World

Philip Fearnside’s research has calculated the costs of losing the Amazon on account of deforestation, dams and highways The Amazon rainforest has been described in terms of its enormous size, biodiversity and importance to the global climate. But for Philip Fearnside, understanding the forest has also meant asking a more practical question: what does it…

In Ohio’s Grove City, a proposed charter amendment has sparked a fight that doesn’t seem to end. Residents and leaders are clashing on two sides, with one saying the amendment would protect the city and others saying it would destroy its economic prospects. What highlights the conflict is that it is a microcosm of a…

Representative Image (AI-generated) A river can carry a contaminant far beyond the point where it enters the water, but predicting exactly how quickly that material will travel is not always straightforward. In 2010, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), working with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, conducted a dye-tracing experiment on a 41.2-mile…

Jackie Chan, one of China’s best-known film stars, became the face of a high-profile campaign in 2017 aimed at reducing demand for pangolin products and helping protect one of the world’s most trafficked mammals. The campaign, called “Kung Fu Pangolin”, used Chan’s martial-arts image to deliver a simple message to consumers in China and Vietnam,…

Colorado farmer Marc Arnusch had a straightforward choice: accept millions of dollars from solar companies seeking to lease 2,700 acres of his family’s farmland, or keep the property in agriculture for the next generation. He chose the farm. Now, after spending nearly $1 million documenting a conservation easement, he is facing an IRS audit over…

When Simon’s wife of 43 years died, the loss left him struggling with a loneliness he had never known. Like many widows and widowers, he eventually turned online, hoping to find some companionship. Instead, he found Emily. The woman seemed real. The conversations continued and a relationship began to take shape. But Emily did not…

Exterior facade of Hill Hall Hotel in Fayetteville, West Virginia. A historic West Virginia high school built in 1923 by Italian stonemasons has reopened its doors 103 years later as a 40-room boutique hotel. Former classrooms have been turned into guest rooms, lounges and shared spaces for visitors. The Hill Hall Hotel, located in downtown…

Quote of the day by Chuck Feeney Money is often treated as the clearest possible measure of success. People work toward higher salaries, bigger homes and greater financial security, and rarely stop to question the assumption underneath all of it. Chuck Feeney, the Irish-American businessman who made billions through the Duty Free Shoppers business, took…

Trump issued the executive order after the US Supreme Court blocked his original order in August A US federal judge on Wednesday (local time) blocked President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to restrict birthright citizenship, partially halting an executive order issued after the US Supreme Court rejected his broader effort to end the practice.US District Judge…

Photo credit: Carter Grandbois / InstagramThis image is improved using Gemini At 16, while many of his classmates were thinking about part-time jobs in retail or food service, Carter Grandbois saw an opportunity in other people’s clutter. Living in Colorado Springs, he borrowed a trailer, posted on social media and started hauling away junk for…