environment

Why Companies’ Net-Zero Emissions Pledges Should Trigger Skepticism

Why Companies’ Net-Zero Emissions Pledges Should Trigger Skepticism

By Oliver Miltenberger and Matthew D. Potts Hundreds of companies, including major emitters like United Airlines, BP and Shell, have pledged to reduce their impact on climate change and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. These plans sound ambitious, but what does it actually take to reach net-zero and, more importantly, will it be enough […]

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    Global Sand Mining Is Destroying the Planet and Costing Lives

    Global Sand Mining Is Destroying the Planet and Costing Lives

    By Ajit Niranjan It makes up the concrete of our houses, the tarmac of our roads, the glass in our windows and the silicon chips in our phones. But sand, a building block of modern life that sits at the heart of a destructive and sometimes illegal industry, is in increasingly short supply — and […]

    How Gerrymandering Silences the Environmental Vote

    How Gerrymandering Silences the Environmental Vote

    By Jeremy Deaton This year, state legislatures will redraw the electoral map. The GOP controls most state legislatures, and they are expected to draw congressional districts to favor Republicans, which will make it easier for them to win a majority of seats in the House of Representatives, even if they fail to win the most […]

    Michael Regan Becomes First Black Man to Head EPA

    Michael Regan Becomes First Black Man to Head EPA

    The Senate on Wednesday voted 66 to 34 to confirm Biden-nominee Michael Regan as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), making him the first Black man to hold the position. Regan is one of several nominees that the Biden administration announced in December as part of a team to tackle the climate crisis. But […]

    New Pesticides Will Modify Insect Genes: What Could Go Wrong?

    New Pesticides Will Modify Insect Genes: What Could Go Wrong?

    By Kendra Klein Biden’s election has boosted hopes that scientific integrity will be restored in the federal government. To make good on that promise, the administration will need to take action to safeguard against the risks of an entirely new type of pesticide, one developed by genetic engineers rather than chemists. These pesticides will broadcast […]

    Biden Admin Advances First Major U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Project

    Biden Admin Advances First Major U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Project

    The first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the U.S. cleared a final hurdle on Monday when the Interior Department announced it has completed the Vineyard Wind project’s final environmental review. The .8 billion project, repeatedly delayed by the Trump administration, would be constructed a dozen miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and will consist […]

    The Case for Meal Kits: Environment’s Friend or Foe?

    The Case for Meal Kits: Environment’s Friend or Foe?

    The boom in the meal kit industry has never been more apparent than in the last 12 months. Meal delivery services are helping even the least talented cooks enjoy fresh, home-cooked meals and more and more companies are recognizing the value of this sector. The adoption rate of this fairly new industry has led to […]

    Ahead of UN COP26, Survey Finds International Support for Greater Environmental Protection

    Ahead of UN COP26, Survey Finds International Support for Greater Environmental Protection

    By Brett Wilkins An international survey conducted by the University of Cambridge and YouGov ahead of this November’s COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and published on Monday, found overwhelming support around the world for governments taking more robust action to protect the environment amid the worsening climate crisis. The pollsters surveyed 14,627 adults in […]