Latest articles in Environment
Australia has declared the current El Nino event the strongest in decades, with far-reaching consequences for global weather patterns. Youth and advocacy groups have sued the Canadian government over climate rollbacks. Scientists identified 64,000 square miles of coral reef capable of withstanding warming waters. A new wave energy program in California turns ocean movement into renewable electricity.
A deadly typhoon has made landfall in Vietnam after tearing through the Philippines, causing widespread damage and casualties. Meanwhile, India's weather department forecasts moderate to strong El Nino conditions during the monsoon season, threatening agricultural output. In the US, California's wave energy program shows promise for renewable power generation.
A powerful storm system spawned large tornadoes across the central United States this week, with Illinois hit hardest. Multiple fatalities were reported as tornadoes leveled homes and downed trees across several states. The storm threat shifted eastward Friday after days of destruction. Illinois has now recorded more tornadoes in 2026 than any other state, continuing a dangerous trend.
Last month was the second-hottest May ever recorded globally, EU scientists confirmed, as climate change continues to drive extreme weather. In Indonesia, deadly floods and landslides wiped out at least 7% of the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan population on Sumatra. Hungary's Lake Velence is drying up, threatening tourism and wildlife. Meanwhile, Turkey proposed a 2035 global electricity target as COP30 host, and the 2026 World Cup faces scrutiny over its climate impact.
NOAA officially declared El Niño conditions are present in the Pacific Ocean, with a 63% chance the event will intensify into a very strong El Niño by winter 2026-27. The declaration raises concerns about extreme weather globally, including intensified flooding, heat waves, and disruptions to the Atlantic hurricane season. The event could rival the strongest on record including 1997-98 and 2015-16.
May 2026 was the world's second-hottest May on record, EU scientists confirmed, as an El Niño event officially formed in the Pacific Ocean. Meteorologists warn the El Niño, described as nature's chaotic climate agent, has formed in a warmed-up Pacific and is expected to grow to historic strength. The findings raise fears of extreme weather events and higher global temperatures. Separately, a study found that four days of extreme rain killed 7% of the world's rarest orangutans, and Indonesia braces for rising forest fire risks from the dry season.
Arctic sea ice reached its lowest winter maximum ever recorded in 2026, with the annual peak hitting just 13.76 million square kilometers on March 13, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. The record low comes amid unprecedented global heat, with scientists racing to understand the implications for weather patterns, wildlife, and coastal communities. Meanwhile, the EPA eased limits on coal plant mercury emissions, and a California community faces glacial lake outburst flood threats for the third consecutive year.
NASA satellite data from the Landsat program reveals that mangrove forests are now expanding globally after decades of decline, according to a comprehensive study of global mangrove extent from 1984 to 2023. Conservation efforts and natural regeneration are reversing losses. Meanwhile, the expanded World Cup faces scrutiny over climate emissions, the EPA is speeding up clean air permits for power plants, and AI datacenters are increasingly being built on drought-hit land.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that a looming El Niño will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world as the World Meteorological Organization forecasts 80% odds of the climate pattern developing by August. Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific are currently 6°C above average, and the event compounds long-term human-caused climate change.
A new UN Food and Agriculture Organization report reveals that the average person now eats six times more chicken than in 1961. Global meat supply has quadrupled in 60 years. Poultry consumption rose from under 3 kg per person to 17 kg per person. Critics say the report avoids recommending that wealthy nations cut meat consumption.