Have a Holly Noxious Christmas? State board eyes un-jolly label for invasive greenery Washington state officials are debating whether to brand a traditional holiday decoration a noxious weed. The dubious decor is English holly. John Ryan
Scientists try to repopulate shorelines with an endangered snail On a rare undeveloped point of the California coast, scientists are trying to repopulate shorelines with an endangered marine snail. This type of experimental conservation is becoming more necessary. Nathan Rott
Trump’s victory promises to shake up U.S. energy and climate policy, analysts and activists say Despite Donald Trump’s focus on fossil fuels, his return to the White House won’t derail clean energy, analysts and activists say. Michael Copley
Communities in the Amazon struggle amid the second year of a devastating drought A prolonged drought, now in its second year, is devastating large swaths of Brazil's Amazon rainforest. Whole communities and the Amazon’s largest city are struggling under the parched conditions. Carrie Kahn
How Taliban's canal project is threatening water supply in Central Asia The water-starved region of Central Asia is facing another threat to its beleaguered water supply — the construction of a massive canal by the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan.
Energy foes spar with misleading claims over natural gas Initiative 2066 "Stop the gas ban," roadside signs and online ads urge Washington voters, even though gas hasn’t been banned in Washington. John Ryan
Unprecedented flooding in Spain kills at least 158 people Crews in Spain searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings as people tried to salvage what they could from homes following monstrous flash floods. The Associated Press
A wastewater recycling program could be a model for regions where water is scarce The Orange County Water District's wastewater recycling program uses ponds, manmade waterfalls and technology to keep wells from running dry -- a model for other regions facing water scarcity. Pien Huang
The story of a village in Kazakhstan that sits on the Aral Sea's shrinking shores Once one of the worlds largest inland lakes, Asia's Aral Sea has evaporated into desert, dried by Soviet era irrigation plans. One village in Kazakhstan sits on the shrinking shores of the Aral Sea. Valerie Kipnis
A small, silver lining to the Colorado River drought Land re-emerging from dried out reservoirs seems to be thriving with native plants. They're out-competing invasive weeds that are choking the river elsewhere. Alex Hager