The state of the world’s environment is one of the most important stories of the new century. Debates over the impact of climate change reverberate throughout the globe. So do disputes about what actions might be necessary, both to preserve the environment and to develop sources of energy for a growing global community.
The World’s environment coverage, led by environment editor Peter Thomson, examines the health of the planet and explores the impacts of human activity on everything from the earth’s ecosystems to the food we put on our plates.
The shifting of the seasons as the world warms up is putting a new focus on the field of phenology. It is the study of the timing of seasonal events like the emergence of a particular plant or insect. As The World’s Clark Boyd reports from The Netherlands, scientists are trying to track winners, losers and ecological relationships that are getting out of whack.
An American chemist says he’s found a substance – several, in fact – that can repel some of the most fearsome predators in the ocean, and he wants to use his discovery to protect them. Reporter Ari Daniel Shapiro of our partner program NOVA has the story.
The world’s oceans are full of salt and also contain ingredients vital to marine life and the Earth’s climate. Reporter Ari Daniel Shapiro of our partner program NOVA met up with a French scientist who’s studying the chemistry of seawater for clues to our planet’s future.
Marco Werman talks with Michael Klare, professor of Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire College, about the forces that drive oil prices up and down.
Anchor Marco Werman speaks with The World’s environment editor Peter Thomson about the latest news from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant.
One year after the Fukushima disaster nearly all of Japan’s 54 nuclear power plants are out of service and the country is facing a major power crunch. The government has promised a major shift toward cleaner renewable energy to help fill the gap. But as Sam Eaton reports, the country’s clean energy revolution has yet to get much traction.
Associated Press reporters Jack Gillum and Seth Borenstein analyzed 36 years of monthly data on gasoline prices and US domestic oil production and found no statistical correlation between them [...]
Proponents contend that this oil will increase US “energy security” and decrease US reliance on other sources of foreign oil. Opponents argue that the refined products will end up going overseas. In fact, both may be partly right. But that just begs a bigger question: What is energy security, and and how does or doesn’t this pipeline help us achieve it? [...]
The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador plans to build two huge new hydroelectric dams on the Churchill river. Backers say the dams will be an important source of low-carbon electricity while opponents warn against it.
In recent years, Canada has quietly become the largest exporter of energy to the US and some Canadians aren’t so happy about the environmental consequences for their country. Brian Mann reports on the emergence of Canada as an energy superpower.
The massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 has caused the greatest crisis in that country since the second world war. With towns wiped off the map, 20,000 dead or missing and an ongoing nuclear nightmare around the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the disaster has already cost billions and displaced tens of thousands, and will reverberate far into Japan’s future.
Last year’s tsuanami virtually destroyed many northern Japanese fishing communities. A year later, residents are struggling to rebuild, but as Sam Eaton reports, some are finding that the disaster has given them the opportunity to chart a new course.
Anchor Marco Werman talks to reporter Sam Eaton about the cultural impact on the Japanese of last year’s tsunami and nuclear meltdowns. Eaton has been reporting from Japan for The World on the legacy of the twin disasters a year later.
A year after a tsunami triggered a triple meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant, the cleanup of the contaminated area around the plant has just begun. And as Sam Eaton reports from the hot zone, no one knows if it will ever be finished, because no one’s ever tried anything like it.
A year after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, coastal towns in northern Japan have barely begun to rebuild. Reporter Sam Eaton visited the ravaged area and spoke with residents trying to rebuild their communities and lives.
