Climate

The United States has recorded its hottest summer ever, as intense heat and drought affected broad areas of the country. Between June and August, the average temperature across the contiguous United States reached 23.6 degrees Celsius (74.4 degrees Fahrenheit), according to figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday. The seasonal average was 1.7C (3F) above the 20th-century norm and 0.2C (0.4F) warmer than the former record, which had been shared by

BENGALURU, India (AP) — Delegates from almost 200 nations concluded United Nations talks on desertification in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Friday, focusing on how to keep land fertile as a warming climate intensifies and damaged soils and ecosystems become less able to retain water, grow food and sustain communities. As much as 40% of the planet’s land is degraded, according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which hosts the biennial conference. Drought is also appearing

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A court in Peru on Monday evening found four men guilty in a contract-killing case and imposed prison sentences ranging from 15 to 35 years for the 2023 murder of Indigenous forest defender Quinto Inuma Alvarado. The closely followed proceedings were widely viewed as a major test of whether violence against Indigenous and environmental advocates in the Amazon would be punished. Genix Saboya Saboya and Limber Ríos Ruiz each received 35-year prison terms. Segundo Juan

ADDU CITY, Maldives (AP) — Recently, a group of Maldivian youth kayaked across a lagoon to protest land reclamation that was encroaching on protected mangrove wetlands within a UNESCO biosphere reserve. On a stretch of newly filled land, they spray-painted the word “ECOCIDE” to underscore what they see as irreversible environmental harm. The nonprofit Project ThimaaVeshi — meaning “self and surroundings” — represents a rising wave of young activists in the Indian Ocean archipelago. They are

The signs of climate change are evident in the extreme fire weather that fueled this week’s destructive wildfires in Spain and France, and have intensified Southern Europe’s fire seasons over the past eight years, according to two newly released studies. A rapid analysis published Thursday by scientists with World Weather Attribution found that human-driven climate change made the hot, dry conditions behind Spain’s record-breaking blaze 20 times more likely. In France, climate change doubled

BANTARGEBANG, Indonesia (AP) — Well before sunrise touches Indonesia’s largest landfill, Nur Wencih is already scaling heaps of refuse with thousands of other waste pickers, searching for items that can be sold. The 35-year-old widow has spent nearly 20 years working at the sprawling dump on Jakarta’s eastern fringe, following in the footsteps of her parents, who still depend on it for income. Earnings from Bantargebang have covered her rent and daily meals and helped support her two teenage

Wildfire smoke — increasingly common across the Northern Hemisphere as the planet heats up — affects nearly every organ in the human body and is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths each year, according to a growing body of medical research. Its impact can be swift. Within hours, asthma attacks rise and ambulance calls increase. Within a day or two, emergency departments fill with patients suffering from heart attacks, breathing difficulties, cardiovascular complications and even mental

KUBUQI DESERT, China (AP) — For five decades, millions of workers have carried out the same careful routine across the windswept deserts of northern China: pressing forearm-length sticks into loose sand in straight rows, then crossing them with another set to create a tight grid. In the middle of each small square, young saplings are planted. This approach, known as “straw checkerboards,” is a straightforward but effective way to anchor shifting dunes. The grids reduce wind speed at ground

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has dropped to its lowest level in ten years during the first half of 2026, according to newly released government data. The figures, published on Friday, represent a significant achievement for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has made reducing destruction in the world’s largest rainforest a central goal of his administration. Between January and June, approximately 1,295 square kilometres (500 square miles) of forest were cleared in the

Last month became the warmest June ever observed in Western Europe, with temperatures exceeding the 1991–2020 average by more than three degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. In a statement released Thursday, the climate monitoring agency reported that the region’s average temperature climbed to 20.74C (69.33F). The surge was largely driven by a powerful heatwave in the latter half of the month that shattered records in

FORMOSO DO ARAGUAIA, Brazil (AP) — On a vast river island in northern Brazil, a complex debate is unfolding over cattle ranching and environmental protection. Last year, federal authorities ordered the removal of livestock from protected Indigenous territory on Bananal Island, the largest river island on the planet. Officials argued that the land is designated for Indigenous communities and conservation, and that herds owned by non-Indigenous ranchers were illegal and damaging local ecosystems.

SEATTLE (AP) — Part of one of the most far-reaching ocean monitoring systems ever constructed will be taken offline this month as researchers sail off the coast of Oregon to retrieve a scientific buoy anchored deep in the Pacific Ocean. The buoy, positioned about 80 meters (260 feet) beneath the surface, is scheduled for removal on June 16 from the Ocean Observatories Initiative. This vast network, made up of more than 900 ocean sensors and built at a cost of $386 million, has delivered

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A persistent odor of rotten eggs hangs over Steve Egger’s home in Southern California, especially after dark when the nearby Tijuana River churns with sewage flowing north from Mexico before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Egger, 72, says he and his wife frequently suffer from headaches and often wake up congested, coughing up mucus. Their house is equipped with a hospital-grade air filtration system that circulates indoor air every 15 minutes. Even with those precautions, “most

When pollution levels rise in the rivers that supply drinking water to Iowa’s largest city, Des Moines must spend roughly $16,000 each day to operate a specialized system that removes hazardous nitrates. This recurring expense has become part of life in an agriculture-driven state — and climate change is intensifying the challenge. Nitrates originate from fertilizers and pesticides that seep into the soil and eventually flow into waterways such as the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers. Typically,

NUEVA LOJA, Ecuador (AP) — Standing beside a stream darkened by crude in Ecuador’s northern Amazon, an Indigenous woman looked on in disbelief as an oily film drifted across the surface and damaged pipes cut through the surrounding forest. In the distance, gas flares blazed above the canopy. Julia Catalina Chumbi, a 76-year-old leader of the Shuar people from the southern Amazon province of Pastaza, had journeyed hundreds of miles to witness the environmental toll left by decades of oil and gas

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday rolled back limits on mercury and other hazardous emissions from coal-fired power plants, marking the Trump administration’s latest move to support the fossil fuel sector by scaling back air and water regulations. Pollution from coal- and oil-burning plants can interfere with brain development in children and is linked to heart attacks and other serious health issues in adults. These facilities are also among the leading

Record Snow Shortage and Unseasonal Heat Impact Western U.S. A historic shortage of snow, coupled with exceptionally warm winter temperatures, is sweeping across much of the western United States. This unusual weather is straining future water resources, increasing wildfire risks, and negatively affecting winter tourism and recreational industries. Experts report that both the extent and depth of snow are at historic lows. At least 67 weather stations in the region have recorded their warmest

According to new research from the European Copernicus Climate Service and the Met Office, global temperatures in 2025 were slightly lower than in 2024 due to the cooling influence of the natural La Niña phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean. However, the past three years have still been the warmest ever recorded, continuing to edge the planet closer to surpassing global climate goals. Even with the moderating effect of La Niña, temperatures in 2025 remained significantly higher than those seen just

Clean Energy in 2025: A Year of Setbacks and Progress Despite numerous setbacks, clean energy experienced a few notable advancements in a year marked by profound shifts. Former President Donald Trump pushed policies favoring fossil fuels and hindered support for renewable energy sources, say many in the industry, ranging from developers to policymakers. A poll conducted by The Associated Press revealed that 2025 was a year of instability for renewable energy. However, progress did occur as