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TCN’s original, in-depth reporting and analysis

Meeting assesses a low-carbon future for decidedly high-carbon Houston

The Center for Houston's Future, a think tank affiliated with the city's leading business organization, is holding a Houston Low-Carbon Energy Summit. The Center's CEO, Brett Perlman, talked with TCN's editor about the event.

Features June 5, 2019

Texas Legislature hints at climate change without saying its name

Harvey's destruction (amplified by climate change) inspired lawmakers to OK flood-control funds. But facing climate change directly was still too much. A summary of the session's environmental action and (mainly) inaction.

Features May 29, 2019

The Amazon forest: Crucial for Earth’s climate but facing new threats

Melissa Gaskill, a science writer and TCN contributing editor, traveled to Brazil to learn more about the Amazon rainforest and its role in climate change. The forest's future has never been so uncertain, she reports.

Features May 17, 2019

Electric bullet train would bring Texas to the forefront of sustainable travel

Construction on the Houston-Dallas rail line could start late this year, the company behind the project has said. A study projected it would replace enough highway travel to achieve a net saving in energy use.

Features April 6, 2019

In Texas even the mildest climate bills face near-certain death

Several bills dealing with climate change are going nowhere in the 2019 Legislature. The same fate met such proposals in other recent sessions. Just planning for worse heat and flooding can sometimes be too hot for lawmakers to touch.

Features March 28, 2019

Carbon tax to fight climate change faces dim prospects in the new Congress

Some environmentalists have long backed a carbon tax. Some big oil companies are now on board. But the newer "Green New Deal" proposal may be sapping the tax idea's momentum. TCN's Washington correspondent reports.

Features February 27, 2019

New studies: Migratory birds face multiple threats from climate change

The findings are especially relevant in Texas. Some two billion birds migrate over the U.S. Gulf Coast each spring. The highest traffic occurs in Texas, with as many as 26,000 birds per kilometer of airspace each night.

Features February 13, 2019

Migrant caravans, climate change, food security – and the future

Caravans of Central American migrants continue trekking toward the U.S. It's another dramatic reminder, experts say, that climate disruption is a major driver for such desperate emigration — with more to come.

Features November 1, 2018

A ‘daunting’ challenge: What the major new climate report means for Texas

The world's leading scientific body on climate change said “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society” are needed to avoid the most severe impacts. We asked Texas experts for their assessments.

Features October 19, 2018

Sustainable Schools, an education program in Denton – fourth in a series

“Greening Denton” is a project by University of North Texas journalism students in collaboration with TCN, focusing on the city's renewable power plan. This final installment's video report looks at a complementary effort.

Features GREENING DENTON October 8, 2018

Fracking, coal, batteries and the future of fossil fuels – third in a series

“Greening Denton” is a multimedia project by University of North Texas journalism students in collaboration with TCN about Denton's plan to use 100 percent renewables for electricity. This third installment includes a pair of podcasts.

Features Greening Denton October 2, 2018

Does natural gas fit with ‘100 percent renewable?’ – second in a series

“Greening Denton” is a multimedia project by University of North Texas journalism students in collaboration with Texas Climate News. This second installment includes an article, two video mini-documentaries and a podcast.

Features Greening Denton September 28, 2018

Denton strives for 100 percent renewable power – first in a series

“Greening Denton” is a multimedia project by University of North Texas journalism students in collaboration with Texas Climate News. This introductory installment includes an article, interactive map, podcast and video.

Features GREENING DENTON September 26, 2018

Football and heat: Can the two coexist in Texas’ hotter future?

A heat-illness prevention center gave Texas low marks for risk-reduction policies for high school athletes. Texas officials say they monitor and review all recommendations. They don't yet consider climate change, however.

Features August 23, 2018

Endangered Texas species vulnerable to climate change, weaker legal protection

Critics of the U.S. Endangered Species Act paint it as controversial, but opinion polls show it has strong public support. Despite its popularity, the law faces a major, multifaceted attack from the White House and Congress.

Features August 8, 2018

Texas water woes: Don’t look for easy answers, author says

With water demand increasing and drier conditions projected in a changing climate, the growing Lone Star State illustrates challenges facing the whole nation. TCN interviews Seamus McGraw about his new book, “A Thirsty Land.”

Features July 27, 2018

Texas’ shoreline is swamped by plastic trash – the most of any state

Currents deposit about 10 times more marine debris on the Lone Star coast than the eastern Gulf. Neil Strassman reports from an international conference in San Diego on plastic and other rubbish in oceans, lakes and rivers.

Features March 16, 2018

Their skepticism waning, TV forecasters increasingly talk climate change

Broadcast meteorologists' views on climate change are evolving and so is the way they teach about climate science in their forecasts. Young people, especially, are eager for the lessons, one San Antonio forecaster said.

Features March 5, 2018

Dispatches from the American Association for the Advancement of Science

The AAAS annual meeting, premier science gathering in the United States, was held this year in Austin. Ruth SoRelle, a veteran medical and science journalist, covered it for TCN in this updated series of reports.

Features AAAS IN AUSTIN February 18, 2018

Materials like personal care products are now a dominant source of air pollution

In a surprising finding, researchers determined products including pesticides, coatings, cleaning agents and personal care products make up the bulk of a key kind of air pollution in industrialized cities.

Features AAAS IN AUSTIN February 18, 2018

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