Environmental Defense Fund

10/12/2026

Las Vegas streets were flooded on Sunday, October 11, after record rainfall triggered by remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel drenched the valley.

Footage captured by Paul Contino shows water pouring down through The LINQ into the parking lot, traveling all the way to the Sphere.

“The entire street is a river,” Contino said. “This is about as flooded as it can possibly get … This is The LINQ’s parking garage. I’ve never seen it like this.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of flash flooding throughout the Las Vegas Valley as the city recorded its rainiest October 11 ever.

The 1.08 inches of rainfall tied the all-time daily record for the month of October which stood since October 10, 1947, the NWS said.

10/12/2026

Add a new player to the clean energy transition: National Conference of Small Cities and Rural Mayors. Clean energy solutions lead the charge in this newly formed group.

“One small town can be ignored. Thousands of organized small towns become a national constituency.”

Enfield Mayor Mondale Robinson announced the group’s launch in September, saying that small towns, often overlooked, will have more power if they work…

10/12/2026

Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S. For workers who spend long hours outdoors or in hot conditions, the risks can be even greater.

Here’s what you should know: https://www.edf.org/ZuJC

10/11/2026

“You can actually see the pollution.” In Missouri, Patricia Schuba lives a few miles from one of the country’s top mercury-emitting power plants.

Stronger federal protections on toxic pollution like mercury were supposed to bring cleaner air to communities like hers, but instead, the Trump administration handed the plant an exemption from complying with clean air rules—and the mercury protections were later repealed. Patricia’s community isn’t alone.

Across the U.S., communities are facing the same fight. So far, 200 facilities have received exemptions from stronger pollution protections. Many are located near communities already burdened by industrial pollution.

EDF is tracking the facilities receiving these pollution exemptions. Keep reading and explore the interactive map to learn more:

Biden-era changes to the Clean Air Act would have tightened regulations for industrial sites, but the Trump administration has given exemptions to hundreds of facilities. People living near the sites are concerned about air quality and their well-being.

10/10/2026

Nature really is mind-blowing 🤯

ICYMI: The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service shared video of a horseshoe crab hatchling emerging on a beach. "These critters aren’t actually crabs at all but more closely related to spiders and scorpions," write USFWS.

"This little one will molt up to 18 times in the next ten years before reaching adulthood."

10/10/2026

DYK the black-footed ferret nearly went extinct in the mid-20th Century? Through successful conservation efforts, these adorable critters — belonging to the same family that includes weasels, badgers, martens, and mink — were brought back from the brink.

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, black-footed ferrets were recently released in Northern Arizona’s first-ever wild nursery site.

"The hope is that ferrets will breed, successfully raise kits (baby ferrets) and reach the site’s carrying capacity at the nursery site," USFWS said. "Once the ferret population has no more room to grow, future kits will be translocated to other sites.

"Because they would be born in the wild and would learn survival skills from their parents, the team expects that these ferrets will have a leg-up from the facility-trained kits and that their survival rates will further increase."

10/09/2026

A new and intriguing study points to a WIN-WIN-WIN for "nature-based" solutions like wetlands restoration and wildfire mitigation — bringing benefits to insurers, policyholders AND the environment.

“It could be tens of billions of dollars going towards nature-based projects that reduce your risk. It’s this big lever that hasn’t really been fully utilized yet.”

Wetlands restoration and wildfire prevention can drive down insurers’ costs and skyrocketing premiums, a new study shows.

10/09/2026

A stunning and vibrant display of Aurora Australis was captured in a timelapse video at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, on Sunday, October 4.

Auroras are formed when electrons and other charged particles interact at speed with the higher levels of the Earth’s atmosphere, per Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology. The vibrant colors come from the different wavelengths generated by the energy release.

10/08/2026

Climate action doesn’t have to feel complicated: Invest in what works, reward smart ideas, and make every dollar count. Done right, it means cleaner air, more jobs, safer communities, and a stronger economy—proof that sustainability and growth can go hand in hand!

EDF Chief Economist Christopher Costello breaks it down here. Check out his new blog in the comments below 👇

10/08/2026

Love fishing, birding, or experiencing wildlife firsthand? You have wetlands—like marshes, swamps and floodplains—to thank for providing a habitat for 40% of the world’s plant and wildlife species. 🦢 🦆 🌳 🎣

But, despite all of the benefits they bring for communities and wildlife, the Trump EPA wants to roll back protections for U.S. wetlands, putting communities, clean water and wildlife at risk.

We have until tomorrow, October 9 to fight back and remind the Trump EPA that it’s their job to protect our waterways. Tap the link in comments to join us in protecting wetlands.