Environment

Written by: Geoffrey Holland "The Earth is what we all have in common."  Wendell Berry, American Cultural Critic Humanity, all of humanity, has arrived at a daunting point of reckoning. All of the world's people—all genders, ethnicities, and nationalities—are caught up in...

Written by: Kimberly White Before the concrete and container ships, when canoes were more common than cars, the New York Harbor was a pristine biodiverse estuary. Once one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, it overflowed with underground...

Written by: Izabella Teixeira and Janez Potocnik Biodiversity is declining faster than at any other time in history, with successive major reports highlighting the huge scale of nature loss. In fact, 1 million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction,...

Written by: David Elliott Mexico’s Cabo Pulmo is buzzing with sea life. Sharks, rays, sea turtles and humpback whales are just some of the species that rely on its vibrant coral reefs. It wasn’t always like this. In the 1990s, the...

Written by: Barbara Smith and Mark Brown Whether it’s exhaust fumes from cars or smoke from power plants, air pollution is an often invisible threat that is a leading cause of death worldwide. Breathing air laced with heavy metals, nitrogen oxides and...

Written by: Sheryl Lee Tian Tong Confining conservation efforts to only 30 percent of Earth’s land may render a fifth of mammals and a third of birds at high risk of extinction by 2030, according to a new study. If...

Written by: Paul W Thomas The conversion of forests to agricultural land is happening at a mind-boggling speed. Between 2015 and 2020, the rate of deforestation was estimated at around 10 million hectares every year. Compared to 2012, the UN’s Food and Agriculture...

Written by: Chris Armstrong The ocean is becoming ever more central to our economies. Around 80 percent of internationally traded goods are transported by sea, and even brief blockages cause panic in global markets. Fishing remains big business, but in the...

Written by: Matthew Savoca Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans has become a global environmental crisis. Many people have seen images that seem to capture it, such as beaches carpeted with plastic trash or a seahorse gripping a cotton swab with its tail. As a scientist researching marine...

Written by: Kimberly White New York City has officially begun enforcing its ban on styrofoam after a 6-month warning period. Businesses were given until the end of 2018 to find recyclable or compostable alternatives. The ban prohibits stores and food-service...