A prolonged drought on Hawaiʻi’s Big Island is forcing ranchers to sell off large portions of their herds and rethink the future of grass-fed beef in the islands.
Kuahiwi Ranch in Kaʻū has reduced its cattle count from 1,300 to about 800 due to extreme drought and dry pastures, with some cattle shipped to the mainland for finishing.
Scientists say traditional weather patterns like El Niño and La Niña are no longer reliable predictors of rainfall in Hawaiʻi, where even “wet” years bring little relief to drought-stricken areas.
As the local beef industry faces uncertainty, younger generations of ranchers remain committed to keeping cattle in the islands despite financial pressures and rising costs of water infrastructure.
Key quote:
“It’s hard to make grass-fed animals without grass.”
— Guy Galimba, rancher at Kuahiwi Ranch
Why this matters: Hawaiʻi’s ranches, which occupy nearly a fifth of the state’s land, are vital not just for local beef but for stewarding ecosystems prone to fire and erosion. Drought puts this entire system at risk. When grass disappears, so does the ability to graze livestock, leading to more imports and reduced food security. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and declining reliability of climate cycles like El Niño are creating a volatile situation, with ranchers forced to make hard decisions. And unlike on the mainland, they can’t just truck in replacement cattle or move operations. The deep-rooted paniolo culture, built over centuries, now faces an uncertain future. If these lands dry up, they don’t just stop producing beef — they become more vulnerable to wildfires and development.
Read more from Honolulu Civil Beat's series Hawaii Grown.
Teens in western Massachusetts are joining Greenagers, a local nonprofit, to work outdoors building trails and protecting ecosystems — gaining both job experience and a deeper bond with the natural world.
Greenagers trains high school students in trail work and environmental restoration, pairing them with college-age leaders to remove invasive species, build paths, and protect wetlands.
The program saw increased interest during and after the pandemic, as parents sought ways to engage youth offline and outdoors, and participants often report long-lasting personal and mental health benefits.
After the Trump administration cut AmeriCorps funding in April 2025, Greenagers stepped in to pay affected workers through summer, emphasizing its commitment to mentoring and environmental stewardship.
Key quote:
“My kid didn’t really want to go outside, or know what to do outside, and now they can’t get enough of it.”
— Will Conklin, founder and executive director of Greenagers
Why this matters:
As more young people report screen fatigue and rising mental health struggles, outdoor work programs like Greenagers offer a counterbalance rooted in physical effort, social connection, and nature. These experiences can foster environmental literacy and a sense of belonging — two qualities increasingly rare in a digital-first world. Studies show that spending time outdoors improves cognitive function, emotional well-being, and even sleep. Programs that combine stewardship and job skills can also offer pathways to future careers in conservation or science. In a warming climate, the ability to understand, protect, and repair natural ecosystems becomes not just useful but urgent, particularly for younger generations who will face its long-term impacts firsthand.
President Donald Trump approved disaster aid for Texas within days of deadly flooding, but several other states and Native American tribes waited months for similar relief due to new federal review policies.
At least 10 states and two tribes faced prolonged waits for federal disaster declarations, leaving communities without temporary housing, unemployment assistance, and debris removal.
New Homeland Security rules now require sign-off on FEMA expenses over $100,000, slowing aid even during large-scale emergencies.
Critics inside FEMA say the delays reflect political priorities and a “system stall” that burdens rural and low-income areas already stretched by repeated disasters.
Key quote:
“FEMA is built to move fast when lives and infrastructure are on the line. But it can’t do that if our highest levels of elected leadership treat disasters as inconvenient — or worse, as inconsistent with a selected narrative.”
— FEMA official with extensive disaster response experience
Why this matters:
When disaster aid is delayed, people already reeling from floods or fires can find themselves living in unsafe homes or temporary shelters for months. Federal disaster relief often funds essentials like clean water, food, and emergency housing — things states and tribes cannot always cover alone. As extreme weather events grow more frequent and destructive, uneven aid can deepen divides between well-resourced states and those with limited infrastructure. These gaps often hit rural and Indigenous communities hardest, forcing them to navigate bureaucratic hurdles while facing compounding crises such as damaged roads, closed hospitals, or contaminated drinking water. Delays can also slow rebuilding, leaving residents exposed to future storms and heat waves.
Lobbyists for American natural gas companies are pressing European officials to loosen new methane pollution rules as trade negotiations with the Trump administration near an August 1 deadline.
The EU’s 2024 methane regulations, set to fully apply by 2030, will require LNG exporters to disclose and limit emissions or risk losing market access.
U.S. exporters say they cannot yet measure or meet Europe’s methane standards and are lobbying for exemptions during ongoing trade talks.
Environmental groups warn the rules are critical for cutting climate-warming methane and accuse industry of seeking loopholes to maintain exports.
Key quote:
“It’s very clear that the industry and the State Department are putting a lot of pressure on the EU to just give us a pass on this methane rule and commit to our dirty LNG.”
— Lorne Stockman, research co-director for Oil Change International
Why this matters:
Methane traps more than 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, making leaks from gas wells and pipelines a powerful driver of short-term warming. Europe’s attempt to police methane in imported fuel could ripple far beyond its borders, forcing exporters like the U.S. to confront hidden emissions in their supply chains. The standoff also exposes tensions in energy policy: Europe’s push for cleaner imports collides with America’s desire to expand gas sales amid declining domestic demand and competition from renewables. How these rules are enforced will shape not only trade but also the global fight to rein in climate-warming pollution from the oil and gas sector.
Internal records show more than a quarter of U.S. Forest Service firefighting positions are unfilled as wildfires surge nationwide, contradicting agency assurances to lawmakers that staffing is at full strength.
Vacancies have left more than 5,100 firefighting roles open, with some regions facing shortages of nearly 40%.
Leadership and middle-management gaps are forcing inexperienced crews into high-risk situations, raising safety concerns.
Budget cuts and resignation incentives under the Trump administration have deepened the staffing crisis during an already severe fire season.
Key quote:
“There is definitely a lot of tension in the system this season. It’s sort of like that medieval torture device that stretched people – just one more crank.”
— a fire captain with the U.S. Forest Service
Why this matters:
Wildfires are growing larger and more intense as climate change drives hotter, drier conditions across the United States. A shortage of trained firefighters and leaders heightens the danger, leaving communities vulnerable to faster-spreading blazes and threatening the safety of crews on the front lines. Without adequate staffing, fire suppression can lag behind fire growth, forcing mass evacuations and increasing property and ecological damage. These gaps also strain remaining workers, who face longer deployments and greater fatigue, compounding injury risks. The crisis comes as many regions are already grappling with water shortages, degraded air quality from smoke, and mounting costs for disaster recovery and health impacts.
The Trump administration announced plans Wednesday to fast-track AI infrastructure projects by easing environmental and land-use rules, igniting opposition from climate advocates.
The plan would exempt datacenters from parts of the National Environmental Policy Act and streamline Clean Water Act permitting, while rolling back Biden-era semiconductor subsidies tied to climate conditions.
AI datacenters already consume vast energy and water; research projects U.S. demand could triple by 2028, equaling electricity use for 28 million households and water to fill over a million Olympic pools.
More than 90 advocacy groups responded with a “people’s AI action plan,” calling for protections for public health and sustainable development rather than industry-led deregulation.
Key quote:
“Under this plan, tech giants get sweetheart deals while everyday Americans will see their electricity bills rise to subsidize discounted power for massive AI datacenters.”
— JB Branch, big-tech accountability advocate with Public Citizen
Why this matters:
AI datacenters draw enormous power and water, straining grids and ecosystems in ways that mirror heavy industry. Many facilities cluster near low-income and minority neighborhoods already hit by pollution from highways, refineries, and warehouses, compounding health risks such as asthma and heat stress. As AI adoption surges, its environmental footprint could rival that of older extractive sectors, yet oversight remains limited. Cutting federal safeguards could shift costs — in energy, water scarcity and public health — onto surrounding communities and taxpayers, while accelerating climate emissions at a moment when scientists warn deep cuts are needed to limit global warming.
More than 140 NSF staffers signed a letter, mostly anonymously, warning Congress that the Trump administration is dismantling the agency by firing employees, killing research grants, and slashing the budget by over 50%.
The protest mirrors recent letters from National Institutes of Health (NIH) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employees raising alarms about politically motivated orders and retaliatory suspensions, with many fearing long-term damage to public health and science.
One major grievance is the forced relocation of the NSF headquarters, alongside a covert “ideological” grant review process that undermines peer review and stifles innovation in STEM research and education.
Key quote:
“Unfortunately the damage, the dismantling of NIH, NSF, EPA and others is having already immediate effects on people, and there will be also irreparable long-term effects.”
— Dr. Jesus Soriano, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403
Why this matters:
Science agencies like the NSF some of the most foundational research in climate science, clean energy, public health, and environmental protection. Undermining that mission chips away at the ability to prepare for the next pandemic or tackle the climate crisis with real data and solutions. It could take years, even decades, to undo the damage.
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