stLouISTThe American West’s megafires are silencing birds
One sound index used to monitor biodiversity fell by as much as 15 percent following particularly smoky days, according to a new study.
Grist
The state rep who sparked Colorado’s fire recovery
Hello, and welcome back to State of Emergency, a limited-run newsletter about how disasters are reshaping our politics. I’m Jake Bittle, a reporter for Grist, and I’ll be writing this newsletter along with my colleague, Zoya Teirstein. It’s almost a truism that disasters offer an opportunity for positive change. That’s the idea behind President Joe […]
How the Marshall Fire sparked a political transformation in Colorado
After the fire destroyed his town in 2021, a state rep took on insurance companies, mortgage lenders, and landlords — and beat them all.
Politicians don’t get how popular climate action is. That’s a problem.
The misperception gap widens when officials get more money from fossil fuel interests.
We’re in debt to the Earth. How can we repay it?
"Earth Overshoot Day" reminds us that humans consume more resources than the planet can provide. Correcting that requires reimagining human behavior.
Minnesota settles ‘deceptive environmental marketing’ lawsuit over ‘recycling’ plastic bags
The lawsuit was among a burgeoning crop of plastics litigation amid growing awareness of a global plastics crisis.
Biden administration announces more than $2 billion in grants to boost US power grid
The grid is overburdened, under-resourced — and vital to the energy transition. New federal funding aims to increase capacity and get more clean energy built.
How the 2024 Paris Olympics handled the heat — and didn’t
The summer games can't compete with rising temperatures. Here's what that means for the future of the Olympics.
On a rural Hawaiian island, solar provides a path to energy sovereignty
A community-driven effort is driving Molokaʻi's transition to solar power and cultivating a local workforce to make it happen.
Farmworker advocates celebrate rare EPA ban of toxic pesticide
The immediate suspension of DCPA will spare workers' children "lifelong harm."
States want to clean up leaky oil wells. Well-intentioned laws are getting in the way.
Hard-to-meet federal requirements are slowing down the pace of remediation, state regulators say.
Carbon credits are supposed to funnel money to poor countries. Do they?
Researchers say there is "no evidence" that they bring economic benefits to communities where projects are based.
Indigenous youth are at the center of major climate lawsuits. Here’s why they’re suing.
"If I don't do it, who will?"
High-tech textiles can protect workers from the heat — but not from their bosses
As the planet warms, laborers need special clothes to cope. But they also need government protections.
How outdoor programs are adapting to the challenge of extreme weather
This organization helps young people heal through outdoor experiences. It's working around the sweltering Texas summer.
Spying from space: How satellites can help identify and rein in a potent climate pollutant
Methane levels in the atmosphere are rising. An armada of satellites could help identify leaks from oil fields, landfills, and animal feed operations.
New fossils reveal an ice-free Greenland. It’s bad news for sea level rise.
“We’re creating a world where these ice sheets are going to melt.”
Rez dogs are feeling the heat from climate change
A lack of infrastructure and extreme weather are putting unhoused pets on reservations in danger.
The climate vice president? What Tim Walz brings to the Harris ticket.
A progressive with a penchant for coalition building, Walz boasts state climate experience.
Disaster on the ballot
Hello, and welcome to the first issue of State of Emergency, a limited-run newsletter from Grist. My name is Zoya Teirstein, and I’ll be co-reporting this project with my colleague Jake Bittle. We’re glad you’re here. Data shows that while some voters rank climate change among their top political priorities, it rarely factors into their […]