News & Commentary

Lord of the Tree Rings

February 18, 2015 Latest NewsWestAlisa Opar

Benjamin Cook looks at ancient trees to forecast future droughts. His latest findings are not good news for the West.

Off the Rails

February 17, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Oil trains keep jumping the tracks, setting towns ablaze, and contaminating water supplies. Here’s why.

The Glow Man and the Sea

February 11, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesAlisa Opar

This summer John Sparks will don a 530-pound suit and plunge 1,000 feet into the Atlantic—all to find some Day-Glo fish.

Drill, Maybe, Drill

January 27, 2015 Latest NewsEastBrian Palmer

President Obama just proposed opening the East Coast to offshore drilling. This is a terrible idea.

Climate Gets a Seat

January 20, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesClara Chaisson

Scientist and clean air advocate Nicole Hernandez Hammer will be a guest at tonight’s State of the Union.

Coal Miner's Slaughter

January 6, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Living in a coal town is hazardous to your health.

Two Steps Forward…

December 22, 2014 Latest NewsWestAlisa Opar

A major bill passed by Congress last week included good news for conservation in the West—and some serious setbacks.

Stop Polluting Our Water, Ash Holes!

December 19, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

The EPA has finally set standards for hazardous coal ash pits. Too bad they’re not good enough.

Whatever the Light Touches

December 18, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Rooftop solar installations and huge solar farms are both booming.

Spitting into the Wind

December 17, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Property owners fight wind farms, but the numbers are in: They have no effect on property values.

Save the Ringed Seal, Save the Planet?

December 11, 2014 Latest NewsArcticJason Bittel

The government proposes the biggest critical-habitat designation ever to protect ringed seals from Big Oil and climate change.

Knocking the Wind Out of an Industry

December 10, 2014 Latest NewsUnited States

By failing to renew the wind-production tax credit, Congress is killing fledgling wind farms.

The First Step Is Admitting You Have a Problem

December 5, 2014 Latest NewsUnited States

The EPA won’t acknowledge nutrient pollution from farms and sewage, because then it would have to do something about it.

Under the Sea

December 3, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Vast fuel reserves and mineral resources lie in the ocean depths. But so does a world we could destroy before ever understanding it.

Is the Endangered Species Act…Endangered?

November 20, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A conservative federal judge launches an attack on environmental regulation.

Hey GOP, Let’s Get Wild

November 20, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesAlisa Opar

Despite the Republican swing, the next Congress might actually protect some wilderness. ’Bout time.

Say Hello to Your Next National Monument

November 20, 2014 Latest NewsChicago, United StatesSusan Cosier

It’s a neighborhood in Chicago.

Bringing Sea Turtles Out of their Shells

November 19, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

Four hundred miles from the ocean, rehabilitators are working to save the species.

Slipping Through the Cracks

November 7, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

We’re losing billions of gallons of fresh, clean water thanks to leaky pipes.

Five Ways the GOP-Led Congress Plans to Attack the Environment

November 5, 2014 Latest NewsUnited StatesThe Editors