The Trump administration has delayed billions of dollars for projects to protect Americans from floods, wildfires and hurricanes. Local leaders are increasingly anxious.

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The volcanologist on the island of Vanuatu who walks barefoot over cooled lava fields tells NPR's Don Gonyea how to see nature at its most primeval.

President Trump has tried to kill offshore wind's future in the U.S. But industry analysts say the attacks could hurt business confidence across the U.S. economy.

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Analysts say coal may stabilize supplies for now but they warn that continued reliance on the polluting fuel will worsen air pollution.

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Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have uncovered the oldest known recording of whale song. And it reveals a noisier soundscape of today's oceans.

Hundreds of plants are protected by the Endangered Species Act, but moss is an underdog. There's only one type that has federal protection, but a group of scientists wants to change that.

Seawalls are great at protecting property and people. A new nature-inspired seawall add-on is trying to make them better at protecting marine wildlife too.

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Utilities are convincing lawmakers around the U.S. to delay bills that would allow people to buy solar panels, plug them into an outlet and begin generating electricity.

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Making waste water drinkable is a growing technology trend, especially in areas where limited water resources are restricting development.

Disaster costs fell in the U.S. in 2025. Still, it was the fourth time in five years that extreme weather inflicted more than $100 billion in annual losses. Industry experts say the growing financial toll will make insurers wary of rushing to cut rates.

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The Trump administration wants to allow deep-sea mining for critical minerals near the American territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Residents are worried about environmental impacts.

Across the country, Republicans and Democrats have found bipartisan agreement on regulating artificial intelligence and data centers. But it's not just big tech aligning the two parties.

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Many farmers have had to fallow land as a state law comes into effect limiting their access to water. There's now a push to develop some of that land … into solar farms.

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Neonicotinoids are widely used pesticides, but they kill bees and harm ecosystems. New rules would treat them more like controlled drugs, requiring something akin to a prescription for their use.

NPR's Erika Ryan reports from the site of one of the nation's largest sewage spills ever — just outside of Washington, D.C. — in January.

Drinking water around the District of Columbia hasn't been contaminated. But scientists say the environmental damage could be severe.

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Many experts had thought sharks didn't exist in the frigid waters of Antarctica.

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A collapsed sewer line, about 8 miles from the White House, pumped 368 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of wastewater into the Potomac. Repairs could take longer than previously expected.

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Italy's Winter Olympics promised sustainability. But in Cortina, environmentalists warn the Games could scar these mountains for decades.

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The announcement comes just days after NPR revealed the administration had secretly rewritten safety and environmental standards.

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