Climate Stories

  • A year after the Tubbs fire ravaged California, activist Devyn Friedfel raises the alarm on climate change

    September 12, 2019

    Devyn Friedfel is working to help communities in California prepare for a future that will see more fires and droughts. He knows that stopping climate change isn’t an option, so it’s important that mitigate and adapt to its effects.

    A year after the Tubbs fire ravaged California, activist Devyn Friedfel raises the alarm on climate change
  • From the front lines of climate change, Arctic Youth Ambassador Gabriel Stenek shares one village’s story

    September 03, 2019

    Located on a tiny island in the Chukchi Sea, just north of the Bering Strait and 20 miles below the Arctic Circle, Shishmaref has struggled for decades with coastal erosion and flooding attributed to climate change. Arctic Youth Ambassador, Gabriel Stenek share's its story.

    Portrait of WWF Arctic Youth Ambassador.
  • Miami Rising Up


    Miami is often dubbed the "ground zero" for climate change. But as sea levels rise, so, too, does a generation of leaders showing the world what climate action looks like and fighting for the only home we know.

    Miami skyline from the water
  • A wake-up call on agriculture’s role in climate change

    August 08, 2019

    The connection between food and land use and global climate change is the subject of a special report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body that assesses the science of climate change for the benefit of global policymakers. IPCC’s August 2019 report focuses especially on the impact of agriculture—with good reason.

    Iowa agricultural land.
  • New technology helps WWF and partners study whales in one of the most remote places on the planet

    May 21, 2019

    Using new technology, like drones and digital tags, researchers have found that nearly every part of the Antarctica peninsula is important for whales’ feeding and resting. But it is also a hotspot for global climate change. WWF is calling for the protection of this remote wilderness in or effort to preserve 30% of the oceans by 2030.

    whale fluke Chris Johnson
  • Edge of the World

    WWF Magazine: Summer 2019
    Ice is a defining factor in Ittoqqortoormiit, a village of 350 on the coast of Greenland. But the ice is changing and the community now works to protect itself from the impacts of climate change.
    James Morgan / WWF-US
  • Harnessing fog could help farmers in a changing climate

    WWF Magazine: Summer 2019
    More intense droughts and frosts caused by climate change make farming in Oaxaca, Mexico, harder. But two agricultural tools could help farmers boost the resilience of their crops by harvesting fog.
    Illustration of fog catcher
  • What really goes into your morning cup of coffee?

    WWF Magazine: Summer 2019
    Coffee is waking people up around the world, and its popularity is soaring—particularly in China and Southeast Asia. But for the small farmers who grow most of that coffee, the future is uncertain.
    Cup of coffee
  • How climate change could impact a beloved spice

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2019
    Vanilla has been cultivated for hundreds of years. But with most of the crop grown in places prone to extreme weather events, the market may become increasingly unpredictable as the climate changes.
    Vanilla farmers, Ambosihasina, Madagascar
  • An activist speaks out on behalf of nature after Hurricane Maria

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2019
    Hurricane Maria destroyed Ortiz’s hometown. Galvanized by her experiences, she joined WWF’s Panda Ambassador program and is educating others about the devastating impacts of climate change.
    Nicole Ortiz
  • Why global leaders must address climate change now

    December 04, 2018

    The United Nations climate talks are the most important round of negotiations since the Paris Agreement was reached three years ago. There is still time for us to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and create a safer future, but that window is closing fast.

    Climate change leads to the loss of sea ice in the Arctic, which leads to an increase in sea level rise.
  • New partners join national governments to fight climate change

    November 20, 2018

    There’s still a significant gap between current country emissions reductions pledges and what’s needed to limit global temperature rise. In response, leaders from businesses, local governments, higher education, and communities are coming together to establish domestic coalitions in support of climate action. 

    flags outside at COP22
  • WWF examines the loss of produce on farms and pathways to change

    August 21, 2018

    Did you know that food loss can occur long before you even buy it? WWF zoomed in on 35 farms across the country to assess how much produce never leaves the field after harvest. 

    Peaches in a tree
  • A missing piece in the fight against climate change

    Keeping trees, grasses, and soil intact and restoring them can help get us a long way toward meeting America's urgent climate goals.

    Rockhills Ranch, South Dakota
  • WWF strengthens communities’ resiliency against extreme weather events

    June 01, 2018

    June 1 marks the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, with early forecasts indicating a slightly above average year for storms. But as this hurricane season begins, many coastal communities are still dealing with the enormous devastation of the last one—a barrage of unusually intense storms that scientists at WWF and beyond warn could become routine as the planet continues to warm.

    Tornado building from a cyclone over the sea. N.W. monsoon, Indonesia.
  • US climate action grows stronger despite announcement to leave Paris Agreement

    June 01, 2018

    This month marks one year since the United States confirmed it was pulling out of the Paris Agreement. But across the country, national leaders and citizens continue to drive climate action and ensure the nation fulfills its emissions targets set by the accord. 

    Solar panels in Austin, TX
  • Red pandas, climate change, and the fight to save forests

    April 10, 2018

    While residents of Sikkim honor the endangered red panda, they also understand the species is under a growing threat. Climate change is impacting species across the globe and red pandas—with less than 10,000 left in the wild—are not immune.

    red panda in tree, Sikkim, India
  • Lack of winter sea ice disrupts life in the Arctic

    March 23, 2018

    It’s the second-worst winter for sea ice in the Arctic. As this rapid warming trend continues, entire ecosystems are unraveling and the consequences are impacting daily life in the Arctic as well as life in coastal communities thousands of miles away.

     
    diomede island arctic
  • 9 reasons for hope in the face of climate change

    March 20, 2018

    At WWF, we’re engaging with millions of Americans, leading businesses, and government leaders to tackle climate change. Here are nine reasons why we’re hopeful in the face of this threat.

    solar panels in Washington state
  • Climate change could imperil half of plant and animal species in the world’s most naturally rich areas

    March 13, 2018

    Up to half of plant and animal species in the world’s most naturally rich areas—including the Amazon and the Galápagos—could face extinction by the turn of the century due to climate change if carbon emissions continue to rise unchecked.

    Panda at top of a tree
  • 3 things you should know about January’s record-low Arctic sea ice

    February 22, 2018

    January 2018 brought record-low sea ice cover to the Arctic, according to new data released by the US government. That’s bad news for the ocean, wildlife, and local communities that rely on both for survival.

    Ice melting in Bering Strait
  • Artificial nests bring new hope for vulnerable shy albatross

    February 15, 2018

    Dozens of fluffy shy albatross chicks sitting on artificial nests are a promising sign for scientists behind an innovative plan to give the vulnerable species a boost to help counteract the negative impacts of climate change.

    A pair of shy albatross in a nest
  • The Green Climate Fund and WWF: Standing together against climate change

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2018
    The Green Climate Fund, a multilateral fund dedicated to helping developing countries respond to climate change, continues this tradition of cooperation for the common good.
    Waterfall in Eastern Bhutan
  • Thinking outside the box

    WWF Magazine: Spring 2018
    Big-box retailer Walmart set an ambitious goal to reduce its carbon emissions. Then it encouraged its suppliers to do the same.
    WWF's Marty Spitzer and Walmart's Katherine Neebe discuss sustainability issues on a Walmart roof, with solar panels.