News & Commentary

The Biden Administration Protects Millions of Acres of Arctic Alaska

April 19, 2024 Latest NewsArctic, AlaskaJenny Shalant

The new Special Areas Rule in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska could boost biodiversity and empower Indigenous Peoples to defend the lands they’ve relied on for generations.

The Long, Long Battle for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

March 15, 2024 ExplainerAlaskaBrian Palmer, Nicole Greenfield

For decades, politicians have vacillated between protecting Alaska’s refuge as one of the last unspoiled places on earth and plundering it for oil.

The Particulars of PM 2.5

February 8, 2024 ExplainerNew Delhi, California, India, United States

Why particulate matter…matters.

Even One More Oil and Gas Lease Sale in the Gulf of Mexico Is Too Many

November 17, 2023 ExplainerUnited States, LouisianaCourtney Lindwall

An expansion of offshore drilling would lock the region into decades of fossil fuel extraction at the expense of the climate, coastal communities, and marine life.

Are My Denim Jeans Bad for the Environment?

August 27, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, ChinaCourtney Lindwall

Environmental reporter Tatiana Schlossberg, author of "Inconspicuous Consumption," says the American staple needs a 21st-century overhaul for the sake of our water, climate, and health.

Army Corps Releases a Slapdash Environmental Review of Alaska’s Pebble Mine

March 1, 2019 Latest NewsAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

But the proposed gold and copper mine’s catastrophic threats to the waterways, salmon, and people of Bristol Bay haven’t changed.

The Pesticide in Your Crisper Drawer

May 2, 2017 ExplainerUnited States, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

Shown to be toxic to kids, chlorpyrifos is nevertheless still being sprayed on crops across the country—and making its way into our bodies. So why has the EPA refused to ban it?

Could Grizzlies Make Good Neighbors?

February 13, 2017 ExplainerWashingtonJason Bittel

In Washington State, biologists and conservationists are working to open the wilderness (and people’s minds) to the Great Bear.

The Petcoke Problem: Where to Store the Risky Tar Sands Refining By-Product

November 1, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Canada, Chicago, Detroit, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Virginia

Petroleum coke, typically stored outdoors in big open piles, can blow right into nearby homes and cause serious health problems. Unsurprisingly, communities are fighting Big Oil to keep this noxious material out of their backyards.

A Smuggler’s Fridge Is No Place for the Weird and Wonderful Pangolin

September 21, 2016 ExplainerAfrica, ChinaJason Bittel

The world must crack down on the pangolin trade or risk losing these animals for good.

The Food That Once Saved Condors May Now Be Poisoning Them

August 19, 2016 Latest NewsCaliforniaJason Bittel

A new study finds that condors that dine on the bodies of marine mammals consume worrying levels of toxic chemicals such as DDT.

What We Learned from the BP Oil Disaster

April 20, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, LouisianaPatrick Rogers

The resulting loss to life, livelihoods, and the environment hasn't slowed offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But it should.

Flexibility Test

December 23, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, New JerseyElizabeth Royte

Plastic-pouch food packaging is showing up everywhere—except at recycling facilities.

Hotter = Drier

August 19, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaBrian Palmer

A new study shows how climate change is making the California drought worse.

Up (and Down) a Creek

August 11, 2015 Latest NewsColoradoClara Chaisson

Here’s what you need to know about the EPA spilling three million gallons of wastewater into a Colorado river.

Bathroom Bandits

April 13, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaKatherine Ellen Foley

Law-breaking urinals? California's water rules will force new fixtures to toe the water line.

Acid Attack

January 23, 2015 Latest NewsHawaiiJason Bittel

Invasive ants are harrying Hawaii’s native seabirds and causing horrifying deformities in their young.