News & Commentary

As Demand Grows for Electric Cars, So Does the Market for Green Jobs in the EV Industry

February 15, 2024 ExplainerUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Analysts expect openings for all types of electric vehicle jobs to expand over the next decade, with new opportunities across the country.

Mercury’s Journey from Coal-Burning Power Plants to Your Plate

May 2, 2023 ExplainerUnited StatesSusan Cosier

The EPA wants to lower people’s exposure to this potent neurotoxin by going after the pollutant’s biggest source. 

Mining for Limestone on Chicago’s Southeast Side? Residents Gear Up for a Fight (Again).

February 17, 2023 DispatchIllinois, ChicagoSusan Cosier

A proposal to build an underground facility on a contaminated lot is yet another reason the city needs to address the cumulative impacts of industry on communities.

Midwest Heat Waves May Cook Crops—and Fry Harvests

September 12, 2022 DispatchMidwestSusan Cosier

Climate change–induced temperature extremes could wilt corn and soybean yields, potentially causing ripples to food supplies across the world.

The Biden Administration Cancels Its Offshore Drilling Plan for Alaska’s Cook Inlet—Let’s Keep It Off the Books

May 13, 2022 DispatchAlaskaSusan Cosier

The lease sale would have endangered Indigenous communities, threatened rare whales, added to the Far North’s climate crisis, and gambled with a 20 percent chance for a large oil spill.

For Thousands of Years, Indigenous Tribes Have Been Planting for the Future

November 30, 2021 DispatchIowa, Canada, Pennsylvania, OklahomaSusan Cosier

With yields of biodiversity and a more climate-resilient food supply, a movement is sprouting in BIPOC communities across North America to save heirloom seeds and preserve culture.

The Electric Car Revolution Shouldn’t Leave Anyone Behind

May 27, 2021 DispatchUnited States, Missouri, St. LouisSusan Cosier

A new program in St. Louis, Missouri, is bringing EVs and charging stations to low-income neighborhoods—and turning senior and disabled residents into early adopters, one ride at a time.

Fighting Inequity with Solar Power

March 30, 2021 DispatchMinneapolis, St. PaulSusan Cosier

Minneapolis’s 4d program to boost energy efficiency and affordable housing in the city is kicking it up a notch.

A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields

February 2, 2021 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Scientists are showing that we are sending tons of tiny plastic particles into our soils each year, potentially affecting crops and our health.

The Big Muddy River’s Long, Turbulent Relationship with Coal

August 14, 2020 DispatchIllinoisSusan Cosier

As a proposal threatens to dump mining waste into a Mississippi River tributary, an Illinois community reassesses its coal industry ties.

Expand the DAPL? Only Illinois Stands in the Way

May 5, 2020 DispatchIllinois, North Dakota, South DakotaSusan Cosier

Environmental advocates are fighting a proposal to double the amount of crude oil flowing through the pipeline.

Can a New Tax on Uber and Lyft Rides in Chicago Change Commuting Habits?

February 12, 2020 DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier

A surcharge on trips taken with ride-hailing services could reduce traffic, cut emissions, and help fund much-needed public transit improvements on the South and West Sides of the city.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

America’s Dairyland May Have a PFAS Problem

October 11, 2019 DispatchMidwest, Wisconsin, MaineSusan Cosier

The toxic chemicals have been showing up in milk around the country, prompting midwestern farmers to take a closer look at their land.

The Ohio River Defines the Borders of Five States—But Its Pollution Doesn’t Stop at State Lines

August 21, 2019 DispatchPennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, IllinoisSusan Cosier

In a move that could open the door to industrial waste and interstate squabbles, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission is making its water quality standards voluntary.