NPR News - Environment

The action would speed up projects to clear underbrush to protect the world's largest trees from the increasing threat of wildfires.

(Image credit: Noah Berger/AP)

Extreme heat is gripping countries around the world. Host Ailsa Chang talks with NPR reporters in China, the U.K. and the U.S. about what they're seeing and how governments are responding.

Climate change is making heat waves more frequent and intense. With much of the U.S. facing a weekend of extreme temperatures, here are some tips for protecting yourself and your loved ones.

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California cities are tightening water restrictions as the state's drought drags on. While some neighborhoods are turning into landscaping graveyards, others are as lush as they've ever been.

Evolution Music says it created the world's first bio-plastic vinyl record made from sugar and starches. This material allows people to enjoy their favorite artists without worrying about toxic waste.

Saving the centuries-old trees in Yosemite's famed Mariposa Grove took hard work from firefighters but also half a century of intentional fires.

(Image credit: Nic Coury /AFP via Getty Images)

Global warming is causing many species to migrate northward, but roads often can prevent them from doing that. Scientists are looking for ways to make that passage easier and safer.

(Image credit: Emma Jacobs)

Britain on Tuesday shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered — and the national weather forecaster predicted it would get hotter still in a country ill prepared for such extremes.

(Image credit: Aaron Chown/PA via AP)

The wide-ranging report found the number of Australian species listed as threatened had increased since the 2016 report.

(Image credit: Mick Tsikas/AP)

Cities in Arizona have started implementing state-required drought plans in response to the crisis on the Colorado River. The current drought is the worst in 1,200 years.

Atlantic cod, a fish that was foundational to New England's economy, is being caught at historically low levels. But a research scientist says cod is in the early stages of a comeback.

Europe is reeling from a massive heat wave, and temperatures could hit records this week across much of the continent.

Ferocious wildfires are burning in Spain and France, which evacuated thousands of people and scrambled water-bombing planes and firefighters. Officials and scientists cited climate change as a factor.

(Image credit: Emilio Fraile/AP)