News & Commentary

L.A. Takes a Fresh Look at Recycled Water

May 13, 2019 DispatchLos AngelesLauren Evans

Facing dwindling freshwater supplies, the city is ready to stop dumping millions of gallons into the Pacific—and to follow Orange County’s lead.

When Your Planet Calls 911

May 10, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

The systems that allow life on earth to exist are breaking down. We’re responsible. But we also have the power to turn things around.

How Do You ReGrow a Rainforest? Send in the Tapirs.

May 2, 2019 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

A new study shows that the Amazon’s largest land animals are exceptional at dispersing seeds.

Hawaii Stands Up for Its Sharks With Fishing Ban

April 24, 2019 DispatchHawaiiStarre Vartan

The Aloha State is on track to become the first in the nation to ban shark fishing outright, creating a critical safe harbor for these threatened animals.

In Hundreds of Vintage Postcards, Americana Meets the Apocalypse

April 23, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesPatrick Rogers

David Opdyke’s intricate panorama shows the country’s landscape ravaged by extractive industries and the politics of climate denial.

Dragonflies Make Epic Migrations, but Climate Change Could Foil Their Itineraries

April 18, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

The insects fly up to 1,500 miles over the course of three generations, and all of this activity seems to be governed by temperature.

A Heat Wave in Australia Killed 23,000 Spectacled Flying Foxes

April 10, 2019 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

The die-off—which wiped out a third of the population of these large and endangered fruit bats—is not normal, but it may become so.

There Are Thousands of Reasons to Love Flies. Chocolate Is Just One.

March 28, 2019 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

The world’s flies pollinate plants, manage waste, feed the masses, and deserve a little respect (and protection).

A Patchwork of Imagery Hints at the Hidden Complexity of the American Prairie

March 27, 2019 PerspectivesUnited StatesClara Chaisson

After years of documenting industrial landscapes, photographer Terry Evans returns to her first muse: North America’s grasslands.

Ohio Gains Ground on a Hidden Hazard: More Than a Century’s Worth of Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells

March 26, 2019 DispatchOhioAustyn Gaffney

Forgotten, derelict, and often leaky, these so-called orphan wells could number in the thousands.

A Journey Through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

March 22, 2019 DispatchArctic, AlaskaClara Chaisson

One of the world’s last pristine wild places is on the front lines of climate change—and threatened by fossil fuel development. These photos speak to why we must fight both.

Rue Mapp Wants Outdoor Enthusiasts to Look More Like the Rest of America

March 21, 2019 DispatchUnited StatesKaren L. Smith-Janssen

By helping African Americans connect with one another on the trail, the founder of the nonprofit Outdoor Afro is building a broader community in nature and changing the face of her field.

Montana’s Wildlife Needs Safer Crosswalks

March 13, 2019 DispatchMontanaLora Shinn

A push for more animal bridges and overpasses is aimed at reducing the number of collisions between vehicles and wildlife.

Monarch Butterflies Get a Head Start in the Schoolyard

March 12, 2019 NRDC in ActionGeorgiaCourtney Lindwall

NRDC joins with Monarch Watch to distribute free milkweed plants to schools across the country and turn students into butterfly gardeners.

These Insta-Famous Otters Are Disappearing Quickly

March 7, 2019 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Two struggling species don’t need “likes”; they need protection from the pet trade, poaching, and habitat loss. And they might just get it.

From Egyptian Tombs to Toxic Corn, There’s More to Environmental Art Than What You See

March 5, 2019 PerspectivesMainePatrick Rogers

A sweeping exhibition of 2,000 years of artworks at Bowdoin College in Maine challenges viewers to reconsider the relationship between art and nature.

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.

Orcas in Peril, Part I: An Ocean Empty of Food

February 28, 2019 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalPerrin Ireland

Southern Resident killer whales of the Salish Sea face many challenges, but the threat of death from starvation is especially dire. Thankfully, there's a solution—and we need to help make it happen.

The Fight to Save Plum Island

February 21, 2019 DispatchNew YorkNicole Greenfield

The federal government wants to sell off a wildlife-rich island in Long Island Sound to the highest bidder. No way, say advocates.

The Crazy Snake Worm Invasion You Haven’t Heard About

February 21, 2019 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

Earthworms may seem harmless, but they have the power to transform some of America’s forests—and not in a good way.