Against Apocalypse
This approach to storytelling has its origins in what Michael Chabon has called the “utopian world” of the Bay Area and other metro regions along the Pacific coast. California was…
‘Everything is not going to be okay’: How to live with constant reminders that the Earth is in trouble
The anthropocene — whether it began with agriculture, the colonization of the West, the Industrial Revolution or the atomic bomb — was born of human ingenuity. That’s what empowered us…
Environmentally friendly birth control?
Which birth control is right for me... and the environment? Picking your uterus protector according to how good it is for the planet is a surprisingly complicated conundrum! Umbra helps…
In the Next Next World
Gillian Conoley discusses the devastation wrought by the October 2017 Northern California wildfires, the most destructive in the state’s history.
Republicans accused of obstructing satellite research into climate change
The Republican majority in the US Congress has been accused of deliberately obstructing research on global warming after it emerged that a critically important technique for investigating sea-ice cover at…
Hidden Danger of Ecological Collapse
A recent landmark study that investigated alarming loss of insects is leaving scientists dumbfounded, deeply troubled, potentially the biggest-ever existential threat, risking ecosystem collapse too soon for comfort. In contrast…
After Harvey, Houston residents will deal with mosquitoes, polluted water, mold, and disease.
As floodwaters peak and recede over the coming weeks, there will be lots of standing water for disease-transmitting mosquitoes to breed and multiply, the Atlantic reports. West Nile virus has…
The Mean, Green, Water-Cleaning Machine
The Algal Turf Scrubber (ATS) is one of the marine ecology field’s best-kept secrets. Invented by Smithsonian scientist Dr. Walter Adey in the 1980s, the ATS harvests algae from large…
The End of Sand
Yogita Limaye investigates concerns, highlighted in a United Nations study, that vitally important reserves of sand are running out, with serious consequences for human society and the planet. Nearly everything…
The End of Sand
Yogita Limaye investigates concerns, highlighted in a United Nations study, that vitally important reserves of sand are running out, with serious consequences for human society and the planet. Nearly everything…