ENVIRONMENT

Nature

A Citizen Science Project is Looking for Carbon-Capturing Microbes in Springs

The second iteration of The Extremophile Campaign is taking citizen scientists outside of their homes and into the wild, continuing the search for microbes that can advance carbon capture efforts and other climate solutions.

Gary E. Frank

April 18, 2025

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

What's Next for the U.S. Wind Industry?

While the offshore branch of the U.S. wind industry depends on coastal waters under federal jurisdiction, onshore wind is much less vulnerable to shifts in federal energy policy.

Tina Casey

April 16, 2025

Food + Farming

Reeling in Responsibility: The Path to Sustainable Tuna Fisheries

Like many fish populations, several species of tuna faced steep declines over the past few decades. Thanks to regional management and other efforts to promote sustainable tuna fisheries, some are bouncing back.

Ruscena Wiederholt

April 14, 2025

Food + Farming

From Sugarcane to Cocktail: The Rise of Sustainable Rum

Kōloa Rum Company, a craft distiller on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, is putting sustainable rum on the menu. From sourcing ingredients to barrel aging, the company considers its environmental impact every step of the way.

Ruscena Wiederholt

April 11, 2025

Energy

Microsoft and Clearloop to Deploy 100MW of Solar in Historically Underinvested Communities

Microsoft and Clearloop are developing solar energy projects in 20 historically underinvested communities in Arkansas and Louisiana, striving to displace millions of tons of carbon emissions while generating health and economic benefits for the surrounding communities.

Rasha Rehman

April 7, 2025

Technology

Can These Bioplastic Cups Reduce Plastic Waste in Event Spaces?

It can be difficult to swap single-use plastic cups for a more sustainable option at big events, especially when it requires behavior or operational changes. Better for All created its bioplastic cups with that in mind, offering a compostable option that breaks down in any environment — not just industrial composting facilities.

Riya Anne Polcastro

April 4, 2025

Sponsored

Force for Good: Giving Back to Communities Nationwide

Arbor Day Foundation and Subaru Drive Community Impact With 100,000 Donated Trees

Subaru recently committed to sponsor the largest community tree distribution in the Arbor Day Foundation's history. Dan Lambe of the Foundation explains more about the power of trees and the impact this effort will have on communities and ecosystems across the U.S.

Dan Lambe

April 1, 2025

Nature

Chile’s Megadrought is a Wake-Up Call for Global Water Governance

When researchers set out to understand Chile's megadrought, they found it was part of a much larger worldwide pattern. Now, they're calling for a fundamental shift in water governance and greater cooperation between countries.

Gladstone H Taylor

March 28, 2025

Technology

The Changing Landscape of Emissions Control

The method used to print eye-catching graphics on the flexible plastic packages that hold everything from snack food to potting soil can release harmful volatile organic compounds into the air. The engineering firm Ship & Shore Environmental's new technology helps address these emissions.

Tina Casey

March 28, 2025

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

How Electric Vehicles Can Support Grid Resiliency in the Age of Renewables

Utilities in the United States are looking for new, decentralized ways to boost grid resiliency and prevent power loss. Some are turning to electric vehicles (EVs), using their energy storage capabilities to help manage the grid.

Tina Casey

March 26, 2025

Nature

These Bee Conservation Methods Start in the Forest

The forest may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about bees, but it's a crucial habitat for them. As the number of bees and trees decline worldwide, forest-forward conservation efforts offer benefits for both.

Ruscena Wiederholt

March 13, 2025

Technology

Brands Taking Stands

Trade Wars Aside, Canada's Clean Tech Startups Help to Decarbonize the U.S. Economy

Even as trade wars heat up, three leading Canadian companies in the electric vehicle battery and solar energy fields are set to expand their presence in the U.S. this year.

Tina Casey

March 12, 2025

Technology

Vycarb Strives to Scale Carbon Removal Using Water, And It's Starting in NYC

The Brooklyn-based startup Vycarb aims to capture and remove 100 metric tons of carbon using an innovative carbon dioxide removal system and water from New York City's East River. And it's getting precise measurements along the way.

Gary E. Frank

March 10, 2025

Nature

Inside the Cross-Border Partnership to Replant Trees for Monarchs

The North American monarch butterfly population is in significant decline, in part because their winter habitat is also disappearing. A nonprofit invertebrate zoo in Colorado and the Mexican government are working together to replant the trees monarchs rely on to survive the winter months in Mexico.

Riya Anne Polcastro

March 7, 2025

Sponsored

Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

Sustainable Avocado Farming Is Not an Initiative in Mexico — It’s the Foundation

The Mexican avocado industry provides nearly 90 percent of the U.S. avocado supply, but what corporate and federal organizations call “sustainable practices” today are what APEAM’s growers have called “avocado farming” for generations.

Julio Sahagun

March 6, 2025

Nature

Algae Could Be the Answer to Cleaning Water Polluted With Chemicals

Researchers at Germany's University of Duisburg-Essen recently developed a water purification process that uses the fossilized remains of a common type of algae. The process consistently and effectively removed chemical pollutants from the textile industry.

Gary E. Frank

March 6, 2025

Nature

An Alliance of Entrepreneurs Is Driving Investment in Ocean Conservation

Many entrepreneurs are eager to start ocean-focused startups but lack the resources to bring their ideas to life. Operating in 186 countries, the Sustainable Ocean Alliance helps them build businesses that can tackle ocean-specific challenges and propel the blue economy.

Mary Riddle

March 4, 2025

Energy

The Mutual Benefits of Community Solar on Brownfields

Community solar projects already come with a range of benefits. Now, remediating and re-using shuttered landfills and other environmentally-compromised sites can be added to the list.

Tina Casey

March 4, 2025

Food + Farming

How U.S. Soybean Farmers Are Making Their Fields More Sustainable

Soybeans exploded in popularity in the United States, but growing the crop comes with a host of environmental impacts. American soybean farmers are starting to do things differently, resulting in a much lower carbon footprint than many other soy-producing countries.

Ruscena Wiederholt

March 3, 2025

Technology

Brands Taking Stands

Consumer Education Can Help Keep the Electric Vehicle Momentum Going

Electric vehicles now account for a fairly substantial 9 percent share of the U.S. auto market. A new report from the consumer intelligence firm JD Power suggests that consumer education could help keep the trend alive, despite the challenge of new federal policies.

Tina Casey

February 26, 2025

Technology

Coach Gives Secondhand Denim a Second Life With Bank & Vogue

Using secondhand materials has the potential to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the fashion industry. The secondhand goods broker Bank & Vogue is demonstrating that's possible by working with big brands to create products out of upcycled fabrics, like Coach's new repurposed denim bag.

Nicole Froio

February 25, 2025

Nature

These Common Fishing Devices Cause Major Problems, But Researchers Are Working to Make Them Better

Fish aggregating devices are floating across the world's oceans, often entangling marine animals and polluting marine environments in their wake. Researchers at the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation started looking for a better option 10 years ago.

Ruscena Wiederholt

February 20, 2025

Technology

As Global Efforts to Reduce Refrigerant Emissions Gain Momentum, This Software Helps Companies Track Their Use

Refrigerators, air conditioners, and other cooling systems are leading sources of extremely potent greenhouse gas emissions. As more governments look to regulate these emissions, new software from Locus Technologies aims to help companies comply.

Gary E. Frank

February 17, 2025

Food + Farming

From Seeds to Sales: Supporting Smallholder Farmers Where They Need It Most

Ghana-based agriculture tech company Farmerline helps smallholder farmers in 50 countries overcome barriers to finance, resource, information and market access — much of which is done through a digital platform.

Riya Anne Polcastro

February 11, 2025

Energy

Tribally-Owned Seneca Environmental Makes First-of-Its-Kind Renewable Energy Deal With Pinterest

Pinterest just purchased renewable energy certificates (RECs) spanning 15 countries from Seneca Environmental, a first-of-its-kind sale between a tribally-owned enterprise and a global tech company. The certificates will help offset energy use in Pinterest offices.

Gary E. Frank

February 6, 2025

Energy

Thermal Energy Storage is the Next Big Step in Global Decarbonization

New thermal energy storage systems are capable of using clean energy to provide the heat necessary for hard-to-decarbonize manufacturing sectors like cement, iron and glass. Electrified Thermal Solutions' firebrick is proving to be a cost-effective and scalable option.

Tina Casey

February 4, 2025

Technology

Exergio Gives Shopping Malls Energy-Efficient Makeovers With AI

Shopping malls are some of the largest energy consumers. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), they can significantly reduce their energy waste by better managing existing systems.

Gary E. Frank

January 30, 2025

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

DeepSeek and the Data Center Energy Crisis That Wasn’t

This week, the Chinese startup DeepSeek introduced an energy-efficient, AI-powered chatbot to the market. The new chatbot consumes a fraction of the energy of leading rivals like ChatGPT, upending the case for building gas power plants to feed data centers.

Tina Casey

January 29, 2025

Nature

Scientists Hope Mapping Mangroves' DNA Will Save Them From Extinction

Scientists in Thailand are working with a tech company to improve mangrove conservation by studying the trees' DNA, helping them identify which species are at risk and how best to protect them.

Nicole Froio

January 28, 2025

Food + Farming

Is Wine’s Future in a Can?

Wine's quintessential packaging is responsible for a large chunk of its carbon footprint. Some wineries are taking advantage of the growing demand for more sustainable wine to try out alternative options like cans and lighter-weight glass, but is it catching on?

Ruscena Wiederholt

January 27, 2025

Technology

Startups Are Scaling the Direct Air Capture Industry

As carbon emissions reach record levels and global temperatures surpass a crucial tipping point, climate scientists are calling on carbon capture to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Direct air capture startups, which suck carbon out of the open air, hope to answer that call by developing scalable versions of the technology that use less energy and drive costs down.

Gary E. Frank

January 23, 2025

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

The Global Energy Transition is Just Getting Started

Though cost limitations present bottlenecks, the global green hydrogen sector is gearing up for major growth in the coming years. Employing tiered subsidies and utilizing repurposed gas infrastructure are just some of the ways innovators aim to bring costs down.

Tina Casey

January 22, 2025

Energy

Stories From the Frontline: Climate Activists Making a Difference

The Florida Startup Rescuing Homeowners Left Behind by Belly-up Solar Installers

After witnessing a dark side of the solar industry that leaves homeowners with broken systems and no help, Luis Galarza co-founded SoFlo Solar Advisors to restore systems abandoned by installers that went out of business and provide unbiased advice.

Riya Anne Polcastro

January 21, 2025

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

Growing the Business of Ecovoltaics: New Opportunities on Federal Land

Solar energy projects are serving as hosts for habitat restoration in a rising practice called ecovoltaics. It offers new opportunities to garner support for solar development on public lands and private property alike.

Tina Casey

January 15, 2025

Nature

Locally-Led Nature Conservation Works, So Why Aren't We Listening?

No one knows the local environment better than those who live there. That knowledge is critical for climate adaptation. Reforestation and sustainable farming projects led by local and Indigenous people are seeing success and bringing benefits to the communities around them. But they're often overlooked in global climate conversations.

Riya Anne Polcastro

January 14, 2025

Technology

Jamaica's CNG Buses: A Bridge to a Greener Future

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company recently purchased a fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in hopes of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality in the capital city Kingston.

Gladstone H Taylor

January 13, 2025

Technology

IBM and WWF Collaborate to Save Elephants with Artificial Intelligence

African forest and African savanna elephant populations are in severe decline. Monitoring them helps conservationists develop protection strategies, but doing so in dense tropical rainforests is a challenge. New artificial intelligence technology is eliminating that barrier.

Abha Malpani Naismith

January 9, 2025

Energy

The Largest Commercial and Industrial Solar Project in Arkansas History is Underway

Backed with funding from the nonprofit Climate United, Scenic Hill Solar is building 18 solar energy sites across 13 utility districts with the University of Arkansas. The complex project is set to lower energy bills and boost economic growth.

Rasha Rehman

December 31, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

The Data Center Energy Demand Crisis: New Opportunities for Innovators

As power demand surges in the United States alongside the growth of the data center industry, new sources of renewable energy are emerging to ensure the outdated energy systems of the 20th century do not become permanent fixtures in the 21st century.

Tina Casey

December 30, 2024

Technology

How Aldi is Tackling Extremely Potent Greenhouse Gases

Aldi is eliminating refrigerants that contain hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from its value chain. The greenhouse gases trap thousands of times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Gary E. Frank

December 27, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

From Community Solar to Community Geothermal, New Opportunities for Corporate Social Responsibility

The growth in community solar has enabled more electricity ratepayers to access low-cost solar power, without the expense of installing solar panels on their properties. Could the geothermal energy sector be next?

Tina Casey

December 23, 2024

Nature

The Innovations That Can Help the World Curb Plastic Waste

To reduce the influx of plastics into our environment, innovations in plastics, packaging, and plastics after-use management are being introduced at an ever-increasing pace. Here are some of the innovations that will lead to reduced use of plastics, less plastic waste and a more circular economy.

Martin H Wolf

December 18, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

10 Renewable Energy Projects Coming Online in 2025

Existing investments are expected to more than double renewable energy capacity to around 7,300 gigawatts globally by 2028, according to the International Energy Agency. Here's a look at just some of the innovative renewable energy projects set to launch around the world next year. 

Mary Mazzoni

December 18, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

What Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Reveal About U.S. Climate Action

The U.S. Department of Energy's ambitious project to expand and diversify the nation’s hydrogen industry is underway. The new Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program faces an uncertain future under the incoming Trump administration, but early indications are that the opportunities for fossil energy are already beginning to fade.

Tina Casey

December 18, 2024

Food + Farming

Reducing Methane From Food Waste is a Climate Solution That Can Make a Difference Now

NASA satellite data shows the average industrial composting facility emits nearly as much methane as a landfill. We need another way to keep inedible, non-compostable food waste out of landfills and process it without emitting methane — and many cities and towns have a secret weapon that can do it.

Matt Tomich

December 17, 2024

Food + Farming

Building Measurable Metrics for Regenerative Farming

Regenerative agriculture is emerging as a way to reshape the agricultural sector to prioritize environmental and socioeconomic benefits. But a successful transition will require a set of measurable global metrics to support accountability.

Mary Riddle

December 16, 2024

Nature

Blueprints of Biodiversity: Harnessing eDNA to Protect the Oceans

Sampling environmental DNA (eDNA) from the water of protected marine sites offers an easier and faster way to monitor biodiversity than traditional sight- or sound-based techniques. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization hopes its new method of doing so can aid global conservation efforts.

Ruscena Wiederholt

December 16, 2024

Technology

This Coalition is Providing Better Data for Water Security Solutions

The Water Security Compass is a first-of-its-kind online tool created to address a critical data gap in global water management: understanding how both natural processes and human interventions impact the water supply. The designers hope it drives users to take action.

Mary Riddle

December 13, 2024

Nature

This Outer Banks Resort Centered the Environment From the Start, and It Paid Off

When Dick Brindley built the Corolla Light Resort in 1985, he was careful to preserve the unique environment that makes the place special. That forward-thinking allowed the property to weather environmental impacts better than those around it and continue prioritizing sustainability for decades.

Taylor Haelterman

December 12, 2024

Nature

The Blackfeet Nation is Preserving Land with Return of Free-Roaming Buffalo

A partnership between the tribe and a Blackfeet-led nonprofit shows the importance of Indigenous voices in the climate change mitigation conversation.

Nicole Froio

December 12, 2024

Food + Farming

Why the Māori and a U.S. Business Came Together to Grow Seaweed

A Māori tribe in Aotearoa — the Māori-language name for New Zealand — is partnering with an innovative seaweed company to bring seaweed farming, and its economic and environmental benefits, to the country's northeast coast.

Andrew Kaminsky

December 12, 2024

Nature

Brands Taking Stands

Planting with a Purpose: How Tree Planting Programs Can Support Green Infrastructure

Mangrove trees provide clear environmental and community outcomes, so restoration efforts in coastal areas offer opportunities to establish corporate tree planting pledges that have truly beneficial results by partnering with grassroots organizations and established conservation programs.

Tina Casey

December 11, 2024

Nature

Bringing One Billion Oysters Back to New York Harbor Just Got Easier

Rivian's new vehicle loan program, The Good Project, helps nonprofits get heavy lifting and transporting done without the cost of owning or renting a vehicle. Brooklyn's Billion Oyster Project was the first recipient, using the electric vehicle on its mission to restore New York Harbor's oyster reefs.

Riya Anne Polcastro

December 10, 2024

Nature

Why the Plastic Treaty Talks Failed and One Potential Solution

The only outcome of what should have been the final discussion on a global plastic treaty was an agreement to meet again next year. Three major issues led countries to fail to come to an agreement, but there are still ways to make progress.

Carl Nettleton

December 9, 2024

Nature

From Ocean to Table: Alaska Offers a Model for Sustainable Fishing

Alaska has set the bar for sustainable fisheries management, but much of its fish is shipped elsewhere. With a mission to accelerate the country’s transition to sustainable food systems, the Wild Alaskan Company is delivering more of Alaska’s fish to U.S. consumers.

Ruscena Wiederholt

December 6, 2024

Food + Farming

Digging Deeper: How Cover Crops Enhance Soil Health

Healthy soil is a limited resource, and new soil forms incredibly slowly. Some farmers are planting cover crops to protect their fields from erosion and reap the bounty of benefits they provide the soil.

Ruscena Wiederholt

December 5, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

Sustainable Aviation Fuel and the E-Kerosene Solution

When it comes to how flying impacts the fight against climate change, the aviation sector is largely banking on sustainable aviation fuels to reach net zero by 2050. One advocacy group is painting a gloomy picture about uptake, but the emerging e-fuels industry could help push airlines in the right direction.

Tina Casey

December 4, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

On Grid Resiliency, Electric Vehicles Can Give as Well as They Get

As electric vehicle sales continue to rise, so are concerns about the impact on the U.S. power grid. Reopening closed fossil fuel power plants and building new ones are suddenly on the table. But solutions for vehicles on the road and after could render those steps unnecessary.

Tina Casey

November 27, 2024

Nature

The Final Plastic Pollution Treaty Negotiations Are Underway, What Can We Expect?

The United Nations' global plastic pollution treaty has been in the works since 2022. This week marks the final round of negotiations, and experts have mixed feelings about what the result might be.

Carl Nettleton

November 27, 2024

Energy

Undermining Progress: Human Rights and the Low-Carbon Transition

Small Changes, Big Impact: These Lithium Battery Innovations Can Transform Lives

Companies and researchers around the world are finding new ways to improve the internal composition of lithium-ion batteries to create better-performing, more sustainable and lower-cost alternatives.

Andrew Kaminsky

November 22, 2024

Energy

Perch Energy’s Community Solar Turns Renewable Cons Into Pros

Perch Energy is aiming to expand the limits and application of renewable systems with its growing community solar network, including a program launched this year to reach New York City residents living in affordable housing.

Gladstone H Taylor

November 15, 2024

Energy

Shifting When and Where Electricity is Used Can Avoid Gigatons of Carbon Emissions

Armed with marginal emissions data covering almost 100 percent of global electricity consumption, WattTime estimates up to 9 gigatons of carbon emissions can be avoided each year by optimizing where and when electricity is used and where renewable energy projects are.

Riya Anne Polcastro

November 15, 2024

Environment

Tackling Potent Super Pollutants is the Bridge to a Cooler Future

Reducing the amount of super pollutants, like methane, that end up in the atmosphere can quickly reduce global temperatures. The Global Heat Reduction Initiative aims to incentivize companies to do just that.

Amy Brown

November 14, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

Saved by the Supply Chain: How Offshore Wind Stakeholders Hope to Survive and Thrive

The offshore wind industry appears to be especially vulnerable to a change in federal energy policy after the 2024 election, but stakeholders are in a much better position to engage bipartisan support than a few years ago thanks to the supply chain.

Tina Casey

November 13, 2024

Nature

Can Organic Cotton Restore the Amazon?

Farmers participating in the Brazilian company FarFarm's agroforestry project are growing organic cotton alongside trees, food and cash crops to restore the health of a slice of the Amazon rainforest. They sell the cotton to the French footwear company Veja, which turns it into sustainable sneakers.

Ruscena Wiederholt

November 8, 2024

Energy

Undermining Progress: Human Rights and the Low-Carbon Transition

Lithium is Good, But What Are Some Better Battery Alternatives?

Lithium-ion batteries are the current standard, but there's room for improvement. In the newest installment of our responsible mining series, Andrew Kaminsky explores the benefits of alternative batteries and the environmental and social implications of extracting minerals to scale their production. <br />

Andrew Kaminsky

November 7, 2024

Nature

Brands Taking Stands

After 40 Years, New Carbon Sequestration Study Confirms the Value of Trees

A new model for assessing the carbon sequestration capability of trees and other plants found that the world's greenery sucks up 31 percent more carbon than previously thought. But more tree-planting may not be the answer to maximize these benefits.

Tina Casey

November 6, 2024

Nature

Citizen Scientists Might Find The Next Microbe That Can Fight Climate Change

Citizen scientists are checking their shower heads, dishwashers and microwaves for microbes that could advance technology that fights climate change. Their efforts are part of a new project from Seed Health, The Two Frontiers Project and CitSci focused on studying microbes that survive in extreme conditions.

Gary E. Frank

November 4, 2024

Technology

New Reforestation Tool Makes Data Collection Easier to Boost Project Success

The new online tool Terraware promises to track reforestation projects according to foresters’ data collection needs and make global collaboration to fight climate change easier.

Nicole Froio

November 1, 2024

Technology

New Tool Helps Engineers Consider Carbon Emissions During The Design Process

Aiming to make carbon accounting easier, Bentley Systems' new tool allows engineers to see a digital representation of the embodied carbon in their future projects. That also helps them compare building materials and design choices to mitigate those emissions.

Phil Covington

October 29, 2024

Technology

Ocean Biodiversity is Under Threat and Technology Can Help Save It

As the United Nations biodiversity summit continues in Colombia, an intergovernmental effort driven by four Latin American countries is leading a digital revolution to protect ocean biodiversity.

Tony Long

October 28, 2024

Nature

Linking Local and Transnational Landscapes for Elephant Conservation

A research team and five countries are working together to understand, create and sustain the wildlife corridors critical to African elephant conservation.

Ruscena Wiederholt

October 28, 2024