"In the country that gave the world the word tsunami, the Japanese nuclear establishment largely disregarded the potentially destructive force of the walls of water. The word did not even appear in government guidelines until 2006, decades after plants — including the Fukushima Daiichi facility that firefighters are still struggling to get under control — began dotting the Japanese coastline."
"As soon as the barrier broke, a flood of poison brought death to the river. Gushing through the fragile wall built to hold back mining waste in Zambia’s copper belt in February 2025, more than 50m cubic litres of acid and heavy metals poured into the Chambishi stream – a tributary of the Kafue River, the country’s longest waterway."
"U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed a Texas-based oil and gas company Friday to restore operations in waters off southern California that were damaged by a 2015 oil spill, invoking the Defense Production Act."
"The Trump administration on Friday approved a $5 billion oil drilling project in ultradeep waters of the Gulf of Mexico over protests from Democrats and environmental activists who said the venture posed significant risks to wildlife and communities."
"At least 18.7 million people are served by one of roughly 1,000 utilities that are in serious violation of pollution limits. At least 2.7 million live with a system that violated federal clean water rules continually over the last three years, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data."
"The U.N. report warns climate change will likely make the world sicker, hungrier, poorer and more dangerous in the next 18 years with an “unavoidable” increase in risks."
"Iran has accused the United States of bombing a desalination plant on Qeshm Island. The country was already facing a severe water shortage." "The war in Iran has exposed the country’s water woes, which had been pushed to the brink by climate change, excessive agricultural use and decades of mismanagement."
Political upheaval. Economic uncertainty. Security fears. Today’s environmental journalism landscape is strewn with hazards. But whether you’re a freelancer or a staffer, you don’t have to face them alone. In fact, the best strategies for coping with on-the-job risks and riding out these tumultuous times involve community and collaboration. Contributors Madeline Ostrander and Michael Bradbury share insights and advice.
Communities surrounded by forest can be a beautiful place to live … or a wildfire trap. Environmental journalists can readily map and identify these so-called wildland urban interfaces through a federal government resource, writes the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. More on this data mapping tool and how to use it to track your area’s risk, explore historical trends and layer other data.
"Oil prices on Sunday crossed into triple digits for the first time since 2022 — a stark sign of how the Iran war is throttling global supplies and raising consumers' costs."
