Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Seas to Rise Around the World — but Not in Greenland

 

at 2/6/26 6:53am

As the planet warms, seas will rise around the world — but not in Greenland, where they are projected to fall by several feet, according to a new study.Read more on E360 →

— U.S. Push for Greenland’s Minerals Faces Harsh Arctic Realities

 

at 2/4/26 11:37am

President Trump has made access to Greenland’s vast reserves of critical minerals a focus of ongoing negotiations. But experts say the U.S. is underestimating the difficulties of mining in a rapidly changing Arctic region that is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth.Read more on E360 →

— As the Arctic Gets Louder, Narwhals Are Going Quiet

 

at 2/4/26 7:23am

In a warming Arctic, noise from growing shipping traffic is interfering with the ability of narwhals to hunt and communicate.Read more on E360 →

— China to See Solar Capacity Outstrip Coal Capacity This Year

 

at 2/3/26 5:07am

This year China will see its solar capacity outstrip its coal capacity for the first time, according to an industry group.Read more on E360 →

— India Says Its Grasslands Are 'Wastelands.' Medieval Folklore Suggests Otherwise

 

at 2/2/26 8:16am

The sprawling grasslands of western India are, in the popular imagination, the remains of woodlands that were leveled under British rule — areas to be reforested, rather than conserved. But a recent analysis of stories, songs, and poems from centuries past reveals that western grasslands predate British colonization.Read more on E360 →

— Mojave Solar Farm a Haven for Rare Desert Plant

 

at 1/30/26 4:20am

A rare desert plant is flourishing at a solar farm near Las Vegas, new research finds. The study is the latest to show how, under the right circumstances, solar arrays can be a boon to nature.Read more on E360 →

— Polar Bears Are Thriving on This Arctic Island, Even as Sea Ice Dwindles

 

at 1/29/26 9:00am

In parts of the Arctic, polar bears are in decline as sea ice, which they depend on to hunt, disappears. That is not the case, however, on the Norwegian island of Svalbard, where bears have actually managed to grow more plump even as ice melts away.Read more on E360 →

— Overshoot: The World Is Hitting Point of No Return on Climate

 

at 1/28/26 4:38am

With warming set to pass the critical 1.5-degree limit, scientists are warning that the world is on course to trigger tipping points that would lead to cascading consequences — from the melting of ice sheets to the death of the Amazon rainforest — that could not be reversed.Read more on E360 →

— Europe to Ramp Up Offshore Wind in Push for Energy Independence

 

at 1/27/26 3:34am

A group of European leaders pledged Monday to build 100 gigawatts of offshore wind, enough to power more than 50 million homes. As Europe faces a hostile Russia and an increasingly bellicose U.S., experts see deepening risks in its reliance on imported fossil fuels.Read more on E360 →

— Global Investment in Clean Tech Hit a New High Last Year

 

at 1/26/26 7:24am

Global investment in clean tech reached a record-high $2.3 trillion last year, according to an analysis. Investment grew even in the U.S., despite a sweeping rollback of government support for clean energy.Read more on E360 →

— As L.A. Fires Receded, Indoor Air Pollution Grew, Study Finds

 

at 1/23/26 9:00am

Even after the disastrous L.A. wildfires abated last year, the danger from smoke persisted for many people living nearby. A new study finds that, by some measures, indoor air pollution actually worsened after the fires.Read more on E360 →

— Europe Now Generates More Power from Wind and Solar Than From Fossil Fuels

 

at 1/22/26 6:50am

Last year, for the first time, wind and solar supplied more power than fossil fuels to the E.U., according to a new analysis.Read more on E360 →

— In Hunt for Rare Earths, Companies Are Scouring Mining Waste

 

at 1/21/26 6:37am

Tailings and acid mine drainage from mines contain critical minerals needed for clean energy technologies. Now, researchers are developing new techniques for retrieving these key metals, which could reduce the need for new mines and help clean up pollution at old mining sites.Read more on E360 →

— Much of the World Facing 'Water Bankruptcy,' U.N. Report Warns

 

at 1/20/26 11:00am

Around the world, people are drawing down reserves of fresh water faster than they can be replenished. The heedless consumption of water, combined with worsening drought globally, has ushered in an era of "water bankruptcy," according to a dire new U.N. report.Read more on E360 →

— Urban Greenery Is Making Some Cities Hotter, Study Finds

 

at 1/19/26 9:47am

As urban planners look to expand green spaces to help cool cities, a new study finds that, in arid regions, grassy areas can actually have a warming effect.Read more on E360 →

— A.I. Is Keeping Aging Coal Plants Online

 

at 1/14/26 11:00pm

Energy-hungry data centers have been a lifeline for ailing U.S. coal plants, analysts say.Read more on E360 →

— A Boom in Gas Exports Is Pushing Up U.S. Energy Bills

 

at 1/13/26 11:00pm

Greater exports of natural gas have played a significant role in rising U.S. utility bills, an analysis of federal data found.Read more on E360 →

— Photos Capture the Breathtaking Scale of China's Wind and Solar Buildout

 

at 1/12/26 11:00pm

Last year China installed more than half of all wind and solar added globally. In May alone, it added enough renewable energy to power Poland, installing solar panels at a rate of roughly 100 every second.Read more on E360 →

— Sea Star Murder Mystery: What’s Killing a Key Ocean Species?

 

at 1/11/26 11:00pm

Billions of sea stars, victims of a deadly wasting illness, have perished over the last decade, imperiling marine ecosystems and spurring a global hunt for a biological or environmental culprit. Recently, researchers identified a likely suspect, but the case is far from closed.Read more on E360 →

— Our Changing Planet, as Seen From Space

 

at 1/7/26 11:00pm

Humans are altering the planet on an unthinkable scale, both by converting vast tracts of wilderness into farms and cities and by pouring huge volumes of heat-trapping gas into the atmosphere. The impact of these enormous changes can be seen from space.Read more on E360 →

— For Some Americans, Gas Stoves Are a Big Source of Toxic Pollution

 

at 1/6/26 11:00pm

A common kitchen appliance plays an outsized role in exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a toxic air pollutant.Read more on E360 →

As of 2/6/26 7:04pm. Last new 2/6/26 8:27am.