A firefighter monitors a preventative blaze to limit the spread of the Deepwoods Fire near Columbus, N.C. Allison Joyce/Getty Imageshide caption

Negotiators are hammering out rules to govern mining on the ocean floor, where critical metals are found in deposits called polymetallic nodules. Here, ferromanganese nodules in the North Atlantic. NOAA Ocean Explorationhide caption

The Eaton Fire burned such a large area in Altadena, Calif. that it reached areas that weren't considered at risk. Now, Los Angeles will be requiring some of those homeowners to rebuild with fire-resistant building materials. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North Americahide caption

Responding to disasters like Hurricane Helene in North Carolina takes thousands government workers and millions of dollars, something states rely on the federal government for. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North Americahide caption

Volunteers Olly De Almeida (left), Jordan Bordenave (right) and Rosemary White (far right) plant a tree in front of Tribble Condor's (center) house in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward. The project was funded by a federal grant terminated in February. Arbor Day Foundationhide caption

Native American protestors and their supporters are confronted by security during a demonstration against work being done for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota in 2016. Greenpeace, one of the groups protesting DAPL, was sued by the company building the pipeline. A jury has ordered Greenpeace to pay millions of dollars. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images/AFPhide caption

Ladder Canyon Trail is part of Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California, where at least six tribes have ancestral ties to the region. Nate Perez/NPRhide caption

The Copper induction stove has a battery under the oven, so the appliance can plug into a regular household outlet. Jeff Brady/NPRhide caption

Older people in Los Angeles' Chinatown neighborhood shade themselves from the sun. Exposure to heat can change the way people's genes work, potentially leading to long-term health impacts. Climate change is making heat waves more intense and last longer in many parts of the U.S. Nick Ut/APhide caption

Tourists walk in front of the Tuco glacier in Huascaran National Park during a tour called the "Route of climate change" in Huaraz, Peru, Aug. 12, 2016. Martin Mejia/APhide caption

Duke Energy's Marshall Steam Station coal power plant operates near Mooresville, N.C. Tierney L. Cross/Getty Imageshide caption

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on his nomination in January. Ting Shen/AFP/Getty Imageshide caption

A solar plant in Mona, Utah. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says solar will account for just over half of new power generation that will get built in the U.S. this year. Rick Bowmer/APhide caption

A Nissan LEAF recharges at a station in Pasadena, Calif. Memos obtained by NPR show a key federal agency has paused orders of zero-emission vehicles and some federally-owned EV chargers will be shut off. Mario Tama/Getty Imageshide caption

Signage outside NOAA's headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. Hundreds of employees at the climate and weather research agency have been fired, including at least three Bay Area weather service employees, raising concerns about NOAA's ability to serve the public. Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Imageshide caption

A herd of brown cows gather under trees at the El Hatico farm near Cali, Colombia. Researchers think that this type of silvopasture could reduce deforestation in Latin America. Julia Simon/NPRhide caption

A hurricane specialist looks at a satellite image of Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season. The National Hurricane Center provides forecasts of major storms, many of which make landfall in the U.S.. The Center is part of NOAA, the country's oceans- and atmosphere-focused agency. Experts say ongoing staff cuts at the agency could endanger some of its core missions, like forecasting weather. Joe Raedle/Getty Imageshide caption

Stella Davidsen Olsen, a musher in Greenland, helps guide her sled dogs to turn around and head back home. Grace Widyatmadja/NPRhide caption

Naaja Nathanielsen poses for a portrait in her office in Nuuk, Greenland on Feb. 20, 2025. Grace Widyatmadja/NPRhide caption

An aerial view shows the long-depleted Colorado River (L) as it flows between California (R) and Arizona, and an irrigation ditch (R) carrying river water toward Quechan tribal land on May 26, 2023 near Winterhaven, Calif. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North Americahide caption