Down to Earth
The biodiversity crisis, explained
One in eight Americans depend on a river that’s disappearing.
Plot twist: Humans have accidentally helped save some animals, for once.
A new global treaty to conserve the high seas is a giant win for the ocean and its most dazzling creatures.
The H5N1 avian flu virus isn’t a major human threat today. Here’s what it’d take to become one.
Palm oil once destroyed orangutan-filled rainforests in Southeast Asia. Now, the industry is cleaning up its act.
Want to save the bees? First, throw out most of what you know about them.
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act died last year in Congress, but lawmakers may soon get another shot.
There’s drama in the plant world — and a shape-shifting vine is at the center of it.
A new law in Europe could help prevent our favorite foods from flattening forests.
The head of the world’s largest environmental organization explains what it will actually take to stop the extinction crisis.
Surprise! This environmental story is actually not depressing.
At the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, world leaders agreed to a historic plan to halt biodiversity loss.
Want to protect the planet? First, we need to agree on what “conservation” means.
At COP15 in Montreal, officials will try to hash out a deal to protect animals and ecosystems. It won’t be easy.
The environmental movement has a buzzword problem.
To save more nature, think small.
Lula has pledged to restore the Amazon. Will it be enough?
Take our survey to tell us how we’re doing, and where we can grow our coverage.
Oh, you think mussels are basically rocks? I’m afraid you are very wrong.
The beef industry is flattening the Amazon, even when companies tell you it’s not.
WWF just published a grim report card for global biodiversity. Here’s what it does — and does not — tell us.
The world needs more metals for batteries to fight climate change. Should it come at the cost of these animals?
In Brazil’s upcoming runoff election, President Jair Bolsonaro could be voted out. Here’s what that means for the rainforest.
Coral reefs can protect coastal cities from deadly floods, if only we keep them alive.
What the war on invasive lanternflies gets wrong.
Many animals aren’t endangered or extinct — they’re missing. Species detectives are trying to track them down.
Farming often harms the environment. Biden’s inflation bill could help blunt its impact.
Scientists are measuring whale heartbeats to unravel one of biology’s biggest mysteries.
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would funnel millions of dollars into saving overlooked species.
More than 2,000 species worldwide are considered lost. Could finding them avert extinctions?
My home state seemed far from a natural paradise. Then I found an otter.
Summer started with an oppressive heat wave. Get used to it.
The flood destroyed homes and bridges, and threatens the region’s economy. But the animals are doing just fine.
Global warming is still threatening polar bears, but new research complicates the story.
Biodiversity loss could flatten corporate profits. Investors are scrambling to figure out which firms hold the most risk.
From chemical leaks to rampant wildfires, these are the unseen costs of Russia’s invasion.
There are two main ticks to watch out for, and both are on the move.
More than a century after they arrived, invasive sea lampreys still threaten the Great Lakes’ $7 billion fishing economy.
The ocean has a roadkill problem.
They’re not cuddly, but they need our help.