We're also covering biodiversity loss, and citizen science projects that you can join. |
How bad is the drought? These maps tell the story. |
You may have heard: Drought is gripping the American West, again, and it's looking bad. |
The maps above show that current drought conditions in the West are the most widespread and severe than at any point in at least 20 years. That's based on data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, the government's official drought-tracking service, which has published weekly maps since 2000. |
Record-low precipitation and much-higher-than-normal temperatures over the past year have both contributed to the extreme dryness. Now, reservoirs are running low and snowpack, which slowly releases water in the spring and summer, is depleted. That bodes poorly for agriculture, wildlife and plants, but well for fire. |
See the drought maps for yourself here. |
Quotable: "It's not just been dry, it's been hot," said Dan Mcevoy, a researcher with the Western Regional Climate Center. "We have to talk about temperatures making the drought impacts more severe." |
 | | The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, where President Biden suspended drilling leases that had been awarded in the final days of the Trump administration.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, via Associated Press |
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A setback for Biden on drilling |
In January, during his first week in office, President Biden signed an order suspending new oil and gas drilling leases on federal lands. This week, a federal judge in Louisiana threw out the suspension. |
The judge ruled that the power to pause offshore oil and gas leases "lies solely with Congress" because it was the legislative branch that originally made federal lands and waters available for leasing. The ruling puts up a roadblock, at least temporarily, for Mr. Biden's plans to cut fossil fuel pollution and conserve public lands. |
Wine from a box (a 6,400-gallon one) |
Wine is supposed to bring joy, but the greenhouse gas emissions involved in making those heavy, throwaway bottles and shipping them around the globe can have the opposite effect. To make the business more sustainable, some companies are experimenting with new ways of getting wine from the vineyard to your table. |
A Times event: The changing face of female leadership |
Women are increasingly leading the response to important global issues. So, what's different when women lead? We'll explore that question and others on June 24 at 1 p.m. Eastern in a special event for Times subscribers. Speakers will include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the climate activist Greta Thunberg. Subscribers can reserve a spot here. |
Join our conversation on sustainable cities |
There's also new event coming up in our virtual series Netting Zero. Mark Landler, the Times's London bureau chief, will speak with experts and opinion leaders about how the pandemic has changed our view of cities, and how that might present new opportunities for sustainable buildings and urban spaces. It's on July 1 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern and open to all. You can sign up to join us here. |
 | | Migrating cranes near Straussfurt, Germany. Climate change and biodiversity are "more deeply intertwined than originally thought," one of the leaders of the new report said.Jens Meyer/Associated Press |
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Global warming and biodiversity loss |
Since trees absorb carbon, should we plant forests on grasslands? Is bioenergy a good alternative to fossil fuels? |
No, according to leading scientists. Their new report, the first collaboration between the top scientific panels on climate change and biodiversity, explains why. Unless the world stops treating climate change and biodiversity loss as separate problems, the researchers warned, neither can be addressed effectively. |
Quotable: John P. Holdren, an environmental scientist at Harvard University and a former White House science adviser who was not involved in the new report, called it "a must-read for our time." |
Also important this week: |
- The collapse of negotiations between the White House and Senate Republicans for an infrastructure bill has put climate action at risk.
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And finally, one thing you can do: |
Get involved in citizen science |
 | | A single-family unit on the Upper East Side.Brittainy Newman/The New York Times |
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For some of us, after months of isolation, going outside feels like a guilty pleasure. It turns out, you can use your newfound freedom to advance science. |
As spring turns to summer, if you have a bird house, you could check on it every few days to see if there are eggs, hatchlings, and then none, presuming they spread their wings and leave the nest. As you go, you can report that information to the NestWatch program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which uses data collected by citizen scientists to monitor avian reproductive health in the United States. |
David Bonter, the co-director of the lab's Center for Engagement in Science and Nature, said that "there's no way" that scientists and researchers would be able to do their work — measuring bird populations across continental expanse or over many decades — without the help of ordinary people, counting the birds in their own neighborhoods. |
"People really pay attention to what's going on where they live, and that's the strength of citizen science," he said. |
This data has been crucial in some of the lab's major studies, including a 2019 report that the bird population in the United States and Canada had declined by about 3 billion individuals since 1970. In general, research from citizen science is very valuable to scientists, and can also help raise awareness about species or populations that might need more protection and drive conservation efforts, he said. |
And you don't have to be interested in birds, Dr. Bonter said: "Whether it's space, rocks, butterflies or anything else, no matter what someone is interested in, there's something out there that they can get involved in." |
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