Wildfire Emergency: Washington declared a statewide emergency as fast-moving blazes threaten Spokane, with evacuations and hazardous air quality conditions growing amid extreme heat and dry winds. Arctic Carbon Feedback: New reporting from Alaska highlights how thawing permafrost may release vast stored carbon—yet sea-level planning and models still don’t fully account for it. Plastic Pollution, Up Close: A Baltimore storm flushed millions of plastic bottles into the Chesapeake Bay, where cleanup is hard because plastics disperse into wrack and break down. Marine Invasives Risk: Scientists warn that idled ships near the Strait of Hormuz could act as a “super-spreader” for invasive organisms when traffic resumes. Local Pollution vs Growth: Massachusetts residents asked a judge to halt a data center expansion, arguing permit process gaps and added diesel backup would worsen noise and air impacts. Renewables With Tradeoffs: A Massachusetts court decision on a solar-plus-battery project sparked backlash over clear-cutting forest land versus modest emissions gains. Coastal Cleanup Inspiration: Mumbai’s Lisbon Ferrao and volunteers removed 1.5 tonnes of garbage from Vasai Beach, spotlighting marine litter and plastic waste. Solar Boom in India: India’s solar capacity surged to 162.15 GW by June 30, 2026, with new floating solar plans tied to storage. River Transport in Dhaka: Bangladesh plans to revive Dhaka’s waterways and allow private water buses, paired with pollution controls and riverbank tree planting.