Ecology news headlines and analysis for August 2026

This is the website page in The Multiplural World of ‘Ecology news headlines and analysis’ for the current month of August 2026. Items with red headlines indicate they were published in full on the home page of the website; notice of these are emailed to website subscribers. Comments and information in square brackets [ ] are by the website editors. The month of July 2026 is archived here. All previous months of ‘Ecology news headlines and analysis’ (since March 2024) are archived here.

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Ecology news headlines and analysis for August 2026

Update on August 31 of the Aug 26 glacier collapse disaster in Himalayas:  The flood disaster in Nepal and Tibet was unleashed by a gla­cier col­lapse on the morning of Wednesday, August 26 at Langtang Lirung on the Nepalese side of the shared bor­der. Nepal’s disaster agency reported on Monday, August 31 that 1,003 deaths have been counted there, with 3,916 people missing, including 583 foreigners. Chinese authorities reported in their latest update on August 30 16 deaths and 546 people still missing, including 261 foreigners. In Nepal, rescuers were racing to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydroelectric projects damaged by the floods. About 900 workers are missing from 12 projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels, according to Nepalese authorities.–Associated Press, Sept 1, 2026

…For the last decade, the Gyirong Port has been the main link between China and Nepal, accounting for almost a third of China’s trade with Nepal, much of it electric vehicles going to Nepal, and for more than 180,000 people traveling between the two countries. The five-story port complex was in one of the most vulnerable places possible for a border crossing, perched on a narrow strip of land in a steep gorge where two rivers meet. Both rivers, fed by glaciers, descend about 10,000 feet before they come together at Gyirong Port… But experts say there are few alternatives in this steep mountain region where disasters continue to strike. The Gyirong border crossing only became a major trade route over the last decade after another crossing further east, between Zhangmu in China and Kodari in Nepal, was damaged in the 2015 Nepal earthquake…–New York Times, Aug 31, 2026

Last-minute flood warning saved over 900 schoolchildren in Nepal, Reuters news agency, Aug 31, 2026  …Only older pupils, ages 11 to 18, were at school when the floods hit on the morning of August 26, which aided the quick evacuation. The younger students did not start class until 10 a.m. “They were old enough to run immediately,” the school principal said in a phone interview on August 31. “It would not have been possible to save everyone had kindergarten and primary school students also been there.”…

China sends nine tunnel rescue experts to Nepal in race against time, South China Morning Post, Saturday, August 29, 2026  Beijing’s rescue mission follows request from Kathmandu. More than 100 people remain trapped inside multiple hydropower tunnels in Nepal  (Read the report here in pdf format: China sends nine tunnel rescue experts to Nepal in race against time)

 

 

The ‘Asian water tower’ of the Tibetan Plateau is starting to wobble and lose stability, a scientific study reveals, report in South China Morning Post, Aug 27, 2026 The Tibet Plateau, also known as ‘Asia’s water tower’ is heading towards a more unpredictable and unstable future, according to a new study measuring the plateau’s stability.  (Read the report here in pdf format: The Tibetan Plateau is starting to wobble and lose stability, a scientific study reveals)

 

Crisis in Europe’s forests as global warming transforms them from net carbon sinks to net carbon sources, report in New Scientist magazine (UK weekly), print issue of June 14, 2026 (#3547) Extreme weather, pest outbreaks and over-harvesting are turning forest carbon sinks into carbon sources across Europe, undermining a crucial part of countries’ net-zero plans  (Read the report here in pdf format: Global warming is transforming the forests of Europe from net carbon sinks to net carbon sources)

Disastrous, high-altitude glacial collapse in Nepal/Tibet border region on Aug. 26 unleashes a massive wall of floodwater, killing hundreds with thousands missing. (Above, see latest news and updates on August 30.) 

[The glacial collapse, as scientists are calling it, occurred on August 26, 10:30 am local time, followed by flash flooding and mudslides. The disaster created a new lake, causing rescue operations to pause in Nepal and Tibet; the lake has since largely drained.

[The disaster recalls a similar event in India in 2021 when a Himalayan glacier broke and caused major flooding in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, killing more than 100 people.

[The Globe and Mail reports the following from its correspondent in China on August 27: Speaking to state broadcaster CCTV, soldier Chang Kun said roads in the region had been “completely destroyed, communication was cut off and contact with the outside world was lost.” Heavy rains could mean further landslides could occur “at any time,” he said. The disaster in Nepal and Tibet is not a one-off. The Lhende Khola river system has now flooded twice in just 14 months, with the increasingly unstable Himalayan glacier ice system threatening communities, infrastructure and water supplies across the Indian sub-continent, one of the world’s most densely populated regions. Researchers in Kathmandu found earlier this year that the rate of melting of glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region is accelerating, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000.

Related:
*  What caused Nepal’s deadly glacial flood?, by Levan Tielidze (Research Fellow in Glacial Geomorphology, Monash University, Australia), in The Conversation, Aug 26, 2026  …As climate change [global warming] intensifies, glaciers worldwide are melting – even in high regions such as the Himalayas,” he wrote Thursday. “The Himalayas are especially vulnerable, because the steep slopes of many of these very tall mountains are made of permafrost – rock and soil frozen for centuries. As temperatures rise, these slopes are beginning to melt or destabilize. If an earthquake or slope failure occurs, it can trigger a sudden and devastating debris flow.
*  Mount Kailash, a sacred site for pilgrims missing after floods in Nepal and Tibet, Associated Press, Aug 27, 2026 (with video and photos)

Background: Glacier loss across the Himalayas mountain range directly threatens two billion people, report re-published in The Multiplural World, March 22, 2024  (with related reports)  Military conflicts such as the war in Iran are diverting global attention away from global warming and the ecological crisis, scientists warn. This report was first published in the South China Morning Post on March 21, 2026.

China launches world’s first 100kw bamboo-built floating solar farm, South China Morning Post, Aug 27, 2026  The experimental platform is part of a broader push to replace steel and plastic components with more environmentally friendly materials (Read the report here in pdf format: China launches world’s first 100kw bamboo-built floating solar farm)

Wildfire haze threatens health of millions in Indonesia, report in Phys.org, Aug 26, 2026 … Millions of Indonesians risk health complications from exposure to thick haze covering several cities and towns, government officials explained on August 26 as El Niño-fueled wildfires wreak havoc on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Most wildfires are blamed on slash-and-burn practices to clear land for corporate farms. The chief of staff of Pres­id­ent Prabowo Subi­anto says four com­pan­ies oper­at­ing in West Kali­mantan are under invest­ig­a­tion for land burn­ing…
*  Related report in South China Morning Post on August 26, 2026 (paywalled), headlined ‘As toxic haze spreads, can Indonesia make land burners pay?’:  …Under laws passed in 1999 and 2009, delib­er­ately set­ting fire to forest areas car­ries a sen­tence of up to ten years in prison and heavy fines. But envir­on­mental act­iv­ists and ana­lysts say con­tain­ment of fires is no longer enough, point­ing to what they describe as chronic weak­nesses in pro­sec­u­tion, deterrence and enforce­ment of Indone­sia’s forest-fire laws…

China to steer world’s first solid-state battery standards, South China Morning Post, Aug 26, 2026  As next-gen EV technology accelerates, the global standard agency’s nod to a Chinese-proposed international standard for automotive solid-state batteries could allow Beijing to export its domestic testing  (Read the report here in pdf format: China to steer world’s first solid-state battery standards)

China taps high-altitude winds for power generation with prototype craft airborne at 4,000 meters, South China Morning Post, Aug 26, 2026  China has flown an airborne wind energy system to 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) above sea level and generated electricity from the sky, in what state broadcaster CCTV describes as a world first… (Read the report here in pdf format: China taps high-altitude winds for power generation with prototype craft)

No longer behind: The rise of Chinese AI models at the enterprise level, report by National Technology News (UK), Aug 26, 2026
Related:  DeepSeek leads surge in low-cost Chinese open-weight models on U.S. platform, report in South China Morning Post, Aug 26, 2026 (paywalled)  Open models reached a record share of 62 per cent on a US web development platform on Saturday, a reversal of figures in the previous month of  June 

Two people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, the first in 35 years, CNN, Aug 26, 2026  The ages of those who dies have not been revealed. Pennsylvania has confirmed 393 measles cases in 28 counties so far in 2026.

August 2026 sees warmest ocean temperatures on record, Associated Press, Aug 24, 2026 The world’s oceans simmered to their hottest temperatures on record on August 21 and 22, hitting 21.1 degrees Celsius, the European climate service Copernicus announced on August 25. This edges out the average daily record set in March 2024.  The oceans are likely to warm even further in the next few months, putting stress on life in the water and also on land… When the ocean warms it becomes more acidic and carries less oxygen, which hurts food industries that rely on the seas. It also changes ocean currents and weather patterns, giving more juice to storms and making them rainier with bigger storm surges…

Researchers at Hong Kong City university perform the city’s first robot-assisted pelvic fracture surgery, South China Morning Post, Aug 21, 2026  Amid rising cases among Hong Kong’s ageing population, the procedure promises to be safer, less intrusive method that reduces blood loss, researchers say  (Here in pdf format: Researchers at Hong Kong City university perform the city’s first robot-assisted pelvic fracture surgery)

A warming Arctic landscape will shatter industrial ambitions for the vast region, South China Morning Post, Aug 18, 2026  Sinking terrain and spiking methane threaten ambitious Arctic shipping routes, pipelines and mining projects, a Chinese-led study warns. While localised measures such as rewilding and adaptive infrastructure can delay thawing, the consensus among scientists is that curbing global warming is the only viable long-term defence against widespread permafrost thaw. (Read the report here in pdf format: A warming Arctic landscape to shatter industrial ambitions for the vast region)

Related: Warming Arctic landscape to shatter industrial ambitions for the vast region, report by Brian Rhoads and Ray­mond Ma, South China Morning Post Plus, Aug 18, 2026 (paywalled), Wednesday, August 19, 2026  (Here in pdf format: Warming Arctic landscape to shatter industrial ambitions for the vast region)

 

 

 

Moderna and Merck say mRNA cancer vaccine succeeded in late-stage melanoma trial, report in TIME magazine, Aug 19, 2026  The results could herald a new, powerful approach in other cancers

Global sales of electric vehicles (autos): 
(EV sales to date in 2026 app. 25% of all vehicle sales; chart in New York Times, Aug 19, 2026)

…Electric car sales are on track to hit record highs this year, with 29 percent of all new cars purchased around the world expected to be either purely battery-powered models or plug-in hybrids, according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency. That’s a sharp increase from just 4 percent in 2020…

 

Lake Powell, second largest reservoir on the Colorado River and vital for the U.S. southwest, hits record low, USA Today, Aug 16, 2026  …Lake Powell is located mostly in Utah. The largest reservoir, Lake Mead, which borders Arizona and Nevada, 24 miles east of Las Vegas, fell to its lowest level ever on Aug. 7 and is now setting a new record low daily…

 

 

Essential material for AI data centers faces price spike amid China supply crunch, South China Morning Post, Aug 18, 2026  …In addition to GPUs and memory chips, the rapid AI buildout is sparking demand for indium phosphide, a substrate used to power next-generation optical transmission. Some 70% of the world’s raw indium is mined and processed in China; a large part of indium phosphide substrates (wafers) used for high-speed optical chips are manufactured in other countries, notably in Japan. The product is nicknamed ‘the world’s next silicon’… (Read the report here in pdf format: Essential material for AI data centres faces price spike and supply crunch)

Engineered probiotic created by Chinese researchers can sense high blood sugar and automatically release the glucose-lowering hormone GLP-1, South China Morning Post, Aug 18, 2026  The research team aims to put ‘smart’ diabetes probiotic on U.S. pharmacy shelves within two years  (Here in pdf format: Researchers in China develop engineered probiotic to control diabetes)

China doubles down on its ambitious effort to tame deserts with solar farms, South China Morning Post, Aug 6, 2026  Desert regions are being transformed into clean energy hubs that also halt deserts and create habitats for wildlife  (Read the report here in pdf format: China doubles down on its ambitious effort to tame deserts with solar farms)

 

China’s 1MW perovskite solar farm beats silicon system in industrial-scale test, South China Morning Post, Aug 17, 2026  A China-led team has cleared the last major hurdle in the race to commercialise the most promising alternative to conventional silicon solar technology, paving the way for the next generation of low-cost, high-efficiency solar panels to be made on an industrial scale. Researchers from China and Canada, led by Nanjing University, have developed a super-stable coating for perovskite – an ultra-thin, lightweight material that can be printed onto large surfaces – suitable for patching the tiny defects that lead to wasted electricity…  (Here in pdf format: China’s perovskite solar farm beats silicon system in industrial-scale test)

China is forcing EV manufacturers to build batteries that do not catch fire, report by Car News China, June 16, 2026
Related: Big increase in U.S. in ‘park outside’ warnings being issued by EV manufacturers and sellers, Washington Post, Aug 17, 2026  Modern vehicles don’t need to be moving — or even turned on — to catch fire, fueling lots of safety recalls and tough choices for auto owners  (Here in pdf format: Big increase in U.S. in ‘park outside’ warnings being issued by EV manufacturers and sellers)  [Surprise: This above report in the Washington Post makes no mention of the new regulations in China as of July 1, 2026 designed to greatly reduce spontaneous fires in electric vehicles.]

Europe’s heat waves are killing thousands—and wringing its soils dry, Scientific American, July 24, 2026  … The European mortality monitoring network backed by the World Health Organization and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control recorded more than 16,000 excess deaths across 27 European countries during the week of June 22–28, with more than 14,000 of those deaths among people age 65 and older. Those tallies are almost certainly undercounts…
Related:  In one week during Europe’s record heat wave in late June, deaths increased by 16,000, New York Times, Aug. 15, 2026 (with maps and charts; paywalled)

Britain’s nurses say heat has rendered hospitals ‘unfit for humans’, media release by the Royal College of Nursing, Aug 13, 2026

As Europe gets hotter, its transportation systems struggle to cope, New York Times, August 14, 2026  The continent’s railways and roads ‘were engineered for a climate that no longer exists’, according to experts  (Read the report here in pdf format: As Europe gets hotter, its transportation systems struggle to cope)

Britain and France swelter again as western Europe is hit by another heat wave, Associated Press, Thursday, Aug 13, 2026  ‘Temperatures are forecast to slowly increase in Central Europe through the coming weekend and decrease to the west, as cooler Atlantic air and thunderstorms whip in from the west. It will still be hot in Spain and France, but the temperatures will not be quite as extreme as they have been.’–New York Times, Friday, Aug 14, 2026
Related:
*  Europe’s rivers are drying up. Can they be saved?, feature report with in Deutsche Welle, Aug 7, 2026  The Rhine and Danube rivers have reached historic lows. Dwindling water levels are affecting shipping, agriculture and ecosystems, and raising concerns about the future of drinking water supplies.
* Record heat is drying up Europe’s major rivers, as these striking images show, photo essay in Washington Post, Aug 12, 2026 (paywalled)  The continent’s major rivers – the Danube and Rhine, among them – are withering amid the resulting drought

Salt batteries in place of lithium are about to shake up EVs and grid storage, by Alec Luhn, in New Scientist (UK weekly), July 7, 2026 (paywalled) Today, most rechargeable batteries are made from lithium ions, but sodium-ion alternatives could make battery tech much cheaper and offer other advantages  (Read the report here in pdf format: Salt batteries in place of lithium are about to shake up EVs and grid storage)

Wildfires and floods are devastating communities; Canada and Alberta must stop expanding the fossil fuel industry and respect First Nations rights!, open letter issued by the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, Aug 10, 2026

[Many First Nations in Canada (there are more than 600) have been wooed by money into supporting tar sands and natural gas projects in northern Alberta, gas fracking projects in northeast British Columbia, and pipelines to the Pacific Ocean coastline of BC. Such support is driven by the extreme poverty faced by so many First Nations. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs believes that such support is delusional, calling to mind the expression ‘There is no future in a world of runaway global warming.’]

Trump signs order seeking to upend childhood vaccine schedule, report published by BioPharma Dive, Aug 11, 2026

China is expanding its nuclear energy generation faster than the West; can it keep up the pace?, feature report in South China Morning Post, Aug 10, 2026  While delays and soaring costs bog down projects in the US, China’s state-directed model is moving at record speed, but geographical limits pose huge challenges  (Read the report here in pdf format: China is expanding its nuclear energy generation faster than the West; can it keep up the pace?)

 

 

 

Hothouse Earth is arriving faster than predicted, essay by Julian Cribb, re-published in The Multiplural World, Aug 10, 2026  (This essay was originally published in the liberal journal Pearls And Irritations (Australia) on August 9, 2026. Julian Cribb is an Australian science writer and author of six books on the human existential emergency. His latest book is How to Fix a Broken Planet, published by Cambridge University Press, 2023.)

 

 

Wildfires in Okanagan valley in south-central British Columbia force more than 20,000 people from their homes, The Canadian Press, Aug 8, 2026  [The Okanagam valley is a north-south stretch of large lakes several hundred kilometers long, beginning at the U.S. border. It is a farming, viniculture and tourism region with more than 400,000 residents. The entire town of Summerland, pop. 12,000 on the west side of Okanagan Lake, was ordered evacuated on August 7 due to encroaching wildfires.]

As of August 8, 2026, there are currently 628 wildfires in Canada that have burned 3,064,429 hectares. That is approaching record numbers during the past 25 years.

Central Europe sees record temperatures as heatwave continues; Italy places all of its 27 major cities on highest heat alert, Al Jazeera, Aug 7, 2026

The ice shelf of the Thwaites ‘doomsday’ glacier is about to break away, by Alison George, New Scientist May 18, 2026  The floating ice shelf of world’s widest glacier – Thwaites glacier in Antarctica – is detaching, with worrying implications for global sea-level rise  (Read the report here in pdf format: The ice shelf of the Thwaites ‘doomsday’ glacier is about to break away)

Previously reported: As the ‘doomsday’ Thwaites Glacier melts in Antarctica, can an artificial barrier save it?, by Fred Pearce, published in Yale E360, Aug 26, 2024  Relatively warm ocean currents are weakening the base of Antarctica’s enormous Thwaites Glacier, whose demise could raise sea levels by as much as seven feet. To separate the ice from those warmer ocean waters, scientists have put forward an audacious plan to erect a massive underwater curtain.

Fanning the Fauci flames for Republicans, essay by Ari Paul, in Fairness And Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR.org), Aug 5, 2026

The July 29 congressional grilling of former White House Covid advisor Anthony Fauci, and the resulting editorial responses, weren’t good faith inquiries into the pandemic (CNN, 7/29/26). The entire spectacle was a Republican public relations campaign to promote two often contradictory conspiracy theories.

The first is that the virus that ravaged the globe was a human-altered super virus that escaped a Chinese laboratory, which for right-wingers spins a titillating narrative of scientistic hubris fused with Communist treachery. The second is that the public health measures that discouraged public gatherings were extreme and unnecessary. The idea is that the virus was not as dangerous as it was made out to be—just some sniffles and coughs, really—and that these countermeasures were meant to tank the economy, helping the Democrats win the presidency in November 2020…

Related:  Estimating excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic, report published in The Lancet medical journal, April 16, 2022

Southeast Asia’s fragile grids threaten billions in clean energy investment, analysis by Michael Taylor, in Climate Home News (UK), Aug 7, 2026  …In late May, a power outage struck Indonesia’s large island of Sumatra. It was the first of two in a fortnight, caused by damage to cables on a high-voltage transmission line. The outages highlighted the huge electricity challenges facing Indonesia and much of neighbouring Southeast Asia, namely, the maintenance and upgrading of inadequate grid capacity that industry analysts say is proving an obstacle for billions of dollars in planned clean power investments…

China wasting large amounts of power as captured clean energy hits bottlenecks, report says, South China Morning Post, Aug 6, 2026  All new electricity needs in China could have been met if the clean energy had been absorbed by the grid, non-profit organisations say  (Read the report here in pdf format: China wasting large amounts of power as captured clean energy hits bottlenecks)
Related:  China’s coal power rebounds as record clean energy goes to waste, report by Matteo Civillini, in Climate Home News (UK), Aug 6, 2026 (paywalled)  …The world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, China, brought 30 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power capacity into operation in the six months to June 2026, while coal-fired generation rose 3% after falling last year. This is according to a new report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM). Only 2.7GW of coal power was retired in the same period…

The summer of 2026 isn’t breaking heat records, yet; wait until El Nino kicks in, scientists warn, Associated Press, Aug 4, 2026  …So far, the year 2026 is only the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. But give 2026 time. Because of a one-two punch of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Nino, there’s an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could eke out the crown for the hottest year on record, eclipsing 2024 – or at least come close, scientists are saying. Even if this year sets a heat record, it won’t last long. Although scientists disagree on whether 2026 will be the hottest year on record, they agree on it being a near lock that 2027 will beat out any modern year for heat, maybe by a great deal…

Global warming has made wildfires in Canada roughly twice as likely, analysis finds, CBC News, Aug 6, 2026  This year’s wildfire season in Canada got off to a slow start due to favorable weather conditons but has intensified rapidly with fires that developed in Ontario and the Northwest Territories in July. A new study from the World Weather Attribution (WWA), a collection of scientists who do rapid analyses on extreme weather events, finds that human-induced climate change [global warming] has made these fires about twice as likely to occur…

With a new oil pipeline, Canadians are being asked to make a bet on the past, commentary by Tzeporah Berman, in The Globe and Mail, Aug 6, 2026  (Tzeporah Berman is a climate and energy policy adviser and long-time environmental advocate. Read her commentary here in pdf format: With a new oil pipeline, Canadians are being asked to make a bet on the past)

[Introductory note by the editors of The Multiplural World:  The following commentary is authored by one of Canada’s best-known, liberal environmental spokespersons. There are three things of note in the commentary:
1. Language. The writer uses the misleading term ‘climate change’ in place of ‘global warming’. But climate change is but one of the nine planetary boundaries being exceeded by rising, greenhouse gas emissions, which. In turn, are caused by the relentless expansionism of the global capitalist order.
2. Acquiescence to the imperialist war drive. The writer says not  a word of the deadly, imperialist war drive being played out against Iran, Russia and Ukraine, and Venezuela and Cuba, and being threatened against China. This is common to the global environmental movement, which collapsed as the Western imperialist powers undertook a war drive against the peoples of Russia and Ukraine in 2014 and which was escalated in 2021 and onward.
3. The writer has little to nothing to say of the alternative needed to war and expanding greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, there is not a word of the imperative for the world to adopt a post-growth course of action.]

Trump’s vision for A.I. dominance comes with major air pollution, feature report in New York Times, Aug 5, 2026  The president’s push for data centers is driving a boom in gas-burning power plants, with Texas leading the way. Newly proposed gas plants just to power data centers are receiving permits in record time.  (Here in pdf format: Trump’s vision for A.I. dominance comes with major air pollution)

China accelerates nuclear roll-out in energy-security push, South China Morning Post, Aug 5, 2026  Beijing is targeting installed nuclear power capacity of 110 gigawatts by 2030, aiming to surpass U.S. capacity and achieve a 50 per cent non-fossil power mix (Here in pdf format: China accelerates nuclear roll-out in energy-security push)

 

 

Los Angeles wildfires, 18 months later:
*  Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood of about 23,000 on the western edge of Los Angeles with a median household income of about $190,000, was one of the worst-hit areas by the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025. Tucked in canyons between the Santa Monica Mountains and the ocean, today it remains full of burned-out lots, vacant storefronts and the wood frames of homes in various stages of construction. Many residents have yet to move back.–New York Times, Aug 4, 2026
*  The Palisades Fire was the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles to date and among the five worst in California’s history. It killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 homes and buildings in Pacific Palisades district of LA. The neighboring Eaton fire in LA killed 19 people and destroyed 9,400 homes and businesses.–Associated Press, Aug 4, 2026
*  One year after L.A.-area wildfires destroyed thousands of homes, fewer than a dozen have been rebuilt, Associated Press, Jan 7, 2026  …Fewer than a dozen homes have been rebuilt in Los Angeles County since Jan. 7, 2025, when the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted, killing 31 people and destroying about 13,000 homes and other residential properties…

Wildfires in Washington state force evacuations in the state’s second largest city of Spokane, Associated Press, Aug 3, 2026  [According to Axios on August 2, wildfires in the United States in 2026 already exceed the ten-year average  for both the number of fires and the acres burned. Major fires are burning in Oregon and Washington states, causing heavy smoke in the coming days, including from fires burning in British Columbia.]

The power of bam­boo unlocked, photo story in South China Morning Post, Aug 2, 2026 (Photo shows a main­ten­ance crew approaching ‘Jilin No 2’ plat­form at the Yantai Off­shore Photo­vol­taic Demon­stra­tion and Test­ing Base off the coast of Shan­dong province, China, on August 1, 2026. The base was com­pleted late last month and is the world’s first 100kW off­shore float­ing solar plat­form to employ bam­boo-wound com­pos­ite mater­i­als. The material improves dur­ab­il­ity and reduces the impact on mar­ine life.)

‘Wastelands’ no more: India charts a future for its grasslands, by Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar, published in Yale Environment 360, July 30, 2026  Since the colonial era, India has regarded its native scrublands and savannas as little more than degraded forest. Now, amid a growing recognition of rangelands globally, officials are working to map the nation’s ailing grasslands, with a view to restoring these vital ecosystems.

Related:
*  China’s grassland recovery reaches historic milestone, forestry authority reports, by Hou Liqiang, in China Daily, July 13, 2026  …China’s grassland ecology has undergone a historic shift from “overall deterioration” at the beginning of this century to “overall improvement” at present, as ecological conditions continue to recover, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration…
*  Why grasslands matter more than ever, report by Xinhua, July 14, 2026  …China has about 267 million hectares of grasslands, covering 27 percent of its total land area. About 180 million hectares of grasslands are now rated healthy or sub-healthy, accounting for more than 70 percent of the total…. China’s grassland ecology has undergone a historic shift from “overall deterioration” at the beginning of this century to “overall improvement” at present, as ecological conditions continue to recover, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration…

China is making a ‘great leap forward’ in food production, South China Morning Post, August 1, 2026  (Here in pdf format: China is making a ‘great leap forward’ in food production)

Related:
*  Scientific innovation aids gains in food cultivation in China, by Zhao Yimeng, China Daily , July 28, 2026  China has been producing more food with fewer resources by deploying artificial intelligence, advanced farm machinery and breakthrough seed technologies, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Zhang Zhu reported on Monday, July 27.

Scientific and technological innovation has become the primary driver of agricultural productivity in China, replacing the traditional reliance on land, water and chemical inputs, Zhang said, outlining a vision of modern agriculture that could contribute to global food security and sustainable development. “The contribution rate of agricultural science and technology now exceeds 64 percent,” Zhang said, adding that China’s agricultural growth is now driven predominantly by innovation rather than resource-intensive expansion…

Comprehensive mechanization rate for crop cultivation, planting and harvesting has reached 76.7 percent, while wheat, rice and corn have largely achieved full-process mechanized production… In 2025, fertilizer use fell 5.3 percent and pesticide use declined 1.5 percent compared with 2020, even as grain production and quality continued to improve…
*  China wants to dominate the future of food; it might just succeed, by Ryan Huling, guest contributor, LA Times, March 17, 2026

How a ‘perfect storm’ spread fire, heat and smoke across the Northern Hemisphere in July 2026, report in Washington Post, Aug 2, 2026  A Washington Post analysis shows that about 20 percent of the land area — covering around 7.5 million square miles — experienced moderate or greater concentrations of the soot released by wildfires at some point during July  (Read the report here in pdf format: