News & Commentary

Come On Under the Grizzly’s Umbrella

June 10, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesJason Bittel

Protecting umbrella species can help conservationists get the most bang for their bucks.

To Save Orcas, First Save Salmon

May 26, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Southern Resident orcas face many threats in the Northwest, but giving them more salmon could remedy most of them.

What We Learned from the BP Oil Disaster

April 20, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, LouisianaPatrick Rogers

The resulting loss to life, livelihoods, and the environment hasn't slowed offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. But it should.

Poachers Abuse an International-Law Loophole to Sell Some of the Rarest Animals on Earth

March 28, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalJason Bittel

How can you tell the difference between a captive-bred turtle and a wild-caught one? (You can’t.)

Biospheres: What Are They?

March 18, 2016 ExplainerInternational, United StatesStarre Vartan

You may have never heard of them, but there are hundreds around the world. Find out what makes this specific type of reserve so special.

The Rise and Fall of Diesel

March 15, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Clean diesel is an object lesson on "too good to be true." Any kind of diesel exhaust is truly terrible—both for the environment and for our health.

2,4-D: The Most Dangerous Pesticide You've Never Heard Of

March 15, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesDanielle Sedbrook

This toxic herbicide comes with known health risks, but it’s still being used on crops, in parks, and maybe even in your own backyard.

Disaster in the Gulf

March 14, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesNicole Greenfield

Years later, not much has changed—including the impulse to drill.

Is Water a Human Right?

March 3, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, New York, Jackson, Michigan, Mississippi, InternationalBrian Palmer

A look at what U.S. and international laws have to say about our right to clean drinking water.

EJ: Getting Us (All of Us) to Environmentalism 4.0

March 2, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Michigan, ChicagoBrian Palmer

“Environmental justice” isn’t only about what is put in whose backyard—it’s the future of the environmental movement.

Lead by the Numbers

February 18, 2016 ExplainerFlint, Michigan, United StatesNicole Greenfield

This Harper’s-inspired index on lead puts the Flint Water Crisis into new perspective.

Go Easy on the Salt

February 11, 2016 ExplainerFlint, Michigan, United StatesBrian Palmer

But it’s still worth asking why Flint River water is so corrosive in the first place. What made the water so efficient at stripping lead from service pipes?

Cooling India Without Making a Hot Mess

January 19, 2016 ExplainerIndia, InternationalVaishnavi Chanrashekhar

As the country's economy improves—and temperatures rise—tens of millions of people are installing air conditioners. That spells trouble for climate change.

The Public Transit Paradox

January 19, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Gas is crazy cheap. Car sales are through the roof. So why isn’t taxpayer support for mass transit tanking?

Mo Methane, Mo Problems

January 14, 2016 ExplainerUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

When it comes to harmful greenhouse gases, methane’s some pretty potent stuff. Here’s why.

How California Will Weather Drought

January 5, 2016 ExplainerCalifornia, United States, West

Researchers outline four key actions the Golden State must take to ensure there's enough water to go around.

Polar Bears’ Other Threat

December 31, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, CanadaAlexandra Zissu

It’s not just climate change that’s killing this iconic endangered species. Hunting is on the rise, too.

How the West Can Be Won

December 31, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, WestVirginia Sole-Smith

Protecting these nine species will help save the region's iconic sagebrush prairies, grasslands, and mountains.

Shell and High Water

December 31, 2015 ExplainerClara Chaisson

Five reasons drilling in the Arctic is a bad idea.

Flexibility Test

December 23, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, New JerseyElizabeth Royte

Plastic-pouch food packaging is showing up everywhere—except at recycling facilities.