Climate & Biodiversity News (April 2026)

ASLA 2025 Professional Urban Design Honor Award. Turning Gray into Green: Meishe River Greenway and Fengxiang Park. Haikou, Hainan Province, China. Turenscape.

By Jared Green

Do Americans Worry About Climate Change? New Polling Shows Concern Is at a Near Record High, April 15, Time Magazine

According to a new survey from Gallup, 44 percent of Americans "worry a great deal" about climate change, a near record high since the organization started polling on environmental concerns in 1989. The survey also found 66 percent of Americans think the environment is worsening and 61 percent think the effects of climate change are already happening. Americans are most concerned about water pollution and reduced availability of fresh water.

A More Troubling Picture of Sea Level Rise Is Coming into View, April 9, Yale Environment 360

Two new research studies make the case that current scientific models of sea level rise may be significantly off. One study used data gathered from tidal gauges instead of the usual mathematical models and finds sea levels are now nearly a foot higher than expected. Another study looked at river deltas worldwide and finds the rate of subsidence for many coastal communities is higher than anticipated. Seas are higher and many communities are actually lower, putting 80 million more people at risk from coastal flooding.

How Quickly Do Tropical Forests Recover? Faster Than Expected, but Slower Than It Seems, April 8, Mongabay

A new study published in the journal Nature finds finds that cleared forests can regain much of their biological diversity within three decades. Forests that are recovering from clear cutting now make up to 70 percent of tropical forests. While old-growth forests remain invaluable, "in landscapes that have already been altered, allowing forests to regenerate remains one of the most practical ways to restore biodiversity."

Can Sponge Cities Save Us from the Coming Floods?, April 6, The New Yorker

The New Yorker traces the evolution of nature-based solutions to flooding from Frederick Law Olmsted to Ian McHarg and then to Kongjian Yu, leader of the global Sponge City movement. Cities in Europe, and Asia are increasingly turning to parks and green spaces to manage stormwater and flooding. Landscape architects with Danish firm SLA explain how they applied Sponge City strategies in their Rosa Barba-prize winning park in Copenhagen.

Why Protecting Flowering Plants Is Crucial to Our Future, April 2, Yale Environment 360

In an interview, biologist David George Haskell, author of the new book How Flowers Made Our World, argues that flowering plants have been central to the evolution of many species on the planet. "Flowering plants formed ecosystems - like rainforests, prairies, and savannas - that didn't previously exist. There were no grazing mammals before flowering plants, and grasses more specifically, evolved," he says.

A Fifth of NYC Built on Bygone Water Now at Risk: Study Maps City's 'Blue Zones," April 1, The City

Researchers at the New York Botanical Garden identified more than 500 "blue zones" in New York City, areas "where water used to be, where it still floods, and where flooding is likely to get worse due to climate change." These areas span 20 percent of the city' and are home to 1.2 million people or 11 percent of the city's population. The report also includes a digital tool that provides a block-by-block hydrological history.