A Lawsuit From Backers of a ‘Startup City’ Could Bankrupt Honduras

A Lawsuit From Backers of a ‘Startup City’ Could Bankrupt Honduras

The flurry of private contracts became part of a “kleptocratic” regime, according to one 2017 report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Nearly all of the ISDS claims have their roots in contracts, laws or other agreements made during this period. For the farmers and villagers being pushed off their land, or having their … Read more

California Can Slake the Thirst of Its Farms by Storing Water Underground

California Can Slake the Thirst of Its Farms by Storing Water Underground

For example, two winters’ worth of snow followed by intense heat created a flood risk in 2023. State officials decided to release water from Lake Oroville and other reservoirs across Southern California and the Central Valley. Although this helped prevent flooding and sent water downstream, many Californians were upset that the fresh water was being … Read more

AI Has Helped Shein Become Fast Fashion’s Biggest Polluter

AI Has Helped Shein Become Fast Fashion’s Biggest Polluter

This story originally appeared in Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In 2023, the fast-fashion giant Shein was everywhere. Crisscrossing the globe, airplanes ferried small packages of its ultra-cheap clothing from thousands of suppliers to tens of millions of customer mailboxes in 150 countries. Influencers’ “#sheinhaul” videos advertised the company’s trendy styles … Read more

The Mosquito-Borne Disease ‘Triple E’ Is Spreading in the US as Temperatures Rise

The Mosquito-Borne Disease ‘Triple E’ Is Spreading in the US as Temperatures Rise

The disease is spread by two types of mosquito. The first is a species called Culiseta melanura, or the black-tailed mosquito. This mosquito tends to live in hardwood bogs and feeds on birds like robins, herons, and wrens, spreading the virus among them. But the melanura mosquito doesn’t often bite mammals. A different mosquito species, … Read more

Scientists Plan ‘Doomsday’ Vault on Moon

Scientists Plan ‘Doomsday’ Vault on Moon

Thanga and his team have sketched a system that would use solar panels and batteries to provide the power to push temperatures inside a lava tube down to the deep freeze needed to create their lunar ark. This is the defining difference between Thanga’s design and Hagedorn’s thought experiment. Where Thanga’s group would aim to … Read more

Your Guide to Surviving Extreme Weather

Your Guide to Surviving Extreme Weather

This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. No matter where you live, extreme weather can hit your area, causing damage to homes, power outages, and dangerous or deadly conditions. If you’re on the coast, it may be a hurricane; in the Midwest or South, a tornado; in the … Read more

Urban Birds Are Harboring Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Urban Birds Are Harboring Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

This story originally appeared in The Guardian and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Urban ducks and crows might offer us a connection to nature, but scientists have found wild birds that live near humans are more likely to harbor bacteria resistant to important antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is largely caused by the overuse … Read more

The Fight to Save Florida’s Oranges

The Fight to Save Florida’s Oranges

“We need more time,” said Rezazadeh. Growers in St. Lucie County started using the antibiotic last year. “There are some hopes that we keep the trees alive until we find a cure.” The state’s total citrus acreage suffered a massive blow in the 1990s when an eradication program for canker disease, then the industry’s biggest … Read more

Project 2025 Wants to Propel America Into Environmental Catastrophe

Project 2025 Wants to Propel America Into Environmental Catastrophe

Within the Department of Energy, offices dedicated to clean energy research and implementation would be eliminated, and energy efficiency guidelines and requirements for household appliances would be scrapped. The environmental oversight capacities of the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency would be curbed significantly or eliminated altogether, preventing these agencies from tracking … Read more

Enough With the Arrogant Attitudes Towards Extreme Heat

Enough With the Arrogant Attitudes Towards Extreme Heat

This story originally appeared on Vox and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. A 4-month-old died in Arizona as temperatures climbed into triple digits. A 2-year-old died in a hot car, also in Arizona. At least four people have died from heat-related illnesses in Oregon. One motorcyclist died and others were sickened riding through … Read more