Pipes Feed Preview: Climate Change

1. Science this week: Laotian death jar mystery and asthma drug could fight cancers

   Sat, 23 May 2026 09:00:01 -0000

   May 23, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend

2. Trump rolls back Biden-era environmental rule on cooling units

   Thu, 21 May 2026 21:25:08 -0000

   An executive order signed by President Trump on Thursday loosens a federal rule requiring grocery stores and air conditioning companies to reduce …

3. Why a decades-old forest planting practice from Japan is gaining traction in the U.S.

   Thu, 21 May 2026 20:22:13 -0000

   Across the U.S., communities are planting fast-growing Miyawaki forests to help neighborhoods cool down and adapt to the longer, hotter summers predicted as the climate changes. WBUR's Bianca Garcia begins this story on the East Coast and then hands the microphone to Northwest Public Radio's …

4. Scientists bet on AI to save gray whales from ship strikes off California coast

   Thu, 21 May 2026 21:03:26 -0000

   The leading killer of gray whales is not natural causes, disease or predators but human-made ship strikes. Last year, 21 gray whales were found dead around San Francisco Bay and 40% of those were from ship collisions. This year, seven whales have already died during whale season, which peaks this …

5. The US Constitution and laws do not protect oil companies from being sued over the harm they cause to the climate

   Thu, 21 May 2026 12:28:09 -0000

   In recent years, at least two dozen local and state governments have sued petroleum companies to recover the billions in costs they have incurred …

6. Homeowners insurance in Florida increased at double the national rate, report says

   Thu, 21 May 2026 20:57:44 -0000

   A new report found that Florida homeowners’ insurance premiums rose nearly double the national average between 2021 and 2025. Across the United …

7. Handyman adapts Barbie Dream Camper to handle soaring gas prices

   Thu, 21 May 2026 21:15:19 -0000

   Absurd? Worrisome? Genius? Yes. There are over 283 million cars cruising the United States, and over 90 percent of them are still guzzling gas. Apart from the obvious environmental problems, fuel prices also continue to skyrocket thanks to the ongoing war in Iran. The average price for gas is …

8. Trump to ease rule on climate super pollutants, says move will cut costs

   Thu, 21 May 2026 16:02:24 -0000

   Industry trade groups reject the administration's claims, saying the rollback of the Biden-era regulations would actually drive up prices. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a rollback of two Biden-era regulations on refrigerants that are potent drivers of climate change, as the White …

9. A First Among Major Nations, India Is Industrializing With Solar

   Thu, 21 May 2026 09:37:08 -0000

   A sea of solar panels is rapidly engulfing one of the world’s largest salt deserts. By 2029, nearly 60 million panels will cover 280 square miles of …

10. Former Detroit Mayor Duggan cites toxic political climate, suspending his run for Michigan governor

    Thu, 21 May 2026 15:04:13 -0000

    DETROIT (AP) — Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Thursday that he is suspending his campaign for Michigan governor citing an increasingly “toxic” political climate due to President Donald Trump’s war with Iran and skyrocketing gas prices. Duggan, a longtime Democrat, was running as an …

11. A Very Lonely Caterpillar, Possibly the Last of Its Kind, Has Died

    Thu, 21 May 2026 18:24:00 -0000

    The Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly hasn’t been seen in the wild since 2022. The caterpillar was the last individual in human care. The last known caterpillar of its kind has died. The insect, the critically endangered Sacramento Mountains checkerspot, was in human care at the ABQ BioPark …

12. The Second Life of an EV Battery

    Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 -0000

    Jayme Dyer’s 2012 Nissan Leaf still runs. The exterior is fine. The seats are adequate. The controls work. The only problem is the battery. It barely …

13. How Donald's Trump’s New Refrigerant Climate Rule Will Impact Grocery Costs

    Thu, 21 May 2026 19:52:59 -0000

    As Americans continue to face high grocery bills, President Donald Trump said Friday he was rolling back environmental rules laid out by the Biden …

14. A guide to converting your lawn into a wildlife friendly garden

    Thu, 21 May 2026 09:00:00 -0000

    NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about how communities are moving forward on climate solutions despite significant political headwinds. As the federal government halts plans to address climate change, states, cities, regions, and even neighborhoods are trying to fill the gap by …

15. Trump punts climate rule in hopes of lowering food prices

    Thu, 21 May 2026 20:38:40 -0000

    The president and his EPA chief on Thursday postponed requirements that grocery stores and frozen foods companies buy more climate-friendly refrigeration systems beginning this year — claiming the move would cut consumer food prices. Speaking from the Oval Office flanked by grocery industry …

16. Trump rolls back Biden-era refrigerant rules in push to lower grocery costs

    Thu, 21 May 2026 09:10:56 -0000

    WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on May 21 overhauled two Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency rules for refrigerants in a push the White House claims will lower grocery costs for consumers. One action, reported first by USA TODAY, delays deadlines for groceries and other companies to …

17. A Powerful El Niño Is Forming. If History Is a Guide, It Could Hit Hard.

    Thu, 21 May 2026 07:19:37 -0000

    The biggest episodes of the past have altered the course of human events, according to researchers. An emerging one is drawing historic comparisons. Well before it was understood, the El Niño phenomenon was leaving its marks on humanity. El Niño is the name given to powerful shifts in Pacific Ocean …

18. Trump eases curbs on planet-warming gases used in refrigerants

    Thu, 21 May 2026 14:33:30 -0000

    US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the easing of curbs on a group of powerful greenhouse gases that drive climate change and are …

19. How Denmark’s wind and solar investments shield it from global energy turmoil

    Wed, 20 May 2026 22:25:41 -0000

    The European Union’s climate commissioner has told the 27-country bloc that the only way out of energy crises fueled by the wars in Iran and Ukraine …

20. Rafe Pomerance, who helped sound the alarm on climate change, dies at 79

    Thu, 21 May 2026 17:51:41 -0000

    He pushed for the first congressional hearings on climate change and helped negotiate a landmark U.N. treaty, the Kyoto Protocol. Like most of humanity, Rafe Pomerance had never heard of climate change when he stumbled upon the phrase in a dense government document in the late 1970s. Mr. Pomerance …

21. Scientists improve knowledge on sea level rise—and confirm it has been accelerating since 1960

    Wed, 20 May 2026 18:00:07 -0000

    Sea level rise is a direct consequence of human-induced climate change: global warming. It is relentless and very hard to stop. It arises from …

22. IDOM’s 42-Meter Steel Buoy Just Proved Wave Energy Can Actually Work

    Thu, 21 May 2026 10:54:17 -0000

    Off the rugged coast of Bilbao, quietly bobbing in the Bay of Biscay, is a 42-meter steel buoy most people have never heard of. It has no viral …

23. Trump administration eases refrigerant rule in response to surging grocery costs

    Thu, 21 May 2026 16:00:00 -0000

    With voter concerns over the cost of living spiking before pivotal elections in November, the Republican administration is trying to address affordability issues. The Trump administration is set to loosen a federal rule that requires grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse …

24. UN endorses climate ruling despite US opposition

    Thu, 21 May 2026 15:01:38 -0000

    The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted 141-8, with 28 abstentions, to endorse a 2025 International Court of Justice opinion that …

25. Russia Joins U.S. and Iran in Voting Against UN Climate Change Resolution

    Thu, 21 May 2026 12:53:39 -0000

    The non-binding resolution backs a July 2025 International Court of Justice advisory opinion stating that it is “unlawful” for countries to neglect …

26. There is only one way Labour can win the North Sea oil and gas debate

    Thu, 21 May 2026 15:20:47 -0000

    When ministers go out to bat for the government’s position banning new drilling in the North Sea, there are two arguments that tend to be the focus. …

27. Trump eases refrigerant rule in a bid to address surging grocery costs

    Thu, 21 May 2026 13:58:23 -0000

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday loosened federal rules requiring grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cooling equipment, a step that President Donald Trump said would help lower grocery costs. Trump said at a White House …

28. Why are there so many Salmonella outbreaks? 4 reasons for the nonstop food recalls, sicknesses, and safety warnings this year

    Thu, 21 May 2026 16:35:00 -0000

    From salty snacks to backyard ducks, it seems like the bacteria is showing up everywhere lately. You’re not just imagining it. More than 30 states across the country have had at least one case of someone sick with Salmonella so far in 2026. Many of those cases are believed to be caused by contact …

29. Extreme Heat Worsens Gaza Displacement 30.

    Wed, 20 May 2026 14:12:33 -0000

    Gaza - May 17, 2026 An elderly displaced Palestinian woman interacts with a child outside a temporary shelter in Gaza on May 17, 2026. Rising temperatures and ongoing water shortages are worsening conditions for families living in makeshift shelters amid the continuing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip after more than two and a half years of war.

30. UN votes to support strong action on climate change despite US efforts to thwart the effort

    Wed, 20 May 2026 21:22:45 -0000

    UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to support strong action to limit climate change despite recent diplomatic efforts by the United States to have the measure withdrawn. The 193-member world body approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing the landmark …