Climate Change
Environmental groups say Trump administration violated their free-speech rights
A lawsuit alleges the Trump administration violated the free-speech rights of nonprofits and municipalities that have had federal funding for climate and environmental projects frozen or cancelled.
How neighborhoods in New Orleans are addressing urban flooding
Urban flooding has long plagued Treme, a historically Black neighborhood in New Orleans. Residents are getting creative to find solutions to the issue.
Federal funding freeze halts key infrastructure projects in tribal communities
Riverbank stabilization, lead and asbestos contamination are just some of the projects tribes planned to address before the Trump administration froze funds.
Major budget cuts proposed for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The agency forecasts weather, manages fisheries, and researches the world's oceans, atmosphere, and climate. The proposed budget cuts would slash the climate work entirely.
The Northeast bet big on offshore wind. Trump wants to halt the industry entirely
Northeast states have bet big on offshore wind to meet spiking power demand and drive economic growth. But the industry's future is much more uncertain under President Trump.
NOAA contracts are being reviewed one by one. It’s throwing the agency into chaos
NOAA relies on hundreds of contracts to keep the agency running. The new commerce secretary is reviewing many of them individually, causing disruptions to many normal operations within the agency.
This YouTube show explains climate change to the kids who have to live with it
Suzie Hicks the Climate Chick is an up-and-coming educator and TV host with a YouTube series tailored to kids ages 4 through 8.
How HBCUs are helping grow the next generation of Gulf South environmental activists
Marginalized people often bear the brunt of environmental injustices. An annual conference in New Orleans is shaping young Black leaders to solve these issues.
Why a tiny bit of oil can be a big deal
More than three-quarters of U.S. wells make just 6% of the country's oil. They're called marginal wells because of their small output. But they're a big deal to oil producers and environmentalists.
Trump wants states to handle disasters. States aren’t prepared
President Trump says he's thinking of getting rid of the country's disaster response agency, FEMA. States say they can't replicate what FEMA does on their own.
Jury says Greenpeace owes hundreds of millions of dollars for Dakota pipeline protest
Experts say the verdict has relevance for free speech issues nationwide.
Switching from gas to electric? Here are 3 appliances that are easy to install
Changing from gas to climate-friendly electric appliances often involves expensive retrofits. A growing list of companies offer stoves, heat pumps and water heaters that make it easier and cheaper.
Heat can age you as much as smoking, a new study finds
Exposure to heat can alter the way your DNA works, according to a new study. The effects could lead to long-term health outcomes.
Peruvian farmer goes head to head with German energy giant in climate test case
A Peruvian farmer is going head to head with German energy giant in a climate law test case.
Editor’s Note: EPA says it will roll back climate rules. That could prove complicated
Announcing big changes to environmental rules doesn't undo facts on the ground overnight. Instead, EPA's announcement is the first step in what is likely to be a lengthy process to remake the rules and policies it targeted.
Butterfly numbers have fallen by nearly a quarter since 2000
Butterflies of all kinds of species, in all parts of the country, have declined by one to two percent since 2000.
Layoffs and potential closures of key facilities raise worries about NOAA’s future
The Trump administration may end leases for some of NOAA's offices while the agency terminates several advisory committees at the important weather and climate agency.
This Colombian ‘hotel for cows’ could help reduce deforestation in the Amazon
Clearing land for cattle and cows is the single biggest driver of rainforest loss in the Amazon. This "hotel for cows" in Colombia offers a solution.
Trump administration layoffs hit NOAA, agency that forecasts weather, hurricanes
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration houses key groups like the National Weather Service. Experts warn the consequences of employee cuts could be drastic.
Greenpeace faces a $300 million lawsuit after Dakota Access Pipeline protests
The company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline is suing Greenpeace for at least $300 million for damages the oil pipeline company says it suffered from protests in 2016 and 2017.
Exclusive: Trump administration drops work on stronger building codes for disasters
To help homes survive more intense disasters, FEMA has been developing recommendations for stronger building codes. The Trump Administration has pulled them back.
Trump officials signal potential changes at NOAA, the weather and climate agency
Federal workers at the home agency for the National Weather Service are concerned about a potential overhaul by Trump officials focused on cutting government costs.
January wasn’t expected to break global temperature records. But it did.
The planet has been shattering heat records for the past two years. That was expected to ease in January—and the fact that it didn't has climate researchers worried.
Birmingham’s new resilience chief looks to protect residents from climate change
“Fundamentally, to me, it's about survival,” says Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, Birmingham’s new chief resilience and sustainability officer about fighting climate change.
‘This ain’t the same sun’: Extreme heat is changing summertime for kids in the South
Driven by climate change, extreme temperatures are forcing parents and camp counselors to change their summer routines to keep kids safe.
Meet the Alabama woman who is turning her farm into an indigenous food forest
As the climate changes, some Gulf South producers are focusing on ways to preserve the land.
What did Alabama students think of the climate change quip in the presidential debate?
Two University of Alabama students, a conservative and a progressive, said they’re hoping for a more nuanced conversation on the environment.
Place, Erased: A virtual listening session with the Gulf States Newsroom; watch replay
Watch a replay of the Gulf States Newsroom's listening session for its recent series about towns transformed by major environmental shifts.
Why trees are an environmental and health Swiss army knife
Cool Green Trees plants trees in under-resourced communities in the Birmingham area to help mitigate climate change and advance environmental justice initiatives.
An Alabama coal plant again named the nation’s worst greenhouse gas polluter
In West Jefferson, everything happens in the shadow of Alabama Power. Just across the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River from West Jefferson, towering over the relatively rural Alabama landscape, is the coal-fired James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant
Q&A: Why New Orleans’ unhoused people face increased danger from relentless heat
Delaney Nolan discusses her report for The Guardian that revealed a spike in heat-related illness calls among New Orleans’ unhoused people this summer.
A ‘catastrophic’ loss: Severe heat puts a heavy strain on rural farmers in the Gulf South
For one family of farmers in Louisiana, this year’s record-breaking extreme heat is taking a toll on both their crops and their health.
