News & Commentary

How Deep Were the Impacts of the BP Oil Disaster?

April 8, 2020 ExplainerUnited StatesMelissa Denchak

A decade later, the Gulf of Mexico is still far from fully recovered.

Even in Our Isolation, COVID-19 Reminds Us That We Are One

March 20, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

It’s frightening to see just how fragile our societal ecosystem is. But we have the chance to prove how resilient it is, too.

When Art Captures the Wind and the Rain—and a Bit of Ourselves

March 16, 2020 PerspectivesConnecticutPatrick Rogers

“Weather Report” fills a Connecticut museum with the works of 25 artists who explore what’s happening in the atmosphere and, inextricably, to us.

We Should Be Listening to Our Scientists and Experts Right Now—Not Driving Them Away.

March 13, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

You know it. I know it. But does the Trump administration know it?

The Art of Agnes Denes May Be as Big (and Long-Lasting) as Her Legacy

March 10, 2020 PerspectivesNew York CityPatrick Rogers

In her mixing of art, mathematics, and environmentalism, Denes has been making “future works” since the 1970s.

This Is What a Just Transition Looks Like

March 2, 2020 ExplainerUnited States, Peoria, IllinoisBrian Palmer

To help a community leave its dirty energy economy behind, advocates must fight for local representation, equity, and retraining that prepares workers for high-quality jobs.

Climate Deniers Unveil Their Latest P.R. Weapon

February 28, 2020 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Her name is Naomi Seibt and her message to the world: Let’s not beat ourselves up about burning fossil fuels—everything’s gonna be fine!

What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers?

February 27, 2020 ExplainerNew York, United StatesCourtney Lindwall

Here’s everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1.

Through Haunting Tunes, Polar Ice Crashes Into Chi-Town

January 31, 2020 PerspectivesChicagoSusan Cosier

An art installation’s latest act has musicians interpreting the sounds of Antarctica’s disintegrating icescape.

One City’s Trash Is This Museum’s Treasure

December 18, 2019 PerspectivesNew York CityClara Chaisson

A collection of 45,000 items gleaned from New Yorkers’ garbage sends a powerful message about our consumption habits.

Why the EPA Needs Another William Ruckelshaus (1932–2019)

December 13, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The agency’s first administrator built the EPA from scratch—and established the nonpartisan, antipolluter culture that the Trump administration has all but abandoned.

The Cli-Fi Genre Gives Us a Peek at Planet Earth in 2040

December 6, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

In the latest issue of the literary quarterly McSweeney’s, 10 short-story writers imagine what the world might look like in 20 years without effective climate action.

Think You Know What Water Looks Like? Take a Look at This.

December 5, 2019 PerspectivesArcticAlisa Opar

Photographer Roger Fishman goes airborne to capture a unique perspective on rapidly changing Arctic landscapes.

Parks Are Good—but They Can (and Should) Be Better

November 22, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

At their best, urban green spaces have the power to restore our weary souls—and maybe even to curb sprawl. Why do we so often treat them like civic afterthoughts?

The Faces of Trump and Putin, Stenciled in Smog

November 1, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesSusan Cosier

From Chicago to Moscow, this artistic collaboration puts climate change on display—and world leaders on notice.

This Researcher Thinks It’s OK to Joke About Climate Change

October 25, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

In fact, he thinks laughing about it may help us put an end to it.

These Environmental Artists Do the Mash—the Monster Mash

October 22, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesPatrick Rogers

Laura and Gary Dumm reanimate classic horror-flick monsters in bone-chilling scenes of the Anthropocene.

Some of the Country’s Biggest Supporters of Climate Action? Latinos.

October 10, 2019 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

But since the larger climate movement has done a poor job of engaging them, the community is mobilizing itself.

The World’s Beauty and Destruction—Bound Together

October 8, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesPatrick Rogers

With thread, plastic, and reams of climate data, textile artist Tali Weinberg displays our dangerous entanglement with the fossil fuel industry.

What Can We Do to Fix the Drinking Water Problem in America?

October 7, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Newark, Michigan, New Jersey

Seth Siegel, author of the new book “Troubled Water: What’s Wrong with What We Drink,” says we must change people’s mind-sets and get to the root of the issue to ensure safe drinking water for everyone.