Environment
Archive
The compromise offsets climate spending with big wins for oil and gas, too
We鈥檙e not putting our heads in the sand. But there are reasons to be hopeful and things everyone can do in the face of unprecedented change.
The Colorado Craig Interagency Hotshot Crew spends their summers fighting fires in places like California and Montana
Long-standing rules for how we do our business in the wilderness are changing in a very big way鈥攁nd it鈥檚 about time
According to law enforcement in Curry County, Oregon, local residents tied a suspected arsonist to a tree after he got 鈥渃ombative鈥
A bloody conflict between the Himalayan 鈥榞host cats鈥 and Nepali shepherds is only partially to blame鈥攁nd raises questions about their future
A century worth of man-made efforts to prevent flooding and expand agriculture have interrupted water flow to the southern end of the state
Once thought to be basically immortal, giant sequoias are dying in droves as fires burn bigger, hotter, and longer than at any other point in human history. Protecting them is possible, but managing western woods is a Pandora鈥檚 box of tough choices.
As an out-of-control blaze approached their home, a couple made what seems like a crazy choice: they ignored evacuation orders and stood their ground.
This is the kind of natural disaster that happens every few hundred years, and it happened to us
Rangers in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are asking hikers to be mindful of bears
A new order from interior secretary Deb Haaland reverses a Trump-era policy that prevented national parks from banning plastic bottles
He was an environmentalist versed in the dangers of our warming world, an expert trail runner, and eminently capable of moving far and fast outside. The heat killed him all the same.
The 200-million-old fossil, which contained footprints from an alligatorlike reptile, is believed to have been stolen from the park roughly five years ago
Laughing our way to a better environment
In forests across the planet, secretive hunters are searching for that rare and insanely expensive wild delicacy: the truffle.
The American Southwest hasn鈥檛 been this dry in 1,200 years. The region鈥檚 water supply鈥攁nd entire energy infrastructure鈥攊s at stake.
As year one of the Scarpa Athlete Mentorship Initiative comes to a close, we asked four mentees about their experience
A growing body of research suggests that it鈥檚 no longer sustainable to bury our waste in the wilderness
The City of Angels is bringing together tech, academia, government, nonprofits, and ordinary residents to make its greenery more equitable and mitigate the effects of both climate change and systemic racism
We asked one of the original Earth Day organizers for ideas on how to bring back urgency to the movement during a moment that鈥檚 more dire than ever
Photographer Brian Kaiser captures the joy of this niche winter sport
The Sunshine Protection Act wants to do away with changing the clocks. Naturally, we got to talking about how the shift might affect our outdoorsing.
Joey Santore is a tattooed ex-punk who is self-taught in the sciences. Which might explain why he鈥檚 getting so many people to care about plants.
As a landscape architect, Ryley Thiessen understands that finding balance is key
Cities like Jackson, Wyoming, and Natick, Massachusetts, have hired officials to protect the local environment
In an apparent attempt to sidestep high-density housing, Woodside, California, a wealthy neighborhood just outside Silicon Valley, claimed it was habitat for mountain lions. The backlash was swift.
The 鈥榳iwinu,鈥 or huckleberry, is a traditional food for the Indigenous Warm Springs tribe of north-central Oregon
Like other bodies of water throughout the western U.S., the San Joaquin has suffered from a decade of drought. It鈥檚 also been heavily dammed and is one of the most diverted rivers in California.
The ROI Act will give rural communities the money they need to develop outdoor recreation economies
A site with images that date back 8,000 years was spray-painted with racist slurs and symbols, among other graffiti
Mangroves, specifically their roots, play an important role in the ecosystem as a breeding and feeding ground for many commercial fish that thousands of people rely on as a food source
The move may kill a controversial copper-nickel mining project located close to the protected wilderness
What鈥檚 happening in the coastal village of Xcalak is a lesson in community partnership
All over America鈥檚 ancient eastern mountains, there鈥檚 an organism that lives underground, tethered to tree roots, waiting to be hunted. It鈥檚 among the world鈥檚 rarest and most expensive foods, and it grows in a wide range of conditions. But there鈥檚 only one guy in the country who really knows how to find it. Rowan Jacobsen joins him in the search for the Appalachian truffle.
Today the Tongass is the last national forest in the United States where old-growth trees are clear-cut
The incident in December is the latest incident of vandalism to ancient Native artifacts
Climate expert Daniel Swain explains how a convergence of climate change, urban sprawl, and extreme weather fueled the costliest wildfire in state history
Yes, things are very bad, but there are some glimmers of hope for making meaningful progress
Heather Hansman shares the books and films that have helped her slow down and reflect amid the turmoil of 2021
BLM鈥檚 first confirmed director in five years talks about access, equity, and the future of public land in the West
Colorado researchers will study running and cannabis, spectator who caused Tour de France crash pays fine, and a mountaintop wedding for the ages
Producers and manufacturers, including outdoor gear brands, are feeling the pressure to step up to create and fund recycling programs
Teton officials mull backcountry ski closures, Yosemite closes biggest campground until 2025, and the men's half-marathon record falls
Congress approves Sams as NPS director, Canadian cops raid indigenous protest, and Steamboat locals pray for snow
After COP26, a writer considers whether leaving the fate of the planet in the hands of world leaders is the right way forward
The climate crisis has affected every corner of the country, including many of the places we once fantasized about moving to for a better quality of life
Our guru weighs in on the ethics of defacing a man-made blight
The grandeur of the Great Salt Lake stopped Brigham Young in his tracks and inspired John Muir to jump in for a swim. Yet now it鈥檚 in danger of disappearing, sucked dry by agriculture, climate change, and suburban lawns. Many Utahns would just as soon pave it, but as Bill Gifford learned during a yearlong exploration, there鈥檚 beauty and natural splendor here that deserves to live on.
A group of biologists are trying to protect a threatened herd in the iconic Wyoming range, but their plan includes closing recreational areas that many aren鈥榯 happy about losing
From eco-friendly ski wax to an organic cotton duvet, these creative gift ideas give back to both your loved ones and the planet
I鈥檓 really sorry it happened and really glad I survived. Notes on the flabbergasting climax of an Alaska road trip that changed my life.
A recent ruling on an Endangered Species Act case may set a precedent for incorporating climate models into species protection
Three days before Indigenous People鈥檚 Day, President Biden reversed the largest attack on public lands in recent history
Our favorite wildlife competition crowned an aging winner this year, and reminded us that for the chubby bears we love, the stakes will always be high
An abstract view of some of the world鈥檚 most beautiful land- and waterscapes
And what it means for the future of America鈥檚 public lands
The British Columbia Supreme Court mandated that law enforcement leave the front lines, in part due to its failure to uphold civil liberties
Scientists, planners, and even the Army Corps of Engineers are turning to natural solutions like coral reefs and sand dunes to protect coastal communities against intensifying storm surges and flooding
What drives Steve Tatko? The fear of losing the forest he grew up in.
M谩xima Acu帽a fights to protect her land as she stands up to the largest gold producer in the world: U.S.-based Newmont Mining Corporation
Contrary to popular belief, the state offers much more to see than just fields of potatoes. Idaho is made up of nearly 34 million acres of public land鈥攖hat鈥檚 over 60 percent of the state.
Picking daisies with the Craighead bros
With mega wildfires and intensifying hurricanes becoming the new norm this time of year, the last hurrah of the season has become more apocalyptic than carefree
A federal judge ruled that a Trump policy, dubbed 鈥渢he Dirty Water Rule,鈥 was unscientific and violated the rights of Indigenous tribes
There鈥檚 a right and a wrong way to live in the desert, says 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 ethics guru
Many Canadians think old-growth forests are protected from logging. Turns out, Indigenous people and a scrappy band of activists called the Rainforest Flying Squad are all that stands between Vancouver Island鈥檚 last old growth and logging companies.
The National Park Service hasn鈥檛 had a director in four years. The Biden administration is trying to fix that but faces a host of major challenges.
If it seems like you鈥檝e been hearing about lakes and beaches closing down more often, you鈥檙e right. Various types of toxic algae are multiplying like crazy in bodies of water across the country, and stopping them won鈥檛 be easy.
As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report made clear this week, we鈥檙e going to need to give up some of the things we love if we don鈥檛 want much more taken away
The multi-use Lost Sierra Route will link underserved mountain communities, providing recreational adventures and economic sustainability
Democrats in Congress are pushing for a federal jobs program that would tackle climate, land use, infrastructure, and more. Here鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so urgent.
Despite GOP rhetoric, selling America鈥檚 largest rainforest to China was actually bad business
The River Democracy Act will establish Oregon as the country鈥檚 undisputed leader in permanent river protection.
Our ethics columnist weighs in on balancing conservation and enjoyment
Bringing a reusable water bottle or coffee mug is just the start
But there鈥檚 still hope if we start managing water differently and addressing climate change, both of which are making dry spells more extreme
You might think that British Columbia鈥檚 oldest forests are protected from commercial interests. You鈥檙e wrong.