theconversation.com / .theconversation-com-us-environment

In the battle to slow climate change, local and state governments, as well as citizens, have taken to the courts. Their results have varied, but the cases keep coming.

About 40% of total US energy consumption is used by household and industrial appliances, such as heating and cooling systems, refrigerators and lighting.

Not all plastic is the same. Old yogurt cups and milk jugs, for example, don't play well together when being turned into new materials. However, there are solutions.

Effective conservation of old-growth ecosystems will work best if it considers their varied ecology.

BIOCAP tiles reimagine seawalls as dynamic, ecologically active systems that have the potential to enhance coastal resilience.

Changes to the landscape and pollution have harmed this vital ecosystem known as the 'river of grass.'

When volcanoes like Alaska's Mount Spurr erupt, the ash can damage people's lungs, smother crops and kill animals, and the harm can continue to spread long afterward.

The decades-long struggle to find a permanent place to dispose of nuclear waste will continue, probably for many years to come.

To really compare different electricity sources, you also have to look at the roles they play in keeping the lights on and their drawbacks.

Donald Trump says he is a big fan of oil and gas. His actions may not be of great interest to the industry. And the results may not be what he says he wants.