environment8.68 min read
Coastal heat lingers: SoCal endures record-warm nights amid humid spell
7 hours ago•Source: Los Angeles Times
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3.425 min•9 hours ago
El Niño-fueled fires push Kalimantan’s haze across Southeast Asia
Massive fires in Indonesian Borneo’s Kalimantan, intensified by a strong El Niño, are creating a regional haze that sickens thousands weekly, disrupts schools and work, and spurs government crackdowns on land-clearing burnings while experts warn that peatland drainage and deforestation drive the fires and call for restoration to prevent deeper soil fires.
50.77 min•16 hours ago
Wildfire policy showdown: full-suppression vs forest health in the West
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Australia launches world's largest wild-penguin vaccination drive against bird flu
The Guardian•17 hours ago
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Night Swim With Alligators Becomes Close Call for Wildlife Researcher
Yahoo•17 hours ago
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Rabid Beavers Prompt Alerts as Maryland Parks Report Multiple Attacks
A 10-year-old girl was bitten by a beaver at Seneca Creek State Park, part of a string of rabid beaver attacks in Maryland this summer that also hit Cunningham Falls and Hunting Creek Lake. A dead beaver tested positive for rabies, and authorities are searching for other sick beavers while closing affected park areas. Officials caution visitors to keep a safe distance from wildlife and report unusual animal behavior; there is no confirmed outbreak link established yet.
Great Lakes microplastics study aims to spur tougher plastics rules
Researchers at the Experimental Lakes Area seed Lake 378 with microplastics to study their fate, transport, and entry into the food web, part of a broader effort to push monitoring and policy action across the Great Lakes; the work, along with a growing body of evidence that microplastics are widespread in the basin, has spurred calls for stronger regulation and binational cooperation, even as local pollution issues—like Sarnia's Chemical Valley emissions and nurdle pollution—highlight ongoing health and environmental concerns.
Nevada Sues Federal Government Over Colorado River Cuts, Seeks Court Block
Nevada filed a federal lawsuit in Nevada challenging the Trump administration’s Colorado River operating plan, which could reduce the state’s water allocation by as much as 71% annually (up to 213,556 acre-feet over 10 years). Nevada argues the plan unlawfully curtails its share and would inflict devastating economic and environmental harm, asking for an injunction until federal documents reflect the toll on Southern Nevada’s economy. The suit comes as federal water cuts—unprecedented without a basin-wide agreement—face potential participation from California and Arizona, with Upper Basin states largely spared; experts say the legal path could take years and Lake Mead’s levels are projected to drop further.
Record ocean heat hits new high as El Niño accelerates warming
Global ocean surface temperatures reached a record August average of 21.1C, boosted by a strong El Niño atop decades of human-caused warming. The heat drives more marine heatwaves, contributes to sea‑level rise and more extreme weather, and reduces the ocean’s capacity to absorb CO2. The Arctic is warming fastest, and scientists urge rapid fossil-fuel cuts and stronger protection of marine ecosystems to safeguard coastal communities.
Orange Peel Restoration: How 12,000 Tons Freed a Costa Rican Park from Desolation
In 1997, ecologists Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs partnered with a juice company to dump about 12,000 tons of orange peel and pulp on a deforested pasture near Área de Conservación Guanacaste in Costa Rica. Beginning in 1998, the nutrient-rich waste transformed the barren site into a thriving forest, boosting aboveground biomass by roughly 176% in a 3-hectare study area and attracting wildlife such as tayras and a giant fig tree. The surprising ecological revival illustrates how scientifically guided waste rehabilitation can regenerate ecosystems, while researchers caution against unplanned dumping and emphasize learning how to apply such findings to waste management and restoration projects.
Rare Montagu's harrier nests again in secret UK site, six chicks hatched
Britain's rare Montagu's harrier has successfully nested for the second year at a secret site, rearing six chicks across two nests with predator-protective fencing; researchers have fitted two chicks with satellite trackers to map migration and boost protection as climate change and earlier harvest threaten breeding success.
Intruders trigger 24/7 security at Frijoles Fire base camp amid 45% containment
Intruders targeting the Frijoles Fire base camp prompted 24-hour security as the wildfire grows to more than 15,000 acres and reaches about 45% containment, with evacuations in nearby areas and crews working to extinguish heat pockets along the western edge.
Southwest Faces Deep Colorado River Cuts as Reservoirs Hit Historic Lows
The U.S. Interior Department released a two-year plan mandating Arizona, California and Nevada to sharply reduce Colorado River water use through 2028 to address record-low reservoir levels, with Arizona facing the largest cuts and California and Nevada also reducing; upper-basin states are not required to cut. The plan aims to stabilize water and power supplies for tens of millions, but could trigger lawsuits as states negotiate longer-term reductions and shared responsibility for the river.
Antipodes Island’s Bird Life Surges After Mouse Eradication
New Zealand eradicated an estimated 200,000 mice from Antipodes Island in 2016–2018 using brodifacoum bait; a 2018 verification confirmed success, and six years of follow-up surveys show native bird populations, including the Antipodes Island pipit, snipe, and parakeets, more than doubling, indicating rapid ecosystem recovery after invasive pests were removed.
Hawk Fire Expands to 10,500+ Acres, Triggering Sierra County Evacuations
A wildfire northeast of Verdi has burned more than 10,500 acres, threatening nearly 1,000 structures and prompting evacuation warnings for Sierra County zones including Verdi and Long Valley. Highway 395 is closed in parts of Washoe County, and about 14,800 Truckee-area customers were briefly without power after a transmission line near the fire was de-energized; power has since been restored.