News & Commentary

Denver Wants to Zoom Past Its Car-Centric Street Design

February 6, 2020 DispatchDenverLucas High

City officials see dedicated bus corridors, scooter-share programs, and protected bike lanes as key to greening their transportation network.

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.

He’s Leading D.C.’s Movement for Climate Action—and He’s a High School Senior

January 30, 2020 DispatchWashington, D.C.Karen L. Smith-Janssen

Jerome Foster II is the 17-year-old helming the Fridays for Future strike in Washington, D.C., the founder of the OneMillionOfUs movement to mobilize young voters, and the voice of a generation demanding climate action now.

These Prehistoric Fish Are Making a Slow Comeback in the Midwest

January 23, 2020 DispatchWisconsin, MichiganSusan Cosier

Conservationists, fishers, and fans of the iconic lake sturgeon have seen some success in their efforts to revive the population, including through hand-rearing and releasing the babies—and yes, spearing the big ones.

For a Rare Woodpecker in the Longleaf Pine Forest, It's a Hard-Knock Life

January 21, 2020 DispatchFlorida, EastRobynne Boyd

Conservationists have worked hard to help the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker recover, but say there’s still lots more to do. The government seems to disagree.

Farmers and Salmon Advocates Agree: It’s Time to Talk about the Snake River Dams

January 2, 2020 DispatchWashington, OregonJodi Helmer

What used to be an idea touted mainly by salmon fishers and environmentalists is bringing around some farmers who’ve long depended on barge shipping to get their crops to market.

Restoring the L.A. River for All Angelenos

December 26, 2019 DispatchLos AngelesJeff Turrentine

Advocates who have fought for years to bring back this beleaguered urban waterway are joining local communities of color to ensure that new development doesn’t equal displacement.

San Antonio Finds the Key to Flood Control in Its Gardens

December 23, 2019 DispatchSan Antonio, TexasAnne N. Connor

As climate change brings heavier rains, local officials and developers are managing the deluge of stormwater runoff with some low-tech—and pretty—solutions.

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.

Great Lakes Levels Are Rising—a Sign of Things to Come?

December 13, 2019 DispatchMidwestSusan Cosier

Stronger storms and harsher cold snaps could mean more dramatic ups and downs for lake levels in the future.

Charlotte Is on Its Way to Becoming a Modern Transit Hub

December 11, 2019 DispatchCharlotte, North CarolinaJodi Helmer

The North Carolina city knows that as it grows, its residents will need (and want) to get out of their cars and catch the nearest bus, train, or streetcar.

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 Story of a Normal Car Factory: Abandoned by Gas Guzzlers, Soon to Be Buzzing With Electric Vehicles

November 13, 2019 DispatchIllinoisSusan Cosier

In Normal, Illinois, green startup Rivian plans to produce 100,000 delivery vans for Amazon, along with hundreds of jobs.

Indiana Dunes Finally Gets Its Due, but Conservationists Are Clamoring for More

November 7, 2019 DispatchIndianaSusan Cosier

After a century of advocacy, the Hoosier State has a national park, and its immense popularity is making a case for more protected lakeshore.

Missoula, Montana, Proves That Tackling Car Culture Isn’t Just for Big-City Slickers

November 5, 2019 DispatchMontanaAlisa Opar

The streets are hardly choked with traffic, but this Northern Rockies locale sees plenty of other good reasons to get more of its commuters out from behind the wheel.

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.

Needing Water, Georgia Stirs Up a 200-Year-Old Dispute With Its Northern Neighbor

October 29, 2019 DispatchGeorgiaAustyn Gaffney

As droughts parch the Southeast, interstate squabbles heat up over the Tennessee River (and the Chattahoochee . . . and the Flint . . . and the Apalachicola).