Dan Charles
Stories
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What are 'orphan crops'? And why is there a new campaign to get them adopted?
The grass pea is one: a hardy crop that can thrive in a drought. An agriculturist is spearheading an effort to diversity what farmers grow as climate change threatens staples like corn and wheat.
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National
Wind and solar projects are growing, but many can't actually connect to the grid
Tons of green energy projects, both wind and solar, want to connect to the grid. But they're running into a surprising obstacle.
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Some of America's biggest vegetable growers fought for water, then the water ran out
For years, powerful farmers in California's Central Valley fought for more water from the state's rivers. Now some are changing course, because there's no more water to be found.
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A satellite finds massive methane leaks from gas pipelines
A satellite has detected massive leaks of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from natural gas plants and pipelines. Most of these releases are deliberate, resulting from sloppy pipeline repairs.
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World
Draft agreement at the COP26 climate summit looks to rapidly speed up emissions cuts
The draft, circulated at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, calls for an end to coal power and more rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
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World
Latest climate pledges could limit global temperature rise, a new report says
The International Energy Agency says that if nations honor their latest pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures could be held to 1.8 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
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Biden administration proposes rules to cut climate-warming methane emissions
In a major expansion, the new rules would apply not just to new operations but to older ones as well. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and considered key to slowing global warming quickly.
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World leaders are gathering in Scotland for the U.N. Climate Summit
President Biden will address the COP26 climate change conference. He will speak about the United States strategy to reach its climate goals, but he doesn't have any commitments in hand.
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Water is scarce in California. But farmers have found ways to store it underground
Farmers in California's drought-plagued Central Valley have big plans for the next year of heavy rains. They want to use that water to replenish depleted aquifers, akin to depositing water in a bank.
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Our Future On A Hotter Planet Means More Climate Disasters Happening Simultaneously
Simultaneous disasters, like the wildfires in California and Hurricane Ida this week, are happening more often as the planet heats up. Emergency managers are preparing for that future.