Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Mother Jones. It appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

In Geneva, President Joe Biden said that future cooperation with Russia would be based not on trust but on US self-interest. If Putin thinks the same way, the two might cooperate so long as doing so appeared to be in their self-interest. But can far-reaching security accords be signed and implemented without mutual trust?

Verifying a warhead agreement would involve significant political and technical challenges, but they’re not insurmountable.

The National Guard typically plays a key role in the response to climate disasters, from searching and rescuing to distributing supplies, food, and medical equipment. Now, they’re handling COVID and the nationwide protests calling for just for George Floyd as well.

Are countries starting to use the coronavirus crisis to rein in their commitments to the Paris agreement?

How to respond to the assassination attempt against Sergei Skripal? Add a class of chemical agents to those prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Russia's demands for security guarantees should not have been a surprise to people who have been following the issue; they should not necessarily be taken literally; and they should not become a substitute for strategic arms control discussions.   

Many things went wrong during Britain's 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis. Initial efforts at identifying infected animals, slaughtering them, and burying their carcasses within 24 hours--the tried-and-true method for containing the disease--were sluggish at best. And the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAFF), still reeling from criticism about how it handled the country's decade-long mad cow disease epidemic, was unprepared for the severity of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

The landmark assessment was dire. But it shows that if you want to tackle climate change, start with methane.

Figuring out the mechanisms behind the last abrupt climate shift could help us predict and understand how climate change manifests now.

Without a functioning democracy, what's the use of climate science?

Water expert and MacArthur “genius” award winner Peter Gleick says we can learn much from watching what happens in South Africa. Biggest lesson: The cheapest source of new water is not actually new water.

One of the key elements of any deal to denuclearize North Korea will be easing the many-layered sanctions regime that the United Nations and countries around the world have placed on the North. On paper, these sanctions impose restrictions on financial transfers, seafood imports, oil and gas trading, and a host of other activities. In … Continued

Two respected scientists have confirmed that a 1979 "flash" seen by a US Vela satellite was a nuclear explosion, probably a test by Israel, perhaps with South African assistance. For the sake of future progress on arms control, on steps to reduce nuclear risk, and on honest public as well as private communication among governments and their constituents, it is time to end an existing double standard that has allowed Israel to escape accountability for developing advanced nuclear weapons by violating a major international treaty.

The new coronavirus has plunged us into an infectious-disease crisis. As we respond, the years-long debate over N.B.A.F. raises worrying questions about American biodefense policy. Will more bio-labs help us fight outbreaks? Or are we building too many labs in too many places?

Will AI-enabled fake videos play a role in this year’s elections? Researchers are willing to bet tiki drinks on the answer.

The US focus on East Asia has damaged European alliances—but doesn’t have to. A US effort to engage European allies should not only reinvigorate alliances but enhance efforts to manage East Asian security threats

A selection of the Bulletin's top multimedia stories this year—from tongue-in-cheek takedowns of misguided nuclear policy to youth sounding the alarm, literally, on climate change.