News & Commentary

In California, a Rallying Cry Against Offshore Oil

May 14, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

As Californians protest the Trump administration’s intent to expand drilling off the Pacific coast, some city and state officials consider new legislation to block it.

The Impact a Wisconsin LCD Plant May Have on the Great Lakes Is Not Crystal Clear

April 23, 2018 DispatchWisconsinSusan Cosier

We know Foxconn wants to take water from Lake Michigan, but what might it leave behind?

Wyoming Might Make It Legal to Hunt Yellowstone’s Struggling Grizzlies

April 16, 2018 DispatchWyomingLora Shinn

The state is considering a proposal to allow trophy hunters to bait and kill grizzly bears near Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

Could Our Farms Become the World’s Great Untapped Carbon Sink?

January 26, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaJohn J. Berger

Carbon farming, an agricultural movement taking root in Northern California, aims to improve the soil and help stabilize the climate.

Something Fishy: The Trouble with Atlantic Salmon in the Pacific Northwest

January 3, 2018 DispatchWestLora Shinn

Fish farms boost the risks of sea lice infestations, chemicals in the water, and accidental spills that leave native fish floundering.

Buy Cleaning Products? A New Law Has Your Back

November 27, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

Manufacturers will soon have to disclose what’s in the bottle—including toxic chemicals long omitted from packaging labels.

Wyoming’s Anti-Science Laws Get a Second Look

October 30, 2017 DispatchWyomingAlisa Opar

How far will the state go to push back against citizens who want to know what’s in their water and air?

An Environmental Justice Advocate’s L.A. Story

October 17, 2017 DispatchLos AngelesCarmen Cusido

Dr. Michael Anthony Mendez on the subject of his new book, Climate Change from the Streets, and the readiness of Latinos to act on climate and justice.

Resolving a Real-Life Rivalry Between Bears and Honeybees

October 4, 2017 DispatchMontanaCorey Binns

When hungry bears and Montana’s honey industry collide, apiarists and conservationists come together to avoid a sticky situation.

Killing Coyotes with Cyanide? There Must Be a Better Way.

September 25, 2017 DispatchMontana, WestAlisa Opar

Nonlethal methods to protect livestock from predators are gaining momentum as pressure mounts to ban poison-spray traps.

All Hands In to Repair Seattle’s Polluted Duwamish River

September 5, 2017 DispatchSeattle, WashingtonLora Shinn

Local groups and government agencies are working together to remediate this Superfund site in the city’s midst, despite diminishing support from the EPA.

Farms on the Fringe: New Takes on America’s Farming Tradition

August 1, 2017 DispatchCalifornia, Colorado, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, New MexicoTracie McMillan

These six farmers have found innovative ways to grow plants in today’s climate, whether in corn country or coal country, with fish tanks or smartphones.

The California Case of an Antique Ivory Collector v. African Elephants

July 31, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

So far, the state isn’t bowing to the demands of one man who is trying to dismantle its ivory ban.

Floating Solar Farms Catch on in California

July 5, 2017 DispatchCalifornia, San DiegoCorey Binns

Sonoma and San Diego test the waters for a new source of renewable energy.

A Force for Nature, and for New Mexico

June 23, 2017 DispatchNew MexicoLora Shinn

Half a century later, a parent of the environmental justice movement is still standing up for low-income communities in the Southwest.

Whittling Away at Energy Waste in Nevada

June 20, 2017 DispatchNevadaElizabeth Svoboda

State lawmakers commit to a sustainable course with an ambitious new energy efficiency bill.

Farming for the Birds in California’s Central Valley

May 15, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaBecca Cudmore

The land of endless vegetable rows and fruit groves is also one of our most important flyways. The birds could use some tending, too.

Holding the Line Against Trump in the Golden State

March 30, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaElizabeth Svoboda

With a new series of bills, California promises to protect the environment no matter what happens on the federal level.

The Job Market Is Spinning for Colorado’s New Wind Workforce

March 21, 2017 DispatchColoradoLora Shinn

A bevy of Colorado colleges are helping the young (and not so young) to learn new trades that will help fuel the state’s wind energy revolution.

The Moss That Saved Portland

February 28, 2017 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.