Trout need cool water to survive, but record heat this summer has driven water temperatures to levels that can kill fish.

Spain's prime minister has a long history of speaking out on the realities of global heating but political opponents remain unnmoved.

Prolonged droughts have exposed the vulnerability of Zambia and Zimbabwe’s hydropower-dependent electricity systems, triggering severe power shortages and renewing interest in coal.

Researchers explain how El Niño and global warming are combining to create "the haves and the have-nots."

Recent studies have linked wildfire smoke exposure to negative birth outcomes such as low birth weight and preterm birth.

Officials are turning to industrial and manufacturing zones to site shelters — and avoid public pushback — a Capital & Main review of 30 cities found.

In this excerpt from Inescapable: Facing Up to Forever Chemicals, author Marina Schauffler examines how PFAS pollution has left farmers grappling with contaminated land and uncertain futures.

The future of Kate Tucker’s family farm looks as murky as its waterways face a raft of contamination issues, but poor environmental regulation has left her with few options.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has an alternative definition of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that excludes new herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, and says they pose no threat to human health.

In a recent study published by The Lancet Planetary Health, researchers examined the health costs of pollutants released by plastics across their full lifecycle and emphasized the need for international policy that reduces plastic production.

In short:

• Every stage of the plastic lifecycle contributes to human health threats including global warming, air pollution, cancer, and disease, with primary plastic production and plastic burning causing the greatest harm.
• The authors estimated that continuing with the current pace of plastic production would result in an additional 83 million disability-adjusted life-years (a measurement of healthy years of life lost to disability or disease) between 2016 and 2040.
• Out of all interventions modeled, restricting the primary production of plastic was the most effective way to reduce health impacts, and was substantially more effective than improving waste management and recycling alone.

Key quote:

“Efforts to address plastics pollution through waste management alone overlook or understate health risks related to climate change, air pollution, and chemical toxicity, perpetuating adverse consequences for health.”

Why this matters:

There are an estimated 57 million tons of plastic pollution generated globally each year. The UN Global Plastics Treaty — which aims to tackle the plastic crisis on an international scale — has approached a critical juncture, with a sixth round of negotiations ending without consensus last year. So far, the process has been severely hampered by some member states’ (including the U.S.) attempts to narrow the treaty’s scope to focus primarily on waste management, and exclude considerations of human health or limits on future plastic production. Scientists have emphasized how the treaty could be a meaningful tool for reducing plastic pollution and protecting human health, as long as it includes solutions that address the full lifecycle of plastics and require ambitious reductions on the production of new plastics.

Related EHN coverage:

• Scientists call for accountability on reducing plastics’ harms: “Plastics cause death from from infancy to old age”
• “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”: Independent scientists advocate for an effective Global Plastics Treaty
• How do we address 57 million tons of plastic pollution? Turn off the tap

More resources: The Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty is an international network of independent scientific and technical experts created to ensure the Plastics Treaty is based in accurate and up-to-date science. Their website includes fact sheets, policy briefs and other resources on the environmental and health effects of plastics.

Deeney, M. et al. (2026). Global health burdens of plastics: a lifecycle assessment model from 2016 to 2040. The Lancet Planetary Health

The White House is hoping to attract private investors for defunct fuel factories across the country and beyond.

“What seems to be important,” wrote the British scientist, James Lovelock, in June 1966, is “the almost certain fact that the climate is worsening and the probability that the combustion of fuel is responsible.”

A former EPA chemist recounts agency reluctance to respond to risks seen with pesticides.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Chemours announced they’d reached a $450 million settlement last month.

A zero-waste shop set up by a district council provides plastic-free products at affordable prices in a country that gets through 164 million sachets a day.

Alexandra Fasulo says she’s protecting farms and wildlife. How much of her rhetoric is actually true?

Voters angry about rising electricity bills have turned the fight over powering AI into the defining issue of the state's 2026 elections.

The Republican candidate for governor has ties to the Koch family, one of the country’s most powerful pro-industry forces.

In California, cookware manufacturers have to disclose whether their products contain PFAS, helping consumers make better choices.

Landmark fundraising deals by two of Africa’s largest off-grid solar companies are raising hopes that private capital markets could become a major source of funding to help bring electricity to millions of homes lacking access to reliable power.