In Venice, an Ocean-Inspired Exhibition Takes Visitors Under the Sea
The Venice Biennale’s "As Above, So Below" exhibit transforms a 15th‑century Giudecca convent into an underwater realm. Seven artists and collectives fuse cutting‑edge science, sound design, and visual tech to immerse visitors in whale songs, dolphin sonar, and bioluminescent plankton. Running through June 8, the show pairs immersive art with a research arm that includes artist residencies and a conservation‑focused podcast. The project is a joint effort by environmental curators Zeitgeist19 and the One Ocean Foundation.
Trump Administration Sues Minnesota to Block Climate Lawsuit
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit in Minnesota federal court seeking to block the state’s six‑year‑old climate suit against Exxon Mobil, the American Petroleum Institute, Koch Industries and Flint Hills Resources. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison had alleged the companies violated state consumer‑protection...
A Strong El Niño May Be Coming. Global Warming Is Changing Its Effects.
Forecasters see a roughly 60% chance that a powerful El Niño will develop between May and July 2026, potentially becoming the strongest in three decades. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration highlights the event’s capacity to unleash heat from the Pacific,...
The World Met to Talk Climate Change. The U.S. Wasn’t Invited.
Diplomats from nearly 60 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia, for the first global conference aimed at phasing out fossil fuels. The United States was excluded because the Trump administration has refused to engage in international climate talks. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions...
The Murky Ethics of Swimming With Killer Whales
Tour operators in La Ventana, Mexico, and Skjervøy, Norway, now offer tourists the rare chance to swim with wild killer whales, a practice limited to these two locales. Social‑media hype is driving a surge in visitors, boosting local economies but also...
How to Build a Better Kind of Nuclear Power? This Side Hustle Might Help.
Zap Energy, a nine‑year‑old fusion startup based in Everett, Washington, announced it is developing a small fission reactor that it expects to bring to market in the early 2030s. The company says the fission design will be cheaper and less...
Global Deforestation Slows, W.R.I. Report Finds. But Wildfires Are Taking a Toll.
The World Resources Institute reported that global tree loss dropped 14% in 2025, falling to roughly 63 million acres, driven mainly by gains in tropical forest protection. However, wildfires burned about 26 million acres—nearly the size of Cuba—erasing much of the progress....
How the Trump Administration Ended Independent Science at E.P.A.
During the Trump administration, the EPA’s Office of Research and Development, once a flagship independent science unit, was dramatically reduced. Over 1,500 scientists, chemists and biologists were laid off, reassigned, or forced into retirement, leaving just 124 researchers. The remaining...
Trump Administration Will Pay to Cancel More Wind Farms
The Trump administration will reimburse energy firms $885 million to cancel two offshore wind leases—one off New York/New Jersey and another off California—after they paid those fees under the Biden administration. In exchange, the companies must invest the money in oil, gas and...
New York Keeps Getting Hotter. Utilities Can Still Cut Off the Power.
New York State unveiled a policy that restricts utility power shutoffs to the hottest days of a heat wave, but the rules are weaker for New York City residents. The change follows intense lobbying by utilities that collectively hold more...
China Publishes Maps Detailing Minerals on the Ocean Floor
China’s geological survey has published a detailed deep‑sea atlas that pinpoints deposits of cobalt, nickel, manganese and other critical minerals on the ocean floor. The map covers contested waters in the South China Sea, giving Beijing both a commercial roadmap...
Why Diesel Has Become a Much Bigger Economic Problem Than Gasoline
The U.S.–Israeli war with Iran has sharply limited diesel supplies, pushing the fuel’s price up about 45 percent since late February—well ahead of gasoline’s 35 percent rise. The Energy Information Administration expects diesel to exceed $5.80 per gallon, while gasoline hovers near...
An Installation in Nature Has Climate Lessons for Humans
Finland’s Oulu, the 2026 European Capital of Culture, will debut “Climate Clock,” a sprawling outdoor installation that stretches from the city center into the surrounding Koiteli forest. Ten artists, including Antti Laitinen, will showcase mechanical art, a barrel of snowflakes,...
Olafur Eliasson Uses Art and Sound to Raise Climate Awareness in Utah
Danish‑Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson unveiled "A symphony of disappearing sounds for the Great Salt Lake" in Salt Lake City, pairing a towering globe‑shaped screen with a soundscape of recordings from more than 150 local animal species. The installation visualizes the...
The Vienna Climate Biennale Contrasts Chaos with Hope
The Vienna Climate Biennale 2026 runs through May 10, turning the city into a climate‑focused art showcase. Ten public‑space installations and two museum shows explore resilience, sustainability, and the human‑nature relationship. Veteran artist Margot Pilz revamps her 1982 beach piece, now...
Rainforests Can Bounce Back Much Faster Than Thought, Researchers Say
Researchers published in *Nature* report that tropical rainforest fauna can rebound in just a few decades, far faster than the century‑long timelines previously assumed. The study, led by postdoctoral scholar Timo Metz at UCLA, examined two Ecuadorian reserves and found...
E.P.A., Maryland Sue D.C. Utility Over Potomac River Sewage
The EPA and Maryland regulators have sued Washington, D.C.'s public water utility, D.C. Water, over a winter spill that released at least 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River. The discharge resulted from a collapse of the 60‑year‑old...
What’s in a Name? For These Snails, Legal Protection
Marine snails of the genus *Plicopurpura* have supplied the Mixtec people of Oaxaca with a sacred purple dye, tixinda, for centuries. Although Mexican law lists the species as protected, poachers regularly harvest the snails for meat and sell them to...
Key Excerpts From the Supreme Court’s Secret Memos
The New York Times released a cache of five confidential Supreme Court memos from February 2016, documenting how the justices deliberated an Obama‑era climate‑change initiative. The internal exchange culminated in a 5‑to‑4 decision to halt the program without public explanation....
How Can I Protect My Car When the Weather Is Scorching?
Extreme summer heat is proving to be a tougher stressor on vehicles than cold, affecting virtually every system from the engine to the tires. Experts from AAA and Clemson University warn that high temperatures thin engine oil, reduce coolant efficiency,...
Court Rejects Trump Administration Climate Lawsuit Against Hawaii
A federal judge in Hawaii dismissed a Trump‑era Justice Department lawsuit that sought to block the state from suing oil companies over climate change. The court found the DOJ had no standing because it could not demonstrate concrete harm, labeling...
Trump Officials Pledge Swift Completion of Controversial Gas Pipeline
The Trump administration is fast‑tracking a $1 billion, 23‑mile underwater natural gas pipeline that will run beneath Raritan Bay, linking New Jersey and New York Harbor. At a Brooklyn groundbreaking, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin pledged swift completion despite...
The Treasury Secretary Vs. Climate Science
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told IMF and World Bank delegates that pinpointing the exact causes of climate change is “very difficult,” a stance that runs counter to the scientific consensus on human‑driven warming. He urged global financial institutions to prioritize...
Europe Is Desperate for More Energy. Can Norway Come to the Rescue?
Europe’s energy security is under renewed pressure as the war in Iran drives oil prices higher, echoing the 2022 Russian‑Ukraine crisis. The continent has turned to Norway, its largest Western European oil producer, for a reliable supply of oil and...
Youths Who Sued Trump Over Orders to ‘Unleash’ Energy Try to Revive Case
A group of 22 youths filed *Lighthiser v. Trump* alleging President Trump’s executive orders promoting fossil‑fuel use violated their constitutional rights. A Montana district judge dismissed the case, saying the claimed injuries were too broad for judicial relief. The plaintiffs...
In the Desert, a ‘Cleaning Station’ for Ants
In June 2006, Smithsonian entomologist Mark Moffett filmed large red harvester ants in Arizona allowing tiny cone ants to climb aboard and groom them, a behavior reminiscent of marine cleaner fish. After two decades of analysis, he published the finding...
The Northeast Hoped to Lead on Climate. Now It’s Rethinking.
A decade after the Northeast embraced some of the nation’s most aggressive climate legislation, states are now back‑tracking. New York’s governor labeled the 2030 emissions‑cut goal unattainable, Massachusetts is trimming heat‑pump subsidies, and Rhode Island wants to shift its 2033...
E.P.A. Says It Will End Biden’s Coal Ash Disposal Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it will repeal the 2024 rule that required coal‑ash site inspections and modify longstanding cleanup standards. The rollback eases compliance burdens for the coal sector, which has long opposed the Biden‑era regulation. EPA Administrator Lee...
Volkswagen to End E.V. Production at Tennessee Plant
Volkswagen announced it will cease production of the ID.4 electric SUV at its Chattanooga, Tennessee facility, redirecting the line to a new gasoline‑powered Atlas model. The move follows Congress eliminating the federal tax credit that had underpinned demand for affordable...
How War in the Middle East Paralyzed an Asian Food Giant
The war in Iran has choked fuel and fertilizer supplies, pushing diesel prices in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to levels higher than after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The surge forced rice mills to shut down and electricity costs to skyrocket,...
Heat Wipes Out Western Snowpack, Raising Fears of Summer Drought
A record‑mild winter followed by an intense March heat wave has left the Mountain West virtually snowless, driving snowpack to historic lows. Key measurement sites in the Sierra Nevada and Colorado reported less than half of typical snow depth, jeopardizing...
Why Electric Trucks Haven’t Taken Off in the U.S.
Rising diesel prices—now $5.64 a gallon, a 50% year‑over‑year jump—are squeezing U.S. trucking margins amid heightened Iran‑related geopolitical tension. The surge has forced carriers to add fuel surcharges, while food distributors pass costs to consumers. Tesla announced it will begin...
How Tolls in the Strait of Hormuz Would Undercut International Law
The United States and Iran are each proposing tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would contravene the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Neither country has ratified UNCLOS, leaving the proposed...
In New England, Catching Climate Data Along With Fish
Commercial fishing vessels from Maine to North Carolina are now outfitted with small, soda‑can sensors that record temperature, oxygen and soon salinity on the seafloor. Around 150 fishermen, including lobster and sea‑urchin catcher Bob Hersey Jr., pull these sensors up...
The Three Big Questions Delaying New York’s Budget
New York state lawmakers are still negotiating the 2026 budget, projected at roughly $260 billion. The April 1 deadline passed without an agreement, continuing a pattern of delays that began when Governor Kathy Hochul took office in 2021. Lawmakers remain split over...
Will the Iran Crisis Push the World to Rethink Oil and Gas?
The Endangered Species Committee, known as the "God Squad," voted unanimously to exempt offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from endangered‑species protections, marking its first meeting in three decades. The decision removes legal barriers for new wells, reviving a...
Vermont Hits Back at Trump’s Effort to Block ‘Climate Superfund’ Law
Vermont’s 2024 climate‑superfund law obligates fossil‑fuel companies to cover adaptation costs linked to climate change. The Trump administration, through the Justice Department, sued to block the statute, claiming it violates the Constitution by regulating emissions beyond state borders. The U.S....
He Helped Write the Clean Air Act. He Fears for Its Future.
Thomas Jorling, one of the original architects of the 1970 Clean Air Act, argues the law was deliberately written to cover future pollutants, including greenhouse gases. He disputes the Trump administration’s claim that the Act does not apply to climate‑changing...
Clean Energy Companies Are Trying to Survive the Trump Era
President Trump’s administration has rolled back federal climate initiatives, canceling billions in offshore wind subsidies and halting new turbine permits. The policy shift has forced clean‑energy firms to seek alternative financing, with geothermal and nuclear projects receiving the few remaining...
For Sperm Whales, Having a Calf Is a Group Effort
Researchers captured the first-ever video of a sperm whale giving birth in the open ocean, documenting a rare natural event that has eluded scientists for decades. The footage shows a pregnant female surrounded by several adult males and other members...
After Cosmic Crisp, Scientists Unveil an Apple for the Climate Change Era
Washington State University has introduced the Sunflare apple, the latest breakthrough from the team that created the market‑winning Cosmic Crisp. Sunflare is engineered to thrive amid hotter temperatures, erratic weather, and increased disease pressure, addressing climate‑change challenges facing the $23 billion...
Record Heat Meets a Major Snow Drought Across the West
A historic heat wave has driven snowpack in six Western states to record lows, leaving the Colorado River Basin with the lowest snow cover ever recorded. Temperatures well above March norms are turning precipitation into rain, hastening melt and amplifying...
Fearing Chaos of Climate Change, Some Seek Answers in Virtual Classroom
Alex Steffen’s month‑long Personal Climate Strategy Workshop offers a virtual classroom where individuals learn to anticipate and prepare for climate‑related disruptions. The program, launched in 2023, reflects a burgeoning cottage industry of climate‑focused advisory services ranging from survival camps to...
How a Power Line From Canada Could Be a New York Lifeline
A 339‑mile transmission line is set to bring Canadian hydropower to New York City for the first time, linking upstate New York’s power grid with renewable electricity from Quebec. The project, slated for completion in the mid‑2020s, will add roughly...
The Planet’s Warning Signs Are Flashing Red
The author notes that despite the Inflation Reduction Act and post‑Paris Agreement momentum, new research shows global warming has accelerated since 2015, with sea levels rising and glaciers melting faster. Leading scientists, including Katharine Hayhoe, warn that the current rate...
24 States Sue E.P.A. Over Climate Change Decision
A coalition of 24 states, joined by dozens of cities and counties, filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Court of Appeals challenging the Trump administration’s repeal of the EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding. The suit argues the EPA acted illegally by...
How a Melting Glacier Could Affect Millions
The New York Times reports that the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is destabilizing faster than anticipated, raising the specter of a multi‑foot sea‑level rise. Scientists warn that a full collapse could add up to three feet to global oceans by...
Trump Officials Weigh New Plan to Stop Offshore Wind Farms
The Trump administration is drafting settlement agreements that would pay TotalEnergies nearly $928 million to cancel two offshore wind leases off New York and North Carolina. In exchange, the French firm would abandon the Attentive Energy and Carolina Long Bay projects and shift...
How To Bring a Bird’s Song Back From the Edge of Extinction
Australia’s critically endangered regent honeyeater, now down to roughly 250 individuals, has lost its traditional warbling song as populations fragmented. Researchers discovered that captive‑bred birds taught by a handful of wild‑born tutors quickly relearned the authentic melody, unlike those exposed...
Administration Targeted Climate Lab Over Tina Peters, Lawsuit Says
The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, in what the lab’s leadership says is retaliation for Colorado officials imprisoning a Trump‑aligned county clerk. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)...