A solar thermal plant under construction in Jiuquan, China, in January 2024.

China has achieved stunning growth in its installed renewable capacity over the last two decades, far outpacing the rest of the world. But to end its continued dependence on fossil fuels, it must now move ahead with planned reforms to its national electricity system.

By Isabel Hilton

Food & Agriculture

How a Solar Revolution in Farming Is Depleting World’s Groundwater

Farmers in hot, arid regions are turning to low-cost solar pumps to irrigate their fields, eliminating the need for expensive fossil fuels and boosting crop production. But by allowing them to pump throughout the day, the new technology is drying up aquifers around the globe.

By Fred Pearce

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A rainstorm in the distance, as viewed from Disko Bay, Greenland.

Climate

Rain Comes to the Arctic, With a Cascade of Troubling Changes

Rain used to be rare in the Arctic, but as the region warms, so-called rain-on-snow events are becoming more common. The rains accelerate ice loss, trigger flooding, landslides, and avalanches, and create problems for wildlife and the Indigenous people who depend on them.

By Ed Struzik

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