Climate Change
'We are worried': Melting glaciers lead to dangerous overflow in this Peruvian lake
As ice sheets from glaciers melt, dozens of lakes around the world risk overflowing, causing potentially deadly avalanches and flooding in nearby towns and villages. In Huaraz, Peru, residents hope to find ways to prevent Lake Palcacocha from overflowing again — before it's too late.
Guyana’s discovery of oil reserves has the nation split between boosting the economy and preserving the environment
The last of Mexico’s artisanal salt-makers preserve a 2,000-year-old tradition
Lula empowers Brazil's Indigenous peoples with their own ministry. But environmental protection remains a key concern.
The world kept warming in 2022. Is the 1.5-degree Celsius target within reach?
Arctic alternatives: Part II
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Arctic Council has been on hiatus. This week's Critical State, a foreign policy newsletter by Inkstick Media, takes a deep dive into the history of the council as a model of international cooperation.
Zimbabwe's farmers turn to drought-resistant grains as maize falters in drier regions
Zimbabwe has had to import maize, a staple food, for the past several years. Experts blame droughts and erratic rainfall resulting from climate change. The government is now urging farmers to grow more small grains like sorghum and millet, which are more drought-resistant.
Bees face many challenges — and climate change is ratcheting up the pressure
Honey bees, wild and native bees face threats from parasites, pesticides and habitat loss. Shorter winters, more extreme weather and more habitat destruction won’t help.
An unseasonably warm winter in Europe threatens ski resorts, tourism
Countries across Europe are experiencing unseasonably warm weather this January, causing a headache for ski resorts and broader concern for what it might mean for the year ahead.
Arctic alternatives: Part I
Critical State, a foreign policy newsletter by Inkstick Media, takes a deep dive this week into 21st-century US policy on the Arctic, with a focus on the language used to shape these policies.
Barcelona’s children find safety in numbers as they bike to school in herds
Across Spain's Barcelona province children are getting to school in organized convoys of bikes, dubbed "bicibus," or bicycle-bus. As with traditional bus lines, each bicibus route has stops where other cycling students can join along the way. Parents, teachers and other volunteer adults ride, too, to ensure the kids’ safety.
Residents of informal settlements among the most at risk from climate change
In Karachi, Pakistan, a tragedy this past summer highlighted those risks.
Critical permafrost research in Russia disrupted by war in Ukraine
Most of the world’s permafrost lies in Russia. Critical research looks at how melting permafrost contributes to global warming. But sanctions against Russia this year have disrupted field work and threatened collaborations among scientists.
Biologists describe a new owl species on Príncipe Island — and hope they can save it before it disappears
Researchers have discovered a new owl species called the Príncipe scops-owl, known for its unique call and genetic make-up. They found it on Príncipe, a small island off the western coast of central Africa — and they say it's critically endangered.
NASA’s iconic image of Earth still inspires 50 years later. Fmr astronaut Mae Jemison reflects on it.
Former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, who now directs the 100 Year Starship Project, talks about the power of the "big, blue marble" image of planet Earth, taken 50 years ago.