GRIST

JULY 31. 2026

Here’s what supercharged the monster wildfires in Spain and France

Last summer brought Europe's most destructive wildfire season on record. This season is on track to break it.

Why rice crops could be in for a weird year

Researchers explain how El Niño and global warming are combining to create "the haves and the have-nots. "

Wildfire prevention has always been a challenge in the West. Hotter, drier weather is making it worse.

In Western states, climate change is starting to overwhelm the old techniques that used to keep fires from raging out of control.

JULY 30. 2026

These psychedelic images reveal what your weather app isn’t telling you

My weather app says it’s 80 degrees, but that’s a lie. I’m standing on a football field at Portland State University with professor Vivek Shandas, and we can feel intense heat radiating off the grass. Instead of being made of cellulose, these blades are plastic, because this field is artificial turf.

4 things to know about cyclospora and climate change

A fragile food system, uneven public health messaging, and global warming are all working to supercharge the parasite’s spread.

JULY 29. 2026

It’s official: Data centers are slowing America’s shift away from coal

New federal data shows that AI demand helped push U. S. power sector emissions up last year.

The EU might weaken its landmark climate law — the ‘most impactful’ in the world

The European Union’s cap-and-trade system has long been considered the gold standard for market-based emissions-reduction policies, and it’s influenced similar efforts from California to South Korea. Since 2005, it’s helped reduce the EU’s industrial carbon emissions by about 50 percent, and a recent working paper called it the “most impactful climate policy in the world.

Is it getting too hot for summer school?

Scorching temperatures are testing the limits of programs meant to help students catch up academically.

China’s solar industry is losing money. The country is doubling down anyway.

Brutal price wars among manufacturers have caused solar panel prices to plummet, making renewable energy cheaper than ever.

JULY 28. 2026

Inside the ‘America First’ makeover of a global hunger program

In remaking USAID’s Feed the Future innovation labs, Trump is abandoning an agricultural research effort built to benefit the world.

Next stop for California’s high-speed rail: Finding private investors

The state has a $25 million deal with a consortium of companies to explore private financing Not everyone is sure it will work.

JULY 27. 2026

‘Climate hushing’ has swept the Democratic Party. New polling suggests it’s a mistake.

Climate change might not be voters' top priority, but new polling suggests that emphasizing it may actually boost support for candidates.

JULY 26. 2026

Here’s how offshore wind helped New England beat record heat

The region has added dozens of turbines off the East Coast since last summer. They and other clean energy sources cut the need for oil power amid recent hot weather.

JULY 25. 2026

In Michigan, the price of energy is on the ballot and both parties know it

The GOP spent years circling the state as a key 2026 pickup opportunity. But after a lopsided election loss, doubts are creeping in.