blue lake with glacier in the middle of the mountains.

As glaciers vanish, salmon gain new habitat and mining companies race for gold

Salmon are moving into lakes and streams newly formed by melting glaciers in Alaska and British Columbia, even as mining firms rush to exploit mineral-rich lands newly exposed by retreating ice.

Max Graham reports for Grist.


In short:

  • Glacial retreat in Alaska and British Columbia is transforming cold, sediment-choked rivers into clearer, warmer streams and lakes that could support expanding salmon populations in the decades to come.
  • At the same time, mining companies are rapidly staking claims in these newly exposed landscapes, fueled by record gold prices and high demand for copper, raising alarm among Indigenous groups and fisheries advocates.
  • Though new salmon habitat could emerge across nearly 4,000 miles of river by century’s end, much of it lies near existing or proposed mining sites, including projects without formal consent from downstream communities.

Key quote:

Are critical minerals “more critical than our lives? More critical than the fish?”

— Richard Peterson, president of the Tlingit and Haida government

Why this matters:

The race for minerals and the reshaping of ecosystems due to melting glaciers is a collision of environmental consequence and economic ambition. Salmon, already facing pressures from warming seas and dwindling freshwater flows, may find refuge in glacial waters that are now becoming more hospitable as ice recedes. But these same landscapes are becoming targets for mining companies lured by copper and gold, often aided by government subsidies. For Indigenous communities in Alaska and Canada, this trade-off is especially fraught: Salmon are both a vital food source and a cultural touchstone. As exploration moves into sensitive watersheds, calls are growing for stricter regulations, cross-border agreements, and Indigenous consent. Yet with glacial landscapes transforming faster than environmental policies can adapt, the outcome could determine whether these new salmon habitats become ecological lifelines or casualties of industrial expansion.

Read more: Hot weather poses new threat to salmon migration

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Alexander C. Kaufman reports for Canary Media.

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Desert field with solar panels.

California mining company turns to solar heat but can’t quit coal just yet

In California’s Mojave Desert, a mining plant is turning to solar thermal energy to replace one of its coal-fired generators, but a second unit may run for years due to the intense heat and 24-hour power it needs.

Ivan Penn reports for The New York Times.

In short:

  • Searles Valley Minerals, a mining company in Trona, Calif., is replacing one of its two coal plants with a solar thermal system but says the other may need to stay online for the foreseeable future due to operational demands.
  • The company will use a concentrating solar power system from start-up GlassPoint, which uses mirrors to generate high heat, a solution that works well in hot, sunny areas but requires a large land footprint and remains rare in the U.S.
  • Despite California’s push to phase out coal and President Trump’s efforts to revive it, economic and geographic constraints continue to complicate full industrial transitions away from fossil fuels.

Key quote:

“We just think coal is going to be a problem. We’re going to have a hard time sourcing it. We need to be ready to pivot.”

— Dennis Cruise, president of Searles Valley Minerals

Why this matters:

Industrial heat — the kind used in mining, chemical production, and heavy manufacturing — accounts for about half of global energy use, yet it’s rarely mentioned in public climate debates. Unlike home heating or car travel, generating this level of heat without fossil fuels is still tough. Most renewable energy technologies don’t deliver the extreme, continuous heat these facilities need. That leaves industries like the one in Trona stuck with coal, even as it becomes harder to source and politically unpopular. As the U.S. attempts to decarbonize, industrial energy needs present one of the biggest hurdles.

Related: Farmers use solar panels to protect crops and conserve water

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New gas plant approved in Newark despite community objections over health and pollution

A state sewer commission approved a controversial gas-fired backup power plant in Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood, drawing opposition from residents who say it adds to the area’s already heavy pollution burden.

Emilie Lounsberry reports for Inside Climate News.

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New research links stalled jet stream to rising summer weather extremes

The number of extreme summer weather events driven by trapped atmospheric waves has tripled since 1950 due to climate change, new research shows.

Seth Borenstein reports for The Associated Press.

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Brazil moves to auction vast oil blocks despite climate and Indigenous concerns

Brazil is set to auction off oil and gas exploration rights in a massive offshore and Amazon region sale, prompting backlash from Indigenous groups and environmental advocates just months before it hosts the Cop30 climate summit.

Constance Malleret reports for The Guardian.

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South African coal town struggles to see benefits of clean energy shift

Residents of Komati, a former coal hub in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, remain skeptical of the country’s green transition as job losses and slow infrastructure rollout leave them in economic limbo.

Rachel Savage reports for The Guardian.

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World climate talks resume without U.S. as global negotiators assess new path forward

The United States skipped a major round of United Nations climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany this week, leaving other nations and U.S. civil society groups to navigate the talks without the world's largest fossil fuel producer at the table.

Bob Berwyn reports for Inside Climate News.

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