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Expert Blogs

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The South Needs the Clean Water Rule

DispatchSouth Carolina, GeorgiaRobynne Boyd
For drinking water, flood control, climate defense, habitat protection, fishing, swimming, and, of course, craft beer.

The Concrete Farmer

DispatchNew York CityMelissa Denchak
A farmer’s daughter turned marketing exec tries something in-between: community gardening—where the business of “knowing your audience” applies just as well.

Small Towns Fight Big Oil on the Hudson

DispatchNew YorkJenny Shalant
New Yorkers are resisting efforts to sextuple the number of anchorage grounds in the river and transform their backyard into a parking lot for oil barges.

The Moss That Saved Portland

DispatchPortland (Oregon), OregonBecca Cudmore
Roadside plants helped officials trace the source of a public health crisis and led to new standards for clean air in Oregon.

Fixing the Pane Point

DispatchUnited States, New YorkJordan Davidson
One woman’s mission to save songbirds from their greatest man-made threat: windows.

The South Is Keeping a Closer Eye on Coal Ash

DispatchSouth Carolina, North CarolinaRobynne Boyd
Thanks to concerned citizens, the coal industry is making progress on how it handles its combustion wastes, but the toxic slurry is still a threat to groundwater.

Before Flint, Before East Chicago, There Was Smeltertown

DispatchFlint, Indiana, Texas, NewarkLauren Villagran
After a 1970s CDC study showed that the mostly Mexican-American population of this Texas town had dangerously high blood lead levels, its buildings were demolished and its residents were booted.

Frog vs. Fish

DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar
How cutting-edge technology may save endangered amphibians from hungry trout in Yosemite’s alpine lakes.

The Great Oyster Crash

DispatchOregon, WestEric Scigliano
Ocean acidification hits the Pacific shellfish industry.

The Farmer Who Weeded Out Chemicals

DispatchCaliforniaLaura Fraser
Organic farmer Jim Cochran proves that growing nontoxic strawberries isn’t just possible, it’s profitable.