EarthTalk

An EarthTalk column warns that the Amazon rainforest is gradually turning into barren land, citing ongoing deforestation and degradation that could push parts of the region toward permanent loss of forest cover. The piece argues that continued clearing for agriculture and development is eroding the ecosystem's ability to sustain itself, raising concern among environmental advocates.

A new EarthTalk column warns that persistent drought across the western United States may no longer be a temporary crisis but a lasting condition driven by climate change. It points to years of dryness straining water supplies, agriculture and wildfire risk across states such as Arizona and California. Readers are being urged to treat water conservation as a permanent way of life rather than an emergency response.