Selected Stories
The Guardian Can we vaccinate our rarest species before bird flu gets to them?
New Zealand hopes to be able to vaccinate its rarest birds used in captive breeding programs, and their offspring, ahead of spring migration. (2025)
Foreign Policy The expedition that launched a century of panda-mania
How the United States helped to create a truly political animal, detailed in the book The Beast in the Clouds. (2025)
The Guardian Monkeys falling from trees: how heat is driving animals to extinction
With the number of very hot days rising as well as average temperatures, more and more animals are vulnerable. But while some species can adapt, others are seeing huge population declines. (2025)
Reuters Climate change thaws the world’s northernmost research station
At Ny-Alesund research station, high above the Arctic circle on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, scientific data is getting harder to access. And sometimes it’s vanishing before scientists can collect it. (2023)
Reuters Is climate change lighting a fuse under Iceland’s volcanoes?
Scientists are racing to find out whether the rapid retreat of glaciers could drive a surge in eruptions as magma builds under the island nation — and if so, whether the same might occur at ice-covered volcanoes around the world. (2024)
Reuters As U.S. heat deaths rise, some landlords oppose right to air conditioning
A Reuters survey of housing regulations in all 50 U.S. states found that none require air-conditioning. A small but growing number of U.S. regions have adopted legislation that impose maximum indoor temperature standards on rental housing. (2024)
Reuters Climate change threat hangs over haj pilgrimage as hundreds perish in heat
Extreme heat proved fatal for more than 1,300 haj pilgrims who succumbed while on the journey to the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia. (2024)
Reuters Swiss women win landmark climate case at Europe top human rights court
Europe's top human rights court ruled the Swiss government violated the human rights of its citizens by failing to do enough to combat climate change — a decision that will set a precedent for future cases.(2024)
Reuters Extreme heat shuts schools for millions, widening learning gaps worldwide
Government authorities and public health experts across the world are grappling with whether to keep students learning in hot classrooms, or encourage them to stay home and keep cool. (2024)
Reuters World on brink of fourth mass coral reef bleaching event
EXCLUSIVE - The world is on the verge of a fourth mass coral bleaching event which could see wide swathes of tropical reefs die, including parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. (2024)
Reuters Norway gives Arctic foxes a helping hand amid climate woes
As part of the state-sponsored program to restore Arctic foxes, Norway has been feeding the population for nearly 20 years, and it has no plans to stop anytime soon. (2024)
Reuters Nations strike deal at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels
Representatives from nearly 200 countries agreed at the COP28 climate summit to begin reducing global consumption of fossil fuels to avert the worst of climate change, signaling the eventual end of the oil age. (2023)
Reuters Afghanistan excluded from COP28 as climate impacts hit home
Humanitarian concerns were raised over Afghanistan being left out of United Nations climate negotiations for a third year in a row, as the country grapples with worsening drought and floods. (2023)
Reuters How heat fueled extreme weather across the world in 2023
Deadly floods, heatwaves and storms unfolded against the backdrop of what climate scientists say is the world’s hottest year on record, with observations stretching back to the 1800s. (2023)
Reuters Air conditioning companies’ sustainable designs face high costs
While cooling technologies can save lives during deadly heat, they also threaten to worsen the climate crisis. (2023)
Reuters Amazon rainforest gold mining is poisoning scores of threatened species
Mercury contamination from informal gold mining in Madre de Dios, Peru, is making its way into the biodiversity hotspot's mammals — from rodents to ocelots to titi monkeys. (2023)
Reuters How the Hawaii wildfires spread so quickly
The wildfire that ripped through Lahaina on Aug. 8, reducing what had once been the jewel of the historic Hawaiian kingdom to rubble, was decades in the making, scientists say. (2023)
Reuters Indian glacial lake that flooded was poised to get early warning system
Scientists and government authorities were working on an early warning system for glacial floods at a Himalayan lake in northeast India when it broke its banks with deadly consequences. (2023)
Reuters Heat insurance offers climate change lifeline to poor workers
Some 21,000 self-employed women in India’s Gujarat state are now enrolled in one of the world's first insurance schemes for extreme heat. (2023)
Reuters Fears mount for the Arctic as cooperation with Russia stalls
Experts are asking whether the polar body's viability is at risk if it cannot cooperate with Russia, which controls over half of the Arctic coastline. (2023)
Reuters Ukraine conflict hurts Russian science, as west pulls funding
Hundreds of partnerships between Russian and Western institutions have been paused if not canceled altogether, as the invasion has unraveled years spent building international cooperation. (2022)
Reuters The cutting edge
How new drone technology is helping scientists in the uphill battle against plant extinction. (2022) (Gold Medal, Society for News Design Awards)
Reuters The collapse of insects
The most diverse group of organisms on the planet are in trouble, with recent research suggesting insect populations are declining at an unprecedented rate. (2022) (Gold Medal, Society for News Design Awards)
Reuters Why plants matter
They are the foundation of life on Earth, providing food, medicine, building materials and clean air but across the world, plant species are disappearing fast. (2022) (Gold Medal, Society for News Design Awards)
Reuters Why Arctic fires are releasing more carbon than ever
Arctic fires are responsible for a growing share of global carbon emissions from fires. In 2021, fires above 60°N were to blame for nearly a third of emissions, setting a new record. (2022)
Reuters Glaciers vanishing at record rate in Alps following heatwaves
The Alps' glaciers are on track for their highest mass losses in at least 60 years of record keeping. Since last winter, which brought little snowfall, the Alps have sweltered through two early summer heatwaves. (2022)
Reuters In hottest city on Earth, mothers bear the brunt of climate change
Women in southern Pakistan and millions like them around the world are at the searing edge of climate change. (2022)
Scientific American The Polar Crucible
Climate change is bringing tourism and tension to Longyearbyen on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. (2021) Featured on Longform & Next Draft PDF
Science News Polar bears bludgeon walruses to death with stones or ice
It’s long been said that a piece of ice is the perfect murder weapon. (2021) PDF
Columbia Journalism Review The world’s northernmost alt-weekly heads south
Mark Sabbatini, the editor of IcePeople , has been expelled from Svalbard. (2021)
The Guardian How Cold War’s monster crabs came to the rescue of an ailing Arctic village
Known locally as ‘Stalin’s Red Army,’ an invasion of king crabs from Russia created a lucrative industry, and difficult choices. (2020) PDF
The Walrus Northern Inroads
While Canada ignores the Arctic’s economic potential, China is poised to invest. (2020)
Scientific American Struggling koalas get help from a bold breeding program
Australia’s bushfires hammered koala populations, but a first-ever mix of capture and genetics could aid a comeback. (2021)
The Guardian The Arctic is in a death spiral. how much longer will it exist?
The region is unravelling faster than anyone could once have predicted. Is there still time to act? (2020)
Reuters Remote Canadian town programs radar to spot approaching polar bears
Scientists in Churchill, Manitoba, are training a military radar system to spot bears before they get too close. (2020)
The Guardian Climate crisis behind drastic drop in Arctic wildlife populations
Native shorebirds and caribou among species at risk as survival strategies are upended (2021)
The Guardian Most polar bears to disappear by 2100, study projects
Melting Arctic sea ice could cause starvation and reproductive failure for many as early as 2040, scientists warn. (2020)
Scientific American Global biodiversity is in free fall
A U.N. report reveals that countries worldwide have failed to meet key conservation targets set for 2020. (2020)
Beside magazine Svalbard’s seeds of hope
A doomsday bunker at the end of the world is safeguarding global food security. But for how much longer? (2020)
The New York Times India fears the Coronavirus may stalk its tigers
The country is home to most of the world’s wild tigers, and wildlife authorities announced steps to protect them. (2020)
Wired Magazine The Final Frames
In 2004, when a tsunami devastated communities in southern Asia, videos shot by tourists and locals became a new tool for analyzing the deadly waves. (2019) PDF
The Guardian Wildlife rescue centers struggle to treat endangered species in coronavirus outbreak
Shortages in funds, medicines and masks threaten charity work around the world. (2020)
Science News Tapirs may be key to reviving the Amazon. All they need to do is poop
A Brazilian ecologist is determined to understand the role of tapir dung in forest restoration. (2020)
National Geographic How to make peace with the world’s deadliest bears
Sloth bears feed on ants and termites, but often attack people when startled. As human populations in India grow, violent conflict is rising. (2020)
The Walrus The Seedy World of Plant Poaching
A miraculous cure-all, endangered wild American ginseng is being stolen and sold for thousands of dollars on the black market. (2019) PDF
HuffPost Politicians and CEOs could face criminal charges for environmental destruction
Campaigners are pushing the International Criminal Court to recognize “ecocide” as a crime against peace. (2019)
BioGraphic Green Glove, Iron Fist
As China prepares to unveil its brand-new national park system, the country—and the world—holds its collective breath to see how conservation will play out under an authoritarian government. (2019)
Inside Climate News A drop in sulfate emissions during the coronavirus lockdown could intensify Arctic heatwaves
Lower greenhouse gas emissions slow climate change, but declines of sulfate aerosols that reflect heat away from the planet may bring short-term warming. (2020)
PRI’s The World These Scientists created a 'Cloud Curtain' in Peru’s tropical forests to mimic the future
At Wayqecha Biological Station, a research site deep in the cloud forests of southern Peru, a giant “cloud curtain” hangs over the canopy to intercept clouds. (2020)
Al Jazeera The Norwegian town caught in a spy war with Russia
The Arctic town of Kirkenes near the Russia border feels the chill as tensions between NATO and the Kremlin rise. (2019)
Pacific Standard A proposed railway in the Arctic has investors excited—and Indigenous Groups terrified
Many Scandinavians are hoping that disappearing Arctic ice will lead to an economic boom—but the Sámi people are worried multinational infrastructure projects will eliminate their livelihood. (2019)
The Counter Locally foraged piñon nuts are cherished in New Mexico. They’re also disappearing
A seasonal staple of Southwestern cuisine, piñons are both cultural tradition and economic lifeline. Thanks to climate change, they face an uncertain future. (2020)
Adventure Journal Ursa Major
With backcountry use booming and bear incidents on the rise, Washington’s North Cascades face a key question: Can recreation and grizzlies coexist? (2020) PDF
Science News Nepal is reeling from an unprecedented Dengue outbreak
Climate change may be making the Himalayan nation more hospitable to disease-carrying mosquitoes. (2019)
Science News Hitchhiking oxpeckers warn endangered rhinos when people are nearby
Shouty and shrill oxpeckers can serve as an alarm bell, alerting black rhinos to the presence of people. That could help the endangered animals evade poachers. (2020) PDF
Ensia Traditional herders are sharing knowledge to cope with a changing climate
Yak, reindeer and entire ways of life in the “Third Pole” and Scandinavia face new threats in a warming world. (2019)
Yale E360 As polar bear attacks increase in warming Arctic, a search for solutions
With sea ice reduced, polar bears in the Arctic are spending more time on land, leading to increased attacks on people. (2019)
The Atlantic Iceland’s Glacier Keepers
Icelandic citizens have served as glacier trackers — and witnesses to climate change — for generations. Will it last? (2018)
BioGraphic Fighting for a Foothold
White abalone are both critically endangered and crucial to their coastal ecosystems, so scientists have launched a Hail Mary effort to save them. (2017)
The Walrus Bear Market
Why some Indigenous communities in British Columbia won't rejoice over the NDP's decision to ban the grizzly hunt. (2018) PDF (LISTED: The Walrus’ Favourite Environment Stories from 2010-2019)
Air Canada EnRoute Adventures in Pandaland
A new national park in Sichuan gives the bears a home to call their own – and gives Chinese panda tourism a major boost. National Magazine Award finalist (2018) PDF
High Country News Pay for Prey
When cattle go missing in wolf territory, who should pay the price? A program to reimburse Oregon ranchers for livestock killed by wolves is in trouble. (2018) PDF
BioGraphic Maggot Revolution
Agricultural entrepreneurs want to solve the planet’s livestock-feed crisis by farming insect larvae. Will their scheme fly? Winner of the 2017 Thomson Reuters Food Sustainability Media Award (2017)
Hakai magazine The mysterious decline of Iceland’s American invader
In Iceland, imported mink escaped fur farms and feasted their way through the food web—until nature bit back. (2018)
Canadian Geographic Fighting for their Coastline
As ship traffic increases off the coast of British Columbia, so will accidents. The Heiltsuk Nation intends to be ready. (2018)
Modern Farmer The last tree standing
For thousands of years, breadfruit grew in the Pacific Islands, where it was a staple in locals’ diets. It’s time to give it another look. (2018)
Vice Peer inside the Alaskan permafrost tunnel that doubles as a science lab
Beginning in 2011, engineers began to expand the Permafrost Tunnel, citing an increased need for understanding how permafrost will respond to global warming. (2016)
High Country News How to tell the story of the West
A residential library for readers, poets, and naturalists take shape. (2016) PDF
Canadian Geographic As Banff's famed wildlife overpasses turn 20, the world looks to Canada for conservation inspiration
The innovative structures are heralded for having opened migration corridors and saved countless animals from vehicle collisions. (2017)
High Country News To bee or not to bee: Beekeepers vs. invasive species rules on federal lands
Should apiarists be allowed to place hives of non-native honeybees on public lands? (2015) PDF
High Country News Grizzly Face-Off
The Yellowstone grizzly population is poised to lose its endangered status, leaving protection in the hands of the states. (2016) PDF
Adventure Journal Locked Out
Ten million acres of public land are inaccessible in the American West. But uncommon allies are fighting to open them. (2018) PDF