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onEarth

The planet is our beat.

The Environment in 2019: Glass-Half-Full Version

It’s easy to get hung up on all the bad stuff that happened. But there was actually some good stuff, too!

Week 152: Houston, You Might Have a Problem With Your Air. But We Can’t Be Sure.

The Trump administration failed to monitor air pollution in the toxic aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Also: Trump is taking a chainsaw to our protections, and the EPA can’t count to 20.

One City’s Trash Is This Museum’s Treasure

A collection of 45,000 items gleaned from New Yorkers’ garbage sends a powerful message about our consumption habits.

Why the EPA Needs Another William Ruckelshaus (1932–2019)

The agency’s first administrator built the EPA from scratch—and established the nonpartisan, antipolluter culture that the Trump administration has all but abandoned.

Week 151: Flushing Conservation Down the Drain: Donald Trump’s Toilet Troubles

The president wants the EPA to fix his toilet, and an Interior official finds himself in deep doo-doo.

A New Deal for the Okapi, Africa’s “Unicorn”

How protecting the okapi could bring income, sanitation, health services, and security to a remote area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.