The Rio Grande’s pecan problem
2025-09-08
How Big Ag is threatening New Mexico’s water supply. The post The Rio Grande’s pecan problem appeared first on High Country News.Continue Reading
Garnet fire, burning near sequoias, turns ‘dynamic,’ scorches 10,000 more acres
2025-09-08
Firefighters hold the line in the Sierras, protecting communities and a giant sequoia grove amid a day of “dynamic fire activity” from the Garnet Fire.Continue Reading
Deep-sea must not turn into ‘Wild West’ of rare minerals exploitation, agency head says
2025-09-07
Nations are pursuing underwater exploration for highly sought-after rare earth minerals, but the head of the UN’s International Seabed Authority (ISA) said the deep-sea belongs to no single country or corporation as efforts are underway to ensure this rich resource will not become “the Wild West” of exploitation.Continue Reading
World Court says countries are legally obligated to curb emissions, protect climate
2025-09-07
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, issued its advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change, read out by the President of the Court, Judge Iwasawa Yuji, on Wednesday. Continue Reading
A California Network of Black Churches Is Embracing Solar Energy, EV Charging
2025-09-07
Four Bay Area churches are combining resilience hubs with charging infrastructure in an effort to bring investment to long-overlooked communities and increase their own financial stability. By Nicole J. Caruth HAYWARD, Calif.—On a Sunday morning, the swirling timbre of a Hammond organ drifted into the lobby at Glad Tidings InternationalContinue Reading
Scientists just cracked a 60-million-year-old volcanic mystery
2025-09-07
Cambridge scientists discovered that thin, weak zones in Earth’s plates helped spread Iceland’s mantle plume across the North Atlantic, explaining why volcanic activity once spanned thousands of kilometers. These ancient scars not only shaped the landscape but still influence earthquakes and could point to untapped geothermal energy., Read MoreContinue Reading
Charting Whale ‘Superhighways’ for Conservation
2025-09-07
A new digital platform, Blue Corridors, showcases 30 years of tracking data revealing global whale migrations and mounting threats from ships, fisheries and climate change. By Teresa Tomassoni Every year beginning in October, thousands of humpback whales start to leave their warm nurseries in the Eastern Tropical Pacific—an ocean stretchContinue Reading
The night the mountains shook: A doctor on the front lines of Afghanistan’s earthquake
2025-09-07
The first jolt threw Dr. Abdul Mateen Sahak out of bed. The second sent him to his phone. It was right before midnight, last Sunday, and the steep, mountainous valleys of eastern Afghanistan had just been hit by a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake, closely followed by the first of many aftershocks.Continue Reading
Local leadership powers Indonesia’s climate ambitions
2025-09-07
In the heart of Indonesia’s vast tropical landscapes, the province of Riau, known for its rich peatlands and biodiversity, is emerging as a beacon of climate leadership thanks to a new initiative that places local leadership and customary knowledge at the centre of climate action, in line with national policies. Continue Reading
Panama’s ocean lifeline vanishes for the first time in 40 years
2025-09-07
Every year, Panama’s Pacific coast benefits from powerful seasonal winds that drive nutrient-rich waters to the surface, sustaining fisheries and protecting coral reefs. But in 2025, for the first time in at least four decades, this crucial upwelling did not occur. Scientists suspect weakened trade winds linked to climate disruptionContinue Reading
‘Because of the Goddarn Plant.’ Fishermen in Southwest Louisiana Say LNG Terminals Are to Blame for Shrimp Harvest Decline
2025-09-07
Commercial fishermen are leaving what was once the seafood capital of America in search of shrimp as LNG export terminals move in. By Phil McKenna Cameron, La.—Ray Mallett started fishing near the mouth of the Calcasieu River more than half a century ago as part of the “mosquito fleet,” aContinue Reading
California joins firefighting compact with a dozen Northwest states and Canadian provinces
2025-09-07
The Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact facilitates sharing of firefighting resources and technology amongst U.S. and Canadian members — now including California — during emergencies.Continue Reading
What to Make
2025-09-07
A poem by Natasha Sajé. The post What to Make appeared first on High Country News. Your browser does not support the audio element.Continue Reading