Environment

French Polynesia will fully protect 200,000 square miles of ocean, about twice the size of Arizona, in one of the largest marine reserves anywhere on Earth.

US wildlife officials finalized about 1.5 million acres of critical habitat in six states for the rusty patched bumble bee, the first US bee listed as endangered.

US solar power out-generated coal for the first time in May 2026, supplying a record 12.8% of the nation's electricity, according to federal energy data.

A new solar panel desalination system turns seawater into clean drinking water, avoids toxic brine waste, and can recover lithium for batteries.

Three teens won the Global Earth Prize for Plas-Stick, a tamarind powder that clumps microplastics in water so they can be lifted out with a magnet.

Endangered North Atlantic right whales had 23 calves this season, the most since 2009, with shorter gaps between births hinting at a real recovery.

A roundup of uplifting global stories, including conservation breakthroughs, medical advances, community wins, and one unforgettable survival story.

A plastic-free coffee cup made with a seaweed lining could cut tens of thousands of microplastics from daily drinks, with €4m of EU funding now scaling it up.

Electric vehicles are making the air cleaner in California, a new Lancet study finds, with nitrogen dioxide pollution dropping as EV numbers rise on roads.

A WSU team led by Birgitte Ahring has turned treated sewage sludge into renewable natural gas at 99% methane purity, tripling output over standard treatment.