Environment

Written by: Malaka Rodrigo Kelanimulla is one of the last remaining wetlands in Sri Lanka’s western district of Colombo, and is a refuge for urban wildlife, including the elusive fishing cat. The wetland absorbs runoff from the Kelani River, playing a key role...

Written by: Katherine Kornei Agriculture is hard on the planet, at least in the stereotypical caricature of “big ag”: Crops are propelled to maturity with a plethora of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides—the runoff of which pollutes waterways and triggers harmful algal...

Written by: Graham J. C. Underwood I drafted this while looking north over the frozen Lincoln Sea, at the northernmost tip of Ellesmere Island in Canada. I was at Alert, a Canadian Forces Station which, at 82°N, is the...

Written by: Gabriel Cardoso Carrero, Cynthia S. Simmons, and Robert T. Walker Imagine that several state legislators decide that Yellowstone National Park is too big. Also imagine that, working with federal politicians, they change the law to downsize the park...

Written by: Kimberly White This story was originally published on May 11, 2019 and has been updated and republished in honor of Wildfire Awareness Month. The Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign was launched in 1944 and is the longest-running public service...

Written by: Kimberly White The Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign was launched in 1944 and is the longest-running public service campaign in U.S. history. Smokey Bear has been protecting the forest community and teaching Americans wildfire prevention for generations with...

Written by: Kimberly White Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, and Paraguay have joined the battle against marine plastic pollution this week at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi, Kenya. The three nations joined the UN Environment Programme’s...

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: Maxwell Radwin An Indigenous community in Ecuador has finally obtained national protections for part of its territory after decades of fighting off deforestation and pollution in its mega-diverse rainforests. Ecuador’s National System of Protected Areas now includes the 5,497-hectare...

Written by: Kimberly White The Government of Nepal announced that the country’s wild tiger population has nearly doubled since 2009. Nepal estimates 235 wild tigers are roaming the country today compared to 198 in 2013 and 121 in 2009.  At this rate, Nepal...