Power of US: ABC News Earth Week coverage
The collective power of the masses can move the needle on climate change.
Climate change may seem like a monumental problem to tackle, but experts say every one of us has the power to impact everlasting change for environmental conservation.
This Earth Day, ABC News is taking a look at solutions for issues related to climate change and the environment with the series, "The Power of Us: People, The Climate, and Our Future."
Check out the stories here:
How the UN Plastics Treaty aims to tackle the pollution crisis
Global plastic production and consumption has grown exponentially since the 1950s and is set to increase by 70% by 2040 if business continues as usual.
Negotiators from 175 countries are gathering for the fourth round of the United Nations Plastics Treaty negotiations in Canada.
Data centers fuel AI and crypto but could threaten climate, experts say
Artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and remote work -- all of these buzzy trends depend on processing power delivered by a sprawling worldwide network of data centers.
As demand surges for the power-intensive complexes, which typically span 100,000 square feet, the increased energy usage could jeopardize the fight to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change, experts told ABC News.
Climate advocates want to solve their 'biggest problem' in the US: Turning out voters
In battleground states across the country, environmental activists are canvassing in an effort to turn out people who care the most about climate change -- but who haven't shown up for past elections.
The Environmental Voter Project, or EVP, is targeting very specific individuals: registered voters who list climate change as their No. 1 issue but who are unlikely to cast ballots in November's election based on their voting history.
Corporations struggle on climate goals amid backlash over 'woke capitalism,' experts say
Corporate America took notice four years ago when Larry Fink, CEO of investment giant BlackRock, declared climate change a top concern. "Climate risk is investment risk," Fink wrote in an annual letter popular in C-suites.
Many firms have struggled to follow through on ambitious, years-old climate pledges, in part due to high interest rates that make funding more expensive, according to experts, some noting that some environmentally conscious companies have bucked the trend.
Navajo Power seeks to rectify energy injustice deep in Navajo Nation
Deep in western Navajo Nation, an organization called Navajo Power is pushing back against a legacy of energy injustice and attempting to rectify it for those who call the tribal lands home.
"Massive infrastructure investment" is required to build major western cities using Navajo resources still out of reach for many who live on Navajo land.
An off-the-grid community in New Mexico offers insight into sustainable building
Near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Taos, New Mexico, a community built into the Earth is living totally off the grid in mostly recycled structures called Earthships.
ABC News Chief Meteorologist and Chief Climate Correspondent Ginger Zee, along with her team, Dan Manzo and Lindsey Griswold, traveled to Taos to stay with the community and find out what everyone can do to live a bit more sustainably.
ParkRx aims to provide 'prescription for wellness' by getting more people outside
A community health initiative that partnered with the National Park Service has doctors writing a "prescription" for wellness by getting more people outdoors.
ParkRx is part of the NPS "Healthy Parks, Healthy People" effort to encourage wellness through visits to the country's 429 national parks and other green spaces.
Can celebrities influence environmental issues? Experts weigh in.
Your eyes do not deceive you -- notable public figures are teaming up with sustainable brands and environmental movements more than ever before.
The sustainability movement is increasingly getting a boost from famous faces as celebrities lend their voices to causes close to their hearts and environmental issues they are most concerned about, experts told ABC News.
Are lab-grown diamonds as sustainable as advertised?
The natural diamond industry has been fueled by a glittering marketing strategy for decades, but is the sustainability of modern, lab-grown diamonds as clear-cut as consumers believe?
Since De Beers Group's 1940s "a diamond is forever" advertising campaign, dubbed by Advertising Age as the "slogan of the 20th century" in 1999, the natural diamond industry exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry and cemented itself into modern culture.
How ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee explains climate change to her kids
On air, ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee travels the country forecasting and reporting on the nation's weather and the latest issues in the climate crisis.
At home, Zee is a mom of two who, like parents everywhere, has the task of explaining topics as big as global warming and the climate crisis to her two young sons.
Researchers working to save whitebark pine, a declining keystone tree species in the greater Yellowstone area
A critical tree species found in some of America's most revered national parks is in decline, leading researchers to embark on a race to prevent more from dying off.
Whitebark pine, or Pinus albicaulis, is a keystone tree species found in the greater Yellowstone area and plays a critical role in the ecosystem there, Laura Jones, branch chief of vegetation ecology at Grand Teton National Park, told ABC News.
Earth Day 2024 report card: Experts address America's climate change action
Earth Day offers an annual opportunity for citizens, experts and lawmakers to not only celebrate the planet, but examine our impact on the changing environment and demand a push toward a sustainable future.
To make a united step forward, awareness of the mounting climate crisis is vital, Dr. Virginia Burkett, chief scientist for Climate and Land Use Change at the U.S. Geological Survey, told ABC News ahead of Earth Day.
Ginger Zee takes a look at how donated clothes are processed: Reporter's Notebook
You've seen the mountains of landfill fast fashion from Kenya to Chile, right? We went there and checked in on them for "Nightline." I know I have been keenly aware that the influx of clothing consumption as fast fashion became instant fashion over the last few decades has been a major problem. That's why I took the "No New Clothes" challenge almost two years ago.
A New York City-based nonprofit allows citizen scientists to assist in conservation efforts
A whale-watching excursion that embarks straight from New York City offers passengers an opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle and assist in much-needed conservation efforts for the marine mammal.
Gotham Whale, a research education and advocacy organization based in Staten Island, collects data of sightings from whale watchers and boaters throughout the New York Bight, which includes the coasts of Long Island and New Jersey.
Shark conservation has been so successful that researchers are finding ways to curb human-shark interaction
Shark conservation efforts in the last two decades have been so successful that researchers are testing ways to mitigate human-shark conflict as populations continue to rise.
Sharks are increasingly becoming a nuisance to fishers as they engage in depredation -- or the act of attacking or plundering -- of catch. A device about the size of a roll of quarters that shocks sharks that attempt to bite on fishing lines may be the answer to reducing shark depredation as well as sharks ending up as bycatch.
Shoppers may be able to reduce food waste with 'GMA' sustainability challenge
Shopping carts full of items we think we need and which take up space in the fridge may eventually get thrown out.
As Earth Week comes to a close, Zee went to a Stop & Shop in New Jersey to learn how to shop smarter and waste less.
Arbor Day 2024: How to plant the best tree to combat climate change
The conversation surrounding climate change action can often feel too lofty for individuals to have a measurable impact, but on this Arbor Day, change can begin at the root.
Planting trees in honor of Arbor Day is a longstanding American tradition that dates back to 1872, and while climate and landscape factors have changed since the holiday's inception, the motivation remains crucial.
Controversial methods to cool earth by reflecting sunlight gain traction as global temperatures rise
The planet has been experiencing a relentless stretch of record-breaking global temperatures with the rate and impact of climate change accelerating, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
As the impacts of human-amplified climate change intensify and become more severe, relatively untouched ideas are gaining momentum as potential short-term solutions to lower Earth's temperature.
Solar radiation modification, or solar geoengineering, is a concept that covers several different technologies or approaches to essentially reflect sunlight back into space to manipulate the planet's temperature.
As EV demand slows, a new alternative fuel garners attention
While electric vehicles' share of the automotive market is still growing, the rate at which Americans are buying new electric vehicles appears to be slowing.
Some blame the sales decline in part on continued frustrations with charging EVs, including the lack of available charging stations, and the vehicles' short range.
While automakers and the government address those concerns, others have focused on how to make the gas-burning vehicles that are already on the road greener.
Months after storm devastated Shreveport, Louisiana, planting the seeds of change: Reporter's Notebook
Louisiana is a state often defined by its history with hurricanes. These powerful storms are named, in part, so we never forget the bad ones: Katrina, Rita, Laura, Betsy, Audrey… to list a mere few of the named hurricanes that have left a destructive mark on the Pelican State.
The mention of any of these names will bring an emotional reaction to anybody that has lived through one. And just about everybody that has lived in Louisiana for more than a decade has experienced the wrath and aftermath of a hurricane.
Climate change has disproportionately impacted these vulnerable US communities, experts say
Researchers have been warning for years that the world's most vulnerable populations will suffer the most dire consequences of climate change.
But the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the poorest communities – the members of which contribute the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions – are already affecting pockets of the U.S. as extreme weather events are exacerbated by warming global temperatures, events in recent years have shown.
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