AI Is a Double-Edged Sword for Indigenous Land Protection, UN Experts Warn
UN experts warned that artificial intelligence is both a tool and a threat for Indigenous land protection. AI helps communities monitor illegal logging, wildfires and biodiversity through satellite imagery and sensors, as shown in Brazil, the Arctic and Chad. At the same time, the data centers that power AI demand water, energy and critical minerals—often extracted from Indigenous territories—creating new environmental and social risks. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim’s study calls for free, prior and informed consent and culturally‑aligned AI deployment.
The ‘Age of Electricity’ Is Here. No One Knows What Comes Next.
The International Energy Agency and Ember report that 2025 was a watershed year for renewable energy, with solar becoming the largest electricity source and renewables surpassing coal for the first time in a century. China and India drove the shift,...
Know the Facts About Vibrio, a Bacteria Found in Coastal Waters and Raw Shellfish
Vibrio bacteria, found in warm brackish waters, cause roughly 80,000 U.S. infections and about 100 deaths each year, with most cases occurring from May through October along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. The CDC notes that the majority of illnesses...
How Deep-Red Utah Helped Launch a Portable Plug-In Solar Movement
Utah enacted HB 340, the first U.S. law permitting residents to plug solar panels directly into standard outlets, creating a portable “balcony solar” market. Inspired by Germany’s balcony‑solar surge, the bill caps output at 1,200 watts and requires Underwriters Laboratories (UL)...
The State of Solar: Despite Partisan Rhetoric, the Industry Is Still Booming
Solar and battery storage accounted for 79% of new U.S. generation in 2025 and are projected to grow 49% before the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits expire in 2027. Despite Republican attempts to curtail clean‑energy incentives, the industry is expanding,...
Ask a Climate Therapist: Why Should I Plan for My Future when I Feel We Don’t Have One?
Leslie Davenport, a climate‑aware therapist, answers a young adult’s fear that climate change makes future planning futile. She acknowledges the genuine anxiety while urging a shift from certainty‑seeking to values‑based navigation. Davenport stresses that skills, relationships, and purpose are portable...
Climate Adaptation Funding Is Scarce. Private Investors Could Help.
Cities face a massive funding shortfall for climate adaptation, with low‑ and middle‑income nations needing $256‑$821 billion by 2050. A new C40 report, released at the World Bank spring meeting, showcases ten case studies—including the Dutch Afsluitdijk’s 25‑year private‑financed upgrade—to illustrate...
Republicans Deployed a Little-Known Law to Open Minnesota Wilderness to Mining
Senate Republicans voted 50‑49 to repeal a two‑decade mining moratorium in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters using the Congressional Review Act. The CRA, a 1990s tool meant to overturn regulations with a simple majority, has been weaponized by Republicans, marking only the...
A ‘Super Typhoon’ Just Devastated the Mariana Islands — Months Before Peak Storm Season
Super Typhoon Sinlaku, a Category 5 storm with 185 mph winds, devastated the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in mid‑April, flooding homes and leaving residents without power, water, or communications for days. The typhoon arrived two months ahead of the...
Many Companies Want Clean Energy. Georgia Power Will Soon Let Them Build It.
Georgia Power has launched a Customer‑Identified Resource program that lets corporate and industrial customers propose and fund clean‑energy projects to be integrated into the utility’s grid. Approved by the state public service commission on April 7, the initiative opens this summer,...
The Spike in Diesel Prices Is Quietly Costing You Billions
Diesel prices have surged 54% since the Iran‑Israel conflict began on Feb. 28, outpacing gasoline’s 38% rise and adding roughly $9.4 billion in extra costs for U.S. households—about half of the $19 billion total fuel burden. The spike stems from the Strait of...
The Skylines of the Future Will Be Made of Wood
Architects are increasingly turning to engineered wood—cross‑laminated and glue‑laminated timber—to construct high‑rise buildings that rival steel and concrete. The 284‑foot Ascent MKE in Milwaukee opened in 2022 as the world’s tallest timber tower, and Vancouver’s Hive recently became North America’s...
Georgia’s Forestry Industry Is in Crisis. One Solution Could Be in Your Medicine Cabinet.
Georgia tops the nation in timber harvest volume and forest‑product exports, but a wave of paper‑mill closures and damage from Hurricane Helene have pushed its forestry sector into crisis. Roughly 92% of the state’s forests are privately owned, meaning landowners...
There’s Hope for the Offshore Wind Industry — Yes, Really
After the Trump administration froze offshore wind leases and halted five under‑construction projects, federal judges issued injunctions and the Interior Department recently let the deadline to appeal lapse, allowing construction to proceed. The five East Coast farms—two off Massachusetts, two...
How EVs Could Solve a Problem with America’s Rickety Grid
A new study modeling the San Francisco Bay Area shows that vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) technology can help balance electricity demand, but only if the power system is upgraded in advance. Researchers found proactive grid investments—new transformers and transmission lines—are cheaper than...