Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

United States, Utah

Environmental journalist for EcoWatch. Author of the biography and travel guide, Ernest’s Way, and the short story collection, The Smallest of Entryways.

Articles

China Invests More in Solar and Wind Than Coal Overseas for the First Time: Report

1 week ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

Nearly 70 percent of China’s foreign power investments from 2022 to 2023 were in renewables like solar and wind, surpassing fossil fuels for the first time since Beijing started backing power projects overseas in the early 2000s, according to a new analysis from the Global Development Policy (GDP) Center at Boston University (BU).
EU ‘Well On Track’ to Meet Its 2030 Climate Targets, European Commission Says

1 week ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

The European Union is “well on track” to achieve its climate targets for 2030, according to the European Commission. An assessment of the EU’s updated National Climate and Energy Plans (NECPs) shows the bloc is on course for a 54 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with 1990 levels by the end of the decade — only one percent short of its legally binding goal, reported Euronews. “The world is in a full geopolitical winter.
PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Detected in 95% of Beers Tested in U.S.

1 week ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can be found in many places, including food packaging and waterproof clothing, but did you know the ubiquitous chemical compounds can also be found in the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world — beer?
Trump Signs Executive Orders to Boost Nuclear Energy Even as Regulatory Body Remains Understaffed

1 week ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

President Donald Trump on Friday signed four executive orders intended to stimulate a “nuclear energy renaissance” by building new reactors to meet the electricity demands of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and other emerging industries.
Pollination ‘Magic’ Happens at Night Too, First-of-Its-Kind Study Finds

2 weeks ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

Pollinators are essential for the reproduction of most plant species, including many major food crops, as well as for the maintenance of healthy ecosystems. A new research review by scientists at Lund University in Sweden has found that — in 90 percent of cases studied — nocturnal pollinators like moths are just as important as bees and other daytime pollinators.
Humpback Whales Give Birth During Epic Migrations and Continue Traveling: Study

2 weeks ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

Scientists once believed that humpback whales only gave birth in the warmth and safety of specific breeding grounds in tropical waters, where they spent half the year. However, new research has revealed that humpbacks around Tasmania and New Zealand can birth calves much further south than expected, and can do so during their epic migrations.
Plants Produce More Nectar in Response to the Sound of Buzzing Bees: Study

2 weeks ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

When plants hear the buzzing of bees collecting nectar, they increase their output of the sugary substance as the bees get closer, a new study by Francesca Barbero, a zoology professor at University of Turin, and a team of researchers from Spain and Australia has found. The research suggests that plants play more of an active role in the symbiotic relationship they have with bees than previously thought.
NOAA: 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted to Be Above Normal With 13 to 19 Named Storms

2 weeks ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season — June 1 to November 30 — predicts a 60 percent chance of it being “above normal,” a 30 percent chance of it being near normal and a 10 percent chance that it will be below normal. The agency forecasts that there will be 13 to 19 named storms with winds 39 miles per hour (mph) or higher.
States Can Take Meaningful Climate Action, Even Without Federal Support: Study

2 weeks ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

State action to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change can make a big difference, even in the absence of a strong federal climate strategy, according to a new study led by researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State).
Cultural Values on Indigenous Lands Help Forests Thrive at Nearly Twice the Rate of Protected Areas: Study

2 weeks ago | ecowatch.com | Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

In Panama, forest cover on Indigenous lands has remained stable at almost double the rate of protected areas — including government parks — due in great part to deeply-ingrained cultural values, a new study led by researchers from McGill University has found. The findings challenge a longstanding assumption about conservation: that in order to protect biodiversity, people must be kept out.