How a ‘Citizen Map’ Is Helping Brazil Prepare for Next Big Flood
When Lucas George Wendt arrived in Lajeado in late May, the water had already started to recede. Just days before, the peaks of roofs and the tops of trees were…
On the Mekong, Sand Mining Threatens the River and a Way of Life
Phnom Penh is rapidly developing, but its growth has come at a high cost to villagers who depend on the health of the Mekong River. Filmmaker Andy Ball follows two…
What Will It Take to Save Our Cities from a Scorching Future?
In 2022, a year in which 70,000 Europeans died of heat-related causes, the United Nations named Eleni “Lenio” Myrivili the world’s first-ever global chief heat officer. A former deputy mayor…
How Ailing Strip Malls Could Be a Green Fix for U.S. Housing Crisis
The U.S. housing shortage is so severe that demand outstrips supply by a stunning 3.8 million homes, according to Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage dealer. The shortage exacerbates homelessness, income…
After a Decade of Planning, New York City Is Raising Its Shoreline
On a recent morning in Asser Levy Playground, on Manhattan’s East Side, a group of retirees traded serves on a handball court adjacent to a recently completed 10-foot-high floodwall. Had…
Could the Global Boom in Greenhouses Help Cool the Planet?
The world is awash with greenhouses growing fresh vegetables year-round for health-conscious urbanites. There are so many of them that in places their plastic and glass roofs are reflecting sufficient…
Amid the Sprawl, a Long Island Prairie Makes a Quiet Comeback
The Hempstead Plains Preserve is a place where you can imagine the presence of creatures past. Birdfoot violets, now gone, once colored the landscape with a wash of purple in…
Why Putting Solar Canopies on Parking Lots Is a Smart Green Move
Fly into Orlando, Florida, and you may notice a 22-acre solar power array in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head in a field just west of Disney World. Nearby, Disney…
As Africa Loses Forest, Its Small Farmers Are Bringing Back Trees
For decades, there have been reports of the deforestation of Africa. And they are true — the continent’s forests are disappearing, lost mainly to expanding agriculture, logging, and charcoal-making. But…
As Rio Grande Shrinks, El Paso Plans for Uncertain Water Future
Since before El Paso was founded by a Spanish missionary in the late 17th century, the Chihuahuan Desert region has been nourished by a steady supply of water: the Rio…