Katharine Hayhoe named to new post as Nature Conservancy’s chief scientist

The Texas Tech faculty member, a prominent climate-change researcher and communicator, will also be responsible for the international nonprofit’s “wider portfolio of global climate advocacy and adaptation work.”

Bill Dawson

How Texas froze: Neglect of power-grid and climate warnings set the icy stage

State officials’ repeated failure to act on deeply researched advice for averting grid catastrophes paralleled Texas’ years-long non-response to experts’ repeated warnings about the dangers of climate change.

Randy Lee Loftis

What to make of old-fashioned Texas cold, snow in a 21st-century climate?

A winter storm warning covered all of Texas on Valentine's Day. Science deniers have cited such episodes to cast doubt on global warming. But extremely cold temperatures still occur in a generally warming world.

Bob Henson

Houston-Galveston’s record overnight temps typified global warming in 2020

2020 basically tied with 2016 as Earth's hottest year on record. Troubling implications for people's health were evident in Texas and many other places. More research underscored health concerns about the climate crisis.

Bill Dawson

Biden moves quickly to begin undoing Trump’s climate and energy policies

From rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement to canceling the Keystone pipeline to halting leasing in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife refuge, the new administration embarked on a bold turn-around for the country.

Bill Dawson

Federal rules, international pressure may finally snuff methane flaring

Texas regulators have consistently allowed the controversial practice at oil and gas wells, which contributes to manmade climate change. Voters in November rejected a Democratic candidate who called for tougher state regulation.

Nushin Huq

From our archives: The impact of historic December images of Earth

The period around the Winter Solstice has been an occasion for reflection and celebration for millennia. In recent times, it was also when astronauts took photos of Earth that helped animate planetary consciousness.

Bill Dawson

Latest evidence heightens extinction concerns for animals and plants

Recent scientific papers say the extinction rate for vertebrate animals is greater than thought and that two in five plant species are at risk of disappearing. An overview by Melissa Gaskill of Earth’s biodiversity crisis.

Melissa Gaskill

Drought, fire threat increasing in Texas again as La Niña takes hold

Fall's mild weather and scant rainfall suggest we may be in for a repeat of harsh conditions last seen in 2011, when the state endured its driest year in more than a century of recordkeeping, plus a punishing heat wave.

Bob Henson

Clean energy advocates wrestle with disappointing Texas election results

Climate-action appeals figured in several key races but failed to give Democrats the edge they needed to prevail over their Republican rivals. Analysis continues over what exactly went wrong.

Bill Dawson

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