Environment

Rare earth elements are needed for everything from green technology to consumer goods like laptops and batteries. Mining them, though, can cause environmental problems. But researchers say some of what’s needed is already above ground.

Progress roundup: Grafting revives cacao trees, reforms in Fiji strengthen democracy, and New Zealand commits to pest eradication on three islands.

Progress roundup: Dallas airport captures jet exhaust for electricity, Finland innovates with heating methods, plus rights rulings in Japan and Kenya.

The U.S. relies on China for about 70% of its rare earth imports. New Chinese restrictions on exports of the key minerals highlight why presidents from both parties have been trying to kickstart domestic production.

Progress roundup: Small dams across the U.S. are being removed for safety, water quality, and wildlife. And a desert in Chile yields water from fog.

In a California community where wildfires displaced thousands of residents, arborists and locals are trying to save the area’s unique canopy of trees.

Development has cut off many springs that manatees need to survive winter. Warm water now draws them to power plants, but decarbonization means that a more fundamental – and difficult – fix may be called for.

Progress roundup: Nepal’s Supreme Court disallowed development in protected areas. And in Mexico, Congress put animal welfare in the constitution.

Every year, Americans discard 92 billion pounds of food. Massachusetts is on the leading edge of states trying to capture and divert food waste.

Our reporter goes home to cover proposed high-voltage power lines in Maryland, a crucial need for expanding data centers and Americans’ digital lives.