Inside Climate News

New Mexico is relying on voluntary water use reductions by vegetable and pecan farmers to address Rio Grande water usage, but these measures may be insufficient. The state faces pressure to implement effective conservation strategies.

The article highlights a water crisis in Texas and introduces a new podcast by Inside Climate News covering the issue.

The article discusses the issue of plastics overtaking the planet and highlights an interview by Paloma Beltran for Living on Earth with Judith Enck, founder of the advocacy group Beyond Plastics.

The Nueces River in South Texas flowed at twice the rate of Niagara Falls during a recent flood, the region's second major disaster in two years. Federal data indicates a steep rise in rainfall intensity in South Texas over recent decades.

Wildfire smoke from climate change-fueled fires in Ontario and northern Minnesota caused dangerous air quality levels across the Midwest and East Coast. The National Weather Service advised residents to stay indoors, and researchers are assessing the potential death toll.

A House committee has advanced a bipartisan measure to permanently ban thin-layer disposal of dredged sediment nationwide. Fishers, swimmers, and environmental groups have criticized the practice for harming seagrasses, oysters, and water clarity in Mobile Bay.

Montana's wildfire risk is increasing due to a record-warm winter and summer heatwave, which are thinning snowpack and altering precipitation timing. Heavy rains in late June initially reduced wildfire threats, but prolonged July heat is now drying vegetation, prompting warnings from scientists about an ending reprieve.

Tribes and environmental groups are suing the Trump administration over a new rule that eliminates most habitat protections for endangered species. The rule rescinds a definition under the Endangered Species Act, which experts claim undermines protections for imperiled wildlife.

A National Academy of Sciences report highlights that climate attribution science has shifted focus from determining if human-caused global warming drives extreme events like heat waves, floods, and wildfires to assessing how severe future impacts will become as these events increasingly overlap.

U.S. electric vehicle sales declined in the first half of 2026 following the cancellation of federal tax credits, but there are indications the industry may recover. The article highlights the market's struggle and potential rebound.

A federal bill aims to ban Florida shark dive operators from feeding sharks, citing safety concerns. Fishers and local water experts question the ban's effectiveness. The article describes a shark feeding operation off Jupiter, Florida, where sharks are attracted to bait.

Climate change is expanding mosquito ranges, necessitating better monitoring to prevent disease outbreaks. While monitoring is expensive and labor-intensive, it enables public health officials to stop outbreaks effectively.

Trump's proposal to transfer grizzly bear management to states under a new rule, allowing states 'management flexibility' which environmental activists fear could hinder the species' recovery. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum proposed this in Montana near Yellowstone National Park.

A Republican-led effort to end the Delaware River Basin's fracking ban failed as an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act was not brought before a congressional committee. Critics anticipate future attempts by natural gas allies to overturn the prohibition.

The Bay Program has delayed a decision on including federally recognized tribes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement as full partners, missing a July 1 deadline and pushing the timeline to December. Virginia’s seven federally recognized tribes remain cautiously optimistic about becoming signatories despite the delay.

A new report indicates that governments, including the United States, were aware of climate risks in the 1950s and 1960s but prioritized fossil-fueled growth. The report highlights that these governments ignored legal obligations to prevent climate harm for decades before the 2015 Paris Agreement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order implementing a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers to develop regulatory protections for communities and the environment. This makes New York the first state in the nation to take such action.

More frequent hurricanes and wildfires are causing mental health impacts in affected communities globally. Recent flooding and mudslides in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, particularly in Del Rio, highlight the ongoing struggles of areas still recovering from 2024’s Hurricane Helene.

President Donald Trump's executive orders reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments from over three million acres to 302,600 acres, a move supported by grazing, mining, and drilling interests seeking extraction. The action sparked opposition from tribes and public lands advocates.

The global mining industry claims increased extraction of rare earth minerals is necessary to address climate change, but a new report highlights that demand is primarily driven by conventional industries, AI, and defense sectors. The rush to mine copper, lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals is being fueled by these sectors rather than solely climate-related needs.