News & Commentary

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?

The Disgrace of Scott Pruitt

October 27, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Muzzling scientists, scrubbing websites, attacking journalists: all in a shameful day’s work for our bought-and-paid-for EPA administrator. It’s time to stop him.

Dogs Are a Kiwi’s Best Friend (and Worst Enemy)

October 26, 2017 ExplainerInternationalJason Bittel

Nonnative wildlife and pets are running amok in New Zealand, but these canines are part of the solution.

The Anthropocene, as Muse

October 26, 2017 PerspectivesUnited StatesClara Chaisson

Humans are changing the earth at an unprecedented scale. Justin Brice Guariglia thinks today’s art needs to reflect that.

These Southern Cities Are Going 100 Percent Clean (Energy)

October 23, 2017 DispatchAtlanta, Georgia, Columbia, South Carolina, Orlando, St. Petersburg, FloridaRobynne Boyd

These efforts show the rest of the country that a citywide transition to a clean energy grid is a not an issue of if, but when.

In the Game of Extinction, It’s Good to Be Average

October 20, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

A new study finds that the world’s largest and smallest species are closest to the brink of oblivion.

Have a Climate Denier Over for Coffee?

October 20, 2017 ExplainerInternationalJeff Turrentine

A researcher explains the psychological foundation of climate skepticism—and offers a strategy for chipping away at it.

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.

After a Half-Century, Tigers May Return to Kazakhstan

October 13, 2017 Latest NewsInternational

How do you bring tigers back to a region after decades of extinction? First you rebuild their ecosystem.

How Fish Autopsies Help in the Fight Against the Invasive Asian Carp

October 11, 2017 DispatchIllinois, MidwestSusan Cosier

Dead fish tell many tales—but can they persuade authorities to strengthen Lake Michigan’s defenses against these ecological saboteurs?

The Dangers Our Big Storms Dredge Up

October 11, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Hurricanes like Harvey and Maria put those who live near toxic waste sites in double jeopardy.

"Sonic Sea" Documentary: The Harms of Ocean Noise

October 10, 2017 NRDC in ActionUnited States

Learn more about ocean noise by watching the powerful documentary Sonic Sea.

The Unassuming Crayfish—and Its Path of Devastation

October 5, 2017 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalJason Bittel

Do not underestimate the signal crayfish. It’s both a keystone species and a merciless invader of foreign streams.

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.

From Panthers to Sage Grouse, Oil and Gun Interests Have America’s Wildlife in Their Sights

September 29, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Lawmakers and federal agencies are rolling back protections for imperiled species and hoping we won’t notice―or won’t care.

What Is the Clean Power Plan?

September 29, 2017 ExplainerUnited States

In short, it’s the first-ever plan to curb carbon pollution from U.S. power plants. Here’s how it works and why it matters.

A Rescued Tiger Cub? Mating Mollusks? A Thieving Fox? One of These Images Could Bring Home the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award.

September 28, 2017 PerspectivesUnited StatesClara Chaisson

From playful animal behavior to pollution and poaching, these artists capture the state of nature in 2017.

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.

The Effort to Replant the “Amazon of the South”

September 25, 2017 DispatchGeorgia, Florida, AlabamaRobynne Boyd

These Southerners are bringing the longleaf pine forest back—with some love, seeds, fire, and snakes.

The “Sioux Chef” Shares His Roots (and the Midwest’s, Too)

September 22, 2017 DispatchMinneapolis, Minnesota, MidwestSusan Cosier

Sean Sherman wants to show the world another type of North American cuisine: indigenous food.