Climate

More than half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs are losing water — and climate change and human consumption are the main drivers, a new large-scale study warns.

Why it matters: About 2 billion people live in the basins of drying lakes, per the study published in the journal Science. Water insecurity is already an issue, with hundreds of millions of people around the world lacking reliable access to safe water.

A panel of state senators heard testimony Tuesday on a measure that would ban local ordinances that protect the Ashe juniper tree.

Why it matters: Environmental activists have sounded the alarm over House Bill 2239, which they say would reduce the habitat of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and have serious consequences for the Central Texas ecosystem.

Your neighborhood may be quieter this month as some homeowners opt into No Mow May, a viral movement that encourages residents to ditch their lawn mowers and let their grass go wild till June.

Why it matters: With spring gardening season underway, homeowners are wrestling with personal decisions about how to tackle lawn care, Axios' Jennifer Kingson reports. To mow or not to mow? Irrigate? Fertilize?

Grab your tissues, allergy pills and nasal spray. Even with cedar fever behind us, spring allergies remain in full force.

By the numbers: AustinPollen.com, which averages pollen counts, shows the nettle count in the high range and grass, oak, mulberry, weeds and other trees in the moderate range.

Electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 9.3% of monthly new vehicle registrations in the Austin area in January 2023 — up from 7% in January 2022, Axios' Joann Muller reports.

• Tesla's Model Y and Model 3 were the most popular, followed by the Chevrolet Bolt, Ford F Series and Ford Mustang Mach-E.