News & Commentary

The Sordid Backstory Behind the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Decisions

March 9, 2018 Latest NewsUtahJeff Turrentine

A lawsuit forced Ryan Zinke’s Interior Department to disclose files relating to the shrinking of national monuments. It’s easy to see why he wanted them to stay hidden.

New Study Is First to Demonstrate That Biodiversity Inoculates Against Extinction

March 8, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

Researchers show why it’s crucial that we protect biodiversity at all costs.

A Tale of Two EPAs

March 2, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

To what lengths will Scott Pruitt go to undo the good work being done by his agency’s scientists, researchers, and staff?

An Existential Battle Over an Infinitesimal Snail

March 1, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

The first animal to be listed as extinct under the Trump administration may not actually be extinct.

6 Ways the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines Would Be Bad for Virginia

February 28, 2018 Latest NewsVirginiaCourtney Lindwall

A new report outlines exactly how the two proposed gas pipelines would threaten the state's waterways and reservoirs.

Judge Orders Trump Administration to Release Missing Keystone XL Records

February 26, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall

The ruling is encouraging news in the long-fought battle against the controversial tar sands pipeline.

To Save Cities, Invest in Mass Transit

February 23, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The Department of Transportation’s TIGER program helps communities thrive by funding innovative transportation projects. Congress shouldn’t let Trump do away with it.

Alaska's Previously Defeated Pebble Mine Project Has a New Investor

February 23, 2018 Latest NewsAlaskaCourtney Lindwall

The proposed mine, resurrected by EPA administrator Scott Pruitt last year, now has financial backing from Canada's First Quantum Minerals.

Borneo Has Lost Half of Its Orangutans in Recent Years—But There’s Still Hope

February 20, 2018 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

The author of a new study says the island’s primates could rebound if deforestation and hunting can be contained.

Why Nobody Likes Trump’s Infrastructure Plan

February 16, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

For starters: It would endanger the environment, imperil water systems and other public assets . . . and then make states pay extra for it all.

There Are a Bunch of New Primates on the Block, and They’re Already in Trouble

February 8, 2018 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

More than half of the world’s primate species are staring down extinction.

Senate Democrats Blast Zinke's Offshore Drilling Plan: "Like a Wish List for Oil Industry Execs"

February 7, 2018 Latest NewsCourtney Lindwall

Here are the highlights from yesterday's floor speeches.

The Military Takes Climate Change Seriously. Why Won’t the Commander-in-Chief?

February 2, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The White House is doing all it can to scrub any mention of global warming from government documents. But the Pentagon may end up pushing back.

The Emancipation of Manny-T, the Emaciated Manatee

February 1, 2018 Latest NewsFloridaJason Bittel

When an animal’s on the Endangered Species List, every life saved is a victory.

Could Peak Oil Demand Be Just a Dozen Years Away?

January 26, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Quantum leaps in electric vehicle technology are causing some analysts to revise their estimates of when we’ll no longer crave so much crude.

Striped Hyenas Don’t Have Magical Powers. But Their Disappearing Act Is for Real.

January 24, 2018 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

While the scavengers have a bad reputation in India and the Middle East, experts say striped hyenas are really rather gentle—not to mention good for the environment.

Zinke vs. Coastal Governors

January 16, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesCaroline Craig

These states don’t want any part of the Interior secretary’s scheme to drill in our oceans.

America Needs a Plastics Intervention. Now’s the Time.

January 12, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

China doesn’t want our plastic waste anymore. Instead of searching for another buyer, maybe some soul-searching is in order.

As Trump Moves to Expand Offshore Drilling, He Proposes Shrinking Safety Protections. What Could Go Wrong?

January 5, 2018 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Eight years after the BP disaster in the Gulf, the administration aims to relax the rules designed to prevent catastrophic explosions and spills.

The Polar Bear, Climate Change’s Poster Child, Ignites Controversy

December 22, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

Perhaps more than any other animal, polar bears are used to represent the dangers of climate change—as in a recent viral video. So why are deniers seizing on them too?