Four positive tipping points that could trigger unstoppable change
14 September 2026 - Small shifts can trigger a wave of positive change. Climate scientist Tim Lenton explains how positive tipping points are accelerating the transition to a greener future. The University of Exeter scientist, who has spent his career researching climate tipping points, offers lots of examples (more)

UK: Households can save as plug-in solar panels come to market
14 September 2026 - More families are set to save money on bills as plug-in solar panels become legal across Great Britain. The low-cost panels can be put in any outdoor space or on some balconies. Each plug-in solar kit produces up to 800W of power, enough to provide up to 20% of an average home's electricity use. This can run a typical fridge, television, Wi-Fi router, laptop, phone charger and an Xbox S operating at once when the sun is shining. (more)

A big year for butterflies
13 September 2026 - Now in its nineteenth year, Pollinator Partnership's Pollinator Week has grown from a week-long national awareness campaign into a month-long international celebration of the essential role pollinators play in healthy ecosystems, food production, and biodiversity. Communities across North America and around the world observed with educational events, habitat projects, garden tours, community science activities, and local celebrations. (more)

US: Loopy Five Firefly to be considered for endangered species protection
13 September 2026 - In response to a petition filed by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that the whimsically named loopy five firefly (Photuris forresti) warrants consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act, issuing a positive 90-day finding for the species. Loopy five fireflies are a rare wetland species restricted to the southeastern U.S. (more)

Mozambique protects Mount Mabu ''butterfly forest''
12 September 2026 - Mozambique has formally protected Mount Mabu, a hotspot of endemic wildlife and home to more than 200 species of butterflies, located in the Lugela district of northern Mozambique. (more)

A healthier global diet could cut farm emissions by 85%
11 September 2026 - A global shift toward healthier diets could sharply reduce livestock farming, free up agricultural land, and cut emissions from land-use change by 85% by 2050. At the same time, fruit, vegetable, nut, and legume production could soar, creating a sweeping transformation of what the world grows and eats. (more)

US: How Oregon Department of Transportation will restore highway habitats for pollinators with $150K
11 September 2026 - The Oregon Department of Transportation will use $150,000 in federal funding to create and restore habitats for bees, Monarch butterflies, and other pollinators along highways. ''This sort of project delivers so many benefits,'' interim ODOT Director Chris Warner said in a statement. ''We're creating healthier habitat for pollinators like native bees and Monarch butterflies, while increasing drought and fire resiliency, all while reducing the long-term need for pesticide use to control weeds.'' (more)

Momentum grows for climate-resilient farming in Europe
10 September 2026 - With Britain about to record its hottest summer yet, Sam Squier's nearly 200-acre beef farm in south east England stands out as a lush, green oasis surrounded by scorched brown fields. His cattle graze on a mix of grasses, deep-rooting herbs, and legumes, known as herbal leys. (more)

UK: How a sanctuary outside LA has cared for rare, endangered gibbons for a half-century
10 September 2026 - Over the past 50 years, the Gibbon Conservation Center, located in Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles, has transformed from housing a small assortment of animals to becoming a globally recognized institution dedicated solely to the care and well-being of gibbons. While the center is only open to visitors for guided tours on the weekends, they receive steady interest from schools, tourists and senior centers. They also work with local organizations such as The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College to help students receive hands-on experience in animal care. (more)

Museums and heritage sites: living spaces for dialogue across cultures
9 September 2026 - As part of Museum Week 2026, the official international week of museums organized under the patronage of the French National Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO convened a webinar to explore how museums and heritage sites can bring people together, encourage exchange, and strengthen understanding across cultures. (more)

US: Inaugural Indigenous food summit in Portland September 9th and 10th
9 September 2026 - A group of Indigenous organizations around the Portland metro area felt inspired by the first Indigenous foods expo last year in the Northwest. They decided to bring something similar to their own city. Starting with a budget of zero dollars, and less than a year to plan, that dream has turned into a reality with the inaugural Indigenous Food Summit on Sept. 9 and 10. Over the course of the two-day summit, community members are invited to come learn and share knowledge focused around food sovereignty. (more)

Top 10 endangered species making a comeback in 2026
8 September 2026 - Some threatened species were once believed to be almost extinct but are now showing signs of real recovery. It's not a comeback that happens by accident. It has been a slow, science-based effort to save endangered species across decades and continents. (more)

Trains in Switzerland are now running over solar panels in a first-of-its-kind test
8 September 2026 - On a 100-meter stretch of active railway near the village of Buttes, 48 solar panels sit between the rails, low enough for trains to pass over them and removable enough for crews to take them away when the track needs work. The installation, developed by the Swiss startup Sun-Ways, is small. Its 18 kilowatts of capacity could generate about 16,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, roughly the annual use of a few European households. (more)

UK: Clean air zones improve children's lung health: evidence from London's Ultra Low Emission Zone
7 September 2026 - Children living in areas with clean air zones show improved lung development, according to new research. The study provides the first evidence that policies designed to reduce traffic pollution can directly benefit children's lung health. (more)

UK: Solar cuts ''at least 400 pounds from bills in even the cloudiest British areas''
7 September 2026 - Households in Great Britain's cloudiest regions could still save more than 400 pounds a year on their energy bills by installing rooftop solar panels, research has found. (more)

A New Museum in Norway is bringing visitors into the world of whales
6 September 2026 - From ancient myths to modern conservation efforts, whales have long captured the human imagination. Now, they're the stars of a new knowledge and experience center slated to open in Norway next year. Opening in 2027, The Whale will explore the science, behavior, evolution, and cultural history of whales through art, storytelling, sound, and architecture (more)

How rescued orangutans are rebuilding a new wild population in Sumatra
5 September 2026 - Fifteen years ago, Jantho Pine Forest Nature Reserve in Indonesia's western Aceh province, on the island of Sumatra, had no orangutans. Today, it is home to a growing wild population, built almost entirely from rescued and relocated animals. (more)

Finland: Mushroom leather may finally be ready for mass production
4 September 2026 - Researchers in Finland have developed a way to make leather-like fabrics from fungi at a large scale using industrial equipment. This is a key advance towards vegan, plastic-free leather alternatives for the mass market. Besides being free of animal cruelty, mycelium-based leather is sustainable. Mycelium grows in as little as two weeks requiring minimal water and energy, and it fully biodegrades at the end of its life. This has also prompted researchers to explore its use for sustainable building materials and electronics. Once harvested and processed into mats, mycelium looks and behaves much like leather. It is soft and supple, and has a surface that manufacturers can texturize and dye. (more)

UK: Yorkshire's lost giants are back: bluefin tuna return to Whitby waters
3 September 2026 - Atlantic bluefin tuna have returned to northeast England after 60 years, with University of Exeter researchers tagging the species for the first time to support conservation and international quota management. (more)

US: The nation's first ''nature library'' has opened. Bird watching kits and snowshoes are available for checkout
3 September 2026 - It's not just a pipe dream for ski-happy mountain dwellers; the Anythink Nature Library, the first in the nation, has opened in Thornton, Colorado, around 11 miles north of Denver. It's all powered by 300 rooftop solar panels. (more)

Canada: What dandelions, bees, and outdoor play can teach kids about their responsibilities to nature
2 September 2026 - In spring, on the traditional and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, young children, Anishinaabe storytellers, and educators walk together with Aki (Land) and Nibi (Water). Outdoor and nature-based programs support children's connections with the natural world and the development of ecological awareness. (more)

US: Horizontal levees are spreading across the Bay Area
2 September 2026 - Gradually sloped and lush with native plants, this new type of green infrastructure could protect coastal cities and wildlife from rising seas. The project is part of a growing trend in California's Bay Area of using this type of green infrastructure to provide both flood mitigation and habitat restoration. (more)

Homeowner discovers Denmark's largest Viking Age silver hoard in their backyard
1 September 2026 - In Denmark, a homeowner digging in their backyard unexpectedly found the country's largest silver hoard from the Viking Age. (more)

Transforming Britain's old coalfields into clean energy sources
1 September 2026 - Although the coal industry no longer exists in the town of Gateshead in North East England, its heritage lives on. In March 2023, a council-backed mine water heat network went live, using a six-megawatt water-source heat pump to draw warmth from flooded mine workings roughly 150 meters below the town. The heat is distributed through more than five kilometers of pipe to about 350 homes, plus Gateshead College, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and other buildings. The U.K. government says the initiative will save 72,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over 40 years. (more)