Lauren Sommer
Stories
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Countries are negotiating rules to mine the deep sea. The U.S. is pushing ahead alone
With growing interest in mining critical metals from the seafloor, countries are now negotiating international rules. The Trump administration is forging ahead on its own, speeding up environmental review for mining the fragile ecosystem.
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El Niño is set to take hold this summer, driving up global temperatures
A potentially strong El Niño weather pattern will likely emerge this summer and persist through the rest of the year. The hottest years on record generally occur in years when El Niño is active.
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Millions more people are in the path of rising seas than previously thought
Oceans are rising as the climate changes, threatening coastal cities. A new study shows that much more of the world's population is vulnerable than earlier predictions had estimated.
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3 big changes are proposed for FEMA. This is what experts really think of them
The Trump administration is proposing massive changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. We asked disaster experts to weigh in.
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2025 was among the hottest years on record, continuing a concerning trend
Federal scientists have found that 2025 was among the hottest years on record since the Industrial Revolution, continuing a warming trend and bringing Earth closer to a crucial threshold.
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After devastating LA fires, California is drafting nation's toughest rules for homes
California is writing rules to limit plants around buildings to protect them from wildfires, after the Los Angeles fires a year ago. Some homeowners are pushing back over losing their greenery.
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3 massive changes you'll see as the climate careens toward tipping points
Scientists are increasingly concerned that the planet is headed for massive, irreversible changes due to global warming. In some cases, those changes have already begun.
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Communities are reducing wildfire risk. Will their insurance bills go down?
Communities in California are losing home insurance, as companies cancel their plans. So, they're doing what they can to reduce the risks of extreme wildfires, including making homes less likely to burn. Still, insurance companies aren't factoring that in yet, though there's an effort underway to change that.
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It's harder to get home insurance. That's changing communities across the U.S.
Home insurance is getting less affordable, and less available, as insurers raise prices and pull back from areas with extreme weather. That's forcing families across the country to make tough choices.
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Climate negotiations have started. Here's how far countries need to go
Nations have begun climate negotiations at the COP30 summit in Brazil. Studies show the world is not on track to avoid the most damaging impacts of climate change.
