Environment Archives

An aerial image of neighborhoods flooded with oil and water two weeks after Hurricane Katrina went though Louisiana on September 12th, 2005, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Environment

What Hurricane Katrina Exposed About New Orleans in 2005—and What’s Changed Since

Last year, 2016, was the first year since Hurricane Katrina that more people left New Orleans than moved in domestically—that has a lot to do with the dismal job market that continues to repel young professionals.

Brentin Mock

Environment

Could Houston’s Largest Dams Crumble Under the Flooding From Hurricane Harvey?

The infrastructural failure could release a torrent of water into portions of the city that are already submerged—including downtown.

Kiah Collier, Neena Satija, Al Shaw & Lisa Song

A man looks out on a flooded road during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on August 29th, 2017, in Houston, Texas.

Environment

Once the Water Recedes, the Mental-Health Problems Emerge

There's a good chance Hurricane Harvey will leave behind higher rates of PTSD, and an increase in problem drinking.

Tom Jacobs

People wade through a flooded street in Mumbai, India, on August 29th, 2017.

Environment

How Climate Change Contributed to Massive Floods in South Asia

Heavy monsoon rains have caused disastrous floods and left millions displaced in South Asia. Like Harvey, climate change likely played a role.

Kate Wheeling

Environment

An Alarming Number of California Whales Are Getting Caught in Fishing Lines

California has seen a record-breaking number of whale entanglements over the last three years. Now, the Center for Biological Diversity is suing the state for failing to protect its endangered species.

Kate Wheeling

Environment

Trump Rolled Back the Country’s Best Flood Protection Standards Two Weeks Before Harvey

A little-noticed executive action removed rules that would have held new infrastructure projects to a higher storm-proofing standard.

Kriston Capps

A damaged home is seen after Hurricane Harvey passed through on August 26th, 2017, in Rockport, Texas.

Environment

Could Hurricane Harvey Deal a Fatal Blow to Climate Change Skepticism?

A growing body of research suggests that perceptions of climate change are influenced by experience with climate-related natural disasters.

Jared Keller

A hiker makes his way up a trail to Calf Creek in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on May 10th, 2017.

Environment

Of Course Ryan Zinke Wants to Shrink Our National Monuments

A new report by Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee outlines the partisan, industry-friendly nature of Trump's national monument review.

Jimmy Tobias

Environment

Trump’s Failure to Set a Cost on Carbon Limits His Own Effort to Expand the Fossil Fuel Industry

A protracted delay in the Trump administration coming up with its own carbon-cost estimate could empower environmentalists pursuing legal challenges to mining.

Andrew Revkin

A boat tows a group of solar panels before they are connected to a large floating solar farm project on June 14th, 2017, in Huainan, Anhui province, China.

Environment

A Credible Path to 100 Percent Renewable Energy

Most of the world could run on renewable energy by 2050 at a quarter of the cost of the current energy system, all while saving lives.

Bob Berwyn