Environment More than 150 countries failed to agree on a plan to cut plastic pollution For almost two years, countries have been trying to negotiate a United Nations treaty to rein in plastic pollution. The talks were supposed to end with an agreement, but that didn't happen. Michael Copley
Environment Negotiators fail to reach an agreement on a plastic pollution treaty. Talks to resume next year The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024. The Associated Press
Environment Finding solace in the heart of New York City Brian Mann trekked out to watch the sunrise from a forest trail in Central Park.
Environment A landmark climate change case will open at the top U.N. court The hearings come after years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, The Associated Press
Environment Meet the US conservationist who helped create Chile's newest national park We look at how one US conservationist's work is helping preserve Chile's wilderness at the southernmost tip of the South American continent. John Bartlett
Environment Reporter Journal: A sunrise trek through wild solitude in New York City New York City is home to more than eight million people but NPR's Brian Mann mapped out an urban hike through solitude and parkland wildness. Brian Mann
Environment O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, which is more sustainable: real or plasticky? It's time to discuss one of the perennial debates of the holiday season. Are real Christmas trees or their fake counterparts more eco-friendly? Alina Hartounian
Environment Disappointed by this year's climate talks, Indigenous advocates look to Brazil in 2025 Indigenous advocates called the final agreement in Azerbaijan "drastically insufficient." Now they're focusing on next year's global climate summit in Brazil where Indigenous participation is expected to be historic. Nate Perez
Environment Salmon deaths bring new attention to a longstanding problem A few years ago, scientists cracked a murder mystery -- they figured out what's been killing Coho salmon in urban streams in the Pacific Northwest. The culprit: particles from tires. Camila Domonoske
Environment King County’s little red fish swims back from brink of extinction More kokanee salmon have spawned in streams above Lake Sammamish in 2024 than at any other time in a decade. John Ryan