The world is burning an alarming amount of plastic, scientists say

Around 12 percent of all plastic waste produced in cities is burned in the open air, creating air pollution and health risks.

By Simon Ducroquet and Shannon OsakaSeptember 4, 2024
Analysis

Where mosquito season is getting longer

The Northeast, which has warmed faster than the rest of the country, saw the biggest jump in mosquito days. Look up how mosquito season has changed in your town.

By Harry StevensAugust 22, 2024
Analysis

Summer or winter: Which season is warming faster in your town?

Seasonal temperature trends show how, decade after decade, global warming is unfolding across the planet — from New York to Shanghai to your own backyard.

By Harry StevensAugust 8, 2024

What you can learn about salmon from its packaging

What do all those labels mean? We examined more than a dozen salmon packages and talked to experts to find out.

By Naema Ahmed and Allyson ChiuJuly 24, 2024
Analysis

How fracking could unlock a clean energy future

Fracking supporters have long touted it as a green technology. Enhanced geothermal energy is finally making that a reality.

By Harry StevensJuly 18, 2024
Analysis

We mapped weather forecast accuracy across the U.S. Look up your city.

Everyone complains about the weather forecast, but some people have more cause to grumble than others. Find out how accurate the forecast is where you live.

By Niko Kommenda and Harry StevensJuly 2, 2024

Anatomy of a flood

The Post installed cameras to capture how sea level rise worsens high-tide flooding in this N.C. town.

By Brady Dennis, Ray Whitehouse, Niko Kommenda and Emily WrightJune 11, 2024

The plastics we breathe

Every time you take a breath, you could be inhaling microplastics. See how tiny and dangerously invasive they can be.

By Simon Ducroquet and Shannon OsakaJune 10, 2024
Analysis

More than 1.5 billion people have faced dangerous heat this year

A Washington Post analysis of a trove of meteorological records shows the extent of life-threatening heat across the globe.

By Harry StevensJune 7, 2024

Schools that never needed AC are now overheating. Fixes will cost billions.

As heat waves creep north, they are baking schools that previously did not need air conditioning. Fixing the problem will be neither cheap, nor easy.

By Anna Phillips and Veronica PenneyMay 24, 2024
Analysis

Where heat waves might cause blackouts: Look up your area

New research shows that by 2050, large areas in California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas will experience months of temperatures high enough to compromise the grid.

By Harry StevensMay 22, 2024
Analysis

Bishop vanished. His species can still be saved.

This young whale survived a harrowing journey that has killed so many of his species. It wasn’t enough.

By Harry Stevens and Dino GrandoniMay 11, 2024

Rooftop solar panels are flooding California’s grid. That’s a problem.

As electricity prices go negative, the Golden State is struggling to offload a glut of solar power.

By Shannon OsakaApril 22, 2024
Analysis

Mapping America’s access to nature, neighborhood by neighborhood

Spending time in nature is linked to a longer, healthier life. But nature is not distributed fairly across the country.

By Harry StevensApril 10, 2024

See one cherry tree’s rush to an early bloom, day by day

Watch a cherry tree bloom over 10 days, and find out how climate change is propelling D.C.’s famous trees to hit peak earlier.

By Niko Kommenda and Harry StevensMarch 22, 2024
Analysis

You’re not crazy. Spring is getting earlier. Find out how it’s changed in your town.

Readers told us how spring has changed where they live. Look up your town to see when leaves are sprouting and how spring’s arrival time has changed.

By Harry StevensMarch 13, 2024

The remaking of the American jean

A slew of companies are redesigning jeans to make them more sustainable. Here’s how to spot them.

By Anna Kramer, Naema Ahmed, Amanda Voisard and John FarrellMarch 8, 2024
Analysis

Winter is warming almost everywhere. See how it’s changed in your town.

Look up your city to see how winter temperatures have changed since 1980. Most regions across the U.S. have seen warmer winters, with New England warming the fastest.

By Harry StevensMarch 1, 2024
Analysis

Can we save nature with crazy shapes?

The U.N. wants to protect 30 percent of the planet. Many of the areas it counts towards that goal are small and oddly shaped. Can contorted shapes save nature?

By Harry StevensFebruary 14, 2024
Analysis

Watch how carbon dioxide builds up in the atmosphere, day by day

Two hundred years after the discovery of the greenhouse effect, a new animation of our atmosphere shows how humans add more carbon dioxide than Earth can absorb.

By Harry StevensFebruary 1, 2024