Bayer is fighting to keep the popular agricultural herbicide Roundup available for farmers in the U.S., but could "reach the end of the road" and pull out of the market amid mounting challenges, CEO Bill Anderson said at an Axios event on Wednesday night.
Why it matters: Anderson said the chemical, known as glyphosate, has been repeatedly found safe and is "table stakes" for feeding the world.
Global forest loss hit the highest level on record last year, per detailed University of Maryland and World Resources Institute tracking data.
Why it matters: The CO2 emissions from fires — the largest single cause of forest loss last year — are very high. And losing forests lessens CO2 absorption.
The Bezos Earth Fund is unveiling the first recipients in its grant program to harness AI for biodiversity protection, sustainable proteins, improving power grids and more, according to details shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: While AI's energy suck gets tons of attention, the Bezos program explores how AI can further climate and ecological work.
President Trump's campaign to dismantle FEMA is on the verge of a high-stakes stress test, as the U.S. hurtles toward peak disaster season under uniquely dangerous conditions.
Why it matters: Extreme weather is growing deadlier and more destructive. But instead of strengthening the systems that help states respond, the Trump administration is gutting FEMA, banning climate change research and urging governors to go it alone.
Washington, D.C. is once again home to the country's best city park system, a new ranking finds.
Why it matters: City parks serve as community meeting spots and civic spaces, offer room for exercise and fresh air, and can draw in new residents — but they require investment, attention and protection.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is blazing forward with a controversial move to repeal California's EV mandate — and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is warning it will come back to bite him.
Why it matters: Schumer (D-N.Y.) all but threatened to deploy similar strategies to get around opinions by key, nonpartisan rule makers if and when he grabs back control of the chamber.
U.S. electricity needs are slated to rise 25% by 2030 and 78% by 2050 compared to 2023, sinus-clearing estimates from the consulting firm ICF seen first by Axios show.
Why it matters: The projections are higher than a number of other studies. It also estimates sharply rising demand peaks where grid strains are most acute, as the chart above shows.
Hot, dry and windy weather that helps wildfires spread is becoming more common across much of the U.S. amid climate change, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: What used to be several months of "fire season" is stretching in some places into a yearlong phenomenon, straining fire departments and others tasked with controlling or containing wild blazes.
A deadly, tornado-spawning storm system was slamming the Central U.S. into Tuesday, as the Southeast braced for a fresh round of severe weather on the heels of a tornadoes.
The big picture: The National Weather Service confirmed at least four tornadoes in Oklahoma and Nebraska and some 8.7 million people in half a dozen states were under tornado watches on Monday night. Tornado warnings were in effect in Arkansas and Missouri.
