Guardian Environment
Rice’s whales existed before humans. Now Trump could make them extinct
The Trump administration has invoked national security powers to strip federal protections from Rice's whales, a species with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild. The move opens their sole habitat — a stretch of the Gulf of Mexico — to expanded oil and gas activity, dramatically increasing the risk of ship strikes, noise pollution, and spills. Scientists warn that losing even a handful of animals could push the species past the point of no return.
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Mongabay
Mitchell Byrd, ornithologist who helped bring bald eagles back from the brink in the Chesapeake area
Mitchell Byrd spent decades quietly rebuilding bald eagle populations in the Chesapeake region through meticulous fieldwork and relentless advocacy, helping to transform a species once teetering toward extinction into a conservation success story. His work exemplified the unglamorous engine of ecological recovery — nest counts, territory maps, and landowner relationships built over years rather than moments. Byrd's legacy is a reminder that the most consequential environmental victories are won not in courtrooms or headlines, but in the field, season after season.
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Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila could hit far north Queensland three weeks after Narelle tore through
Far north Queensland may face a second major cyclone strike in less than a month, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning that Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila could make landfall on Cape York. The system follows Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle, which struck the same region just three weeks ago, leaving communities with little time to recover. The storm's exact track and intensity remain uncertain, but forecasters are monitoring the situation closely.
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Thousands in Texas protest against border wall through national park: ‘big love for Big Bend’
Thousands of Texans rallied at the state capitol Saturday to oppose federal plans to construct a steel border wall through Big Bend National Park, one of the country's most remote and ecologically significant landscapes. The protest drew rare bipartisan support, with conservatives and liberals united in defense of the beloved park. The pushback signals that border security ambitions may face significant political resistance even in deep-red Texas when wilderness and tourism are on the line.
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How Trump’s Iran war could make the world more reliant on coal
A potential U.S.-Iran conflict could trigger an oil supply shock severe enough to push nations toward coal as an emergency fallback, undermining decades of progress on clean energy transitions. The scenario echoes historical energy crises that consistently drove countries to prioritize supply security over environmental commitments. For global climate goals, a war-driven commodity crunch may prove as damaging as the conflict itself.
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