News & Commentary

Sea to Table

February 5, 2015 DispatchWestAlisa Opar

Consumers are increasingly getting to know their local fish—and fishermen—through companies that cut out the middleman.

The Dusty City

February 3, 2015 DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier

Chicago is trying to limit how much petcoke the tar sands industry moves (and spreads) around town.

Like Sands Through the Fracking Facility

January 21, 2015 DispatchWisconsinSusan Cosier

The frac sand business is booming in Wisconsin. Too bad the state can’t get a handle on the industry’s water pollution.

Misssssssed Opportunities

January 15, 2015 PerspectivesInternationalJason Bittel

The man who was almost fed to an anaconda discusses how the Discovery Channel left all the conservation footage on the cutting-room floor.

If You Build It, Will They Come?

January 14, 2015 DispatchNorth CarolinaClara Chaisson

A huge chimney in Raleigh is a hotel, for birds.

Do These Pants Make Me Look Sustainable?

January 13, 2015 PerspectivesUnited States

A young woman's attempt to purchase a stylish, environmentally responsible outfit sent her through the looking glass—into a world where nobody can be 100 percent certain about anything.

Made in Vietnam

January 12, 2015 DispatchInternational

Can the country become the next major player in the global apparel industry without sacrificing its environment? Near Ho Chi Minh City, one factory owner is assembling a greener model…out of blue jeans.

Greenery and Justice for All

December 31, 2014 PerspectivesUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Environmental pioneer James Gustave Speth says the fights for democracy and nature should join forces.

Bison Back East

December 29, 2014 DispatchIllinois, MississippiSusan Cosier

Wild buffalo now roam east of the Mississippi for the first time since the 1830s, playing a crucial role in restoring Illinois grasslands.

The Sound and the Fury

December 11, 2014 DispatchCanadaKim Tingley

On the trail of the "Windsor hum," a mysterious noise that’s making Canadians crazy.

A Sickening Swill

December 5, 2014 DispatchIowaSusan Cosier

Iowans don't want runoff from factory farms coming out of their faucets. So it’s about time the government does something about it.

Don’t Choke on the Climate Turkey

November 25, 2014 PerspectivesUnited States

Every family's got one. Here's how to baste...sorry, best...the denier at your dinner table.

Port Arthur, Texas: American Sacrifice Zone

November 13, 2014 DispatchPort Arthur, TexasTed Genoways

If built, the Keystone XL pipeline would end in one toxic town.

Interstellar: A Survival Guide for the Planet?

November 7, 2014 PerspectivesUnited StatesMelissa Mahony

Christopher Nolan’s latest film is an eye opener—in more ways than one.

Greening Houston

October 17, 2014 DispatchHouston, Texas

The U.S. capital of the oil industry could teach other cities a thing or two about fighting climate change—in a politically inhospitable climate.

Bloomberg's News

October 17, 2014 PerspectivesUnited States, International

New York’s former mayor, now a U.N. special envoy, sits down with one of the nation's foremost environmental journalists to talk electric cars, flood prevention, and the economics of climate change.

Rogue Elephant

October 17, 2014 DispatchIndiana

What happened when the Republican mayor of Carmel, Indiana, bucked his party and embraced sustainability? He got reelected—four times.

Keys to the City

October 17, 2014 PerspectivesChicago, Pittsburgh, Bogotá, International, Reno, Canada, California

Nine leaders who are combating global climate change--starting with the places where they live.

Can't Beat 'Em? Eat 'Em

October 8, 2014 PerspectivesConnecticutAlexis Sobel Fitts

I did my thing for the environment by feasting on strange creatures at a weirdly delicious New Haven sushi restaurant.

Are Urban Green Spaces Doomed?

November 2, 2013 PerspectivesNew York CityJeff Turrentine

In cities like New York, pocket parks may be even harder to come by than affordable housing.