says some utilities "are walking into a catastrophe."

Old power lines plus climate change mean a growing risk of utilities starting fires

11:03am March 12, 2024

by Julia Simon

Texas investigators say the largest wildfire in state history appears to be caused by a power line. Aging utility infrastructure ups the risk of starting wildfires as the climate heats up.

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The Great Lakes saw low levels of ice cover over the winter, which was the warmest on record in the U.S.

Environment

U.S. has warmest winter on record – and no, that's not a good thing

6:01am March 09, 2024

by Lauren Sommer

From lack of snow to wildfires, a record-warm winter had impacts across the country. Scientists say winters are warming faster than any other season in the U.S.

Sandra Martínez Martínez shows the dirty tap water she and her family are using as toilet water at her home in the municipality of Ecatepec, in the State of Mexico, on Sunday.

Mexico City's long-running water problems are getting even worse

5:00am March 08, 2024

by Emily Green

Reservoirs that furnish a large part of the Mexican capital have fallen to historic lows, as low rainfall, climate change and mismanagement exacerbate the problem.

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