Observatory’s Areas
From Observatory
The Observatory explores many areas:
Explore our Environment collection:
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Regulatory loopholes allow more than 30 million pounds of a cancer-causing pesticide to be sprayed on U.S. crops.
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USDA, agriculture, environment, environmental health, farming, food, health, pesticide, public health |
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Not only does hydroelectric power fail to prevent catastrophic climate change, but it also renders countries more vulnerable to climate change while emitting significant amounts of methane, one of the worst greenhouse gases.
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energy, nature, rivers, human rights, renewable energy |
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Fossil fuel stakeholders have been seeking new revenue in the petrochemical industry in general, and plastics in particular.
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environment, ocean, plastic, waste |
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We can no longer rely on simple solutions like recycling to solve our plastic waste problem.
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environment, climate change |
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It’s time to rethink our broken and unfair family planning systems.
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children, environment, family planning, politics, population, sustainability |
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Here are five surprising ways to reconsider your backyard so it can promote native plants while also protecting wildlife.
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animal rights, environment |
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Using the same land for the production of both agriculture and solar energy is a win-win for the climate and farmers.
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environment, energy, agriculture, renewable energy, solar |
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We must find a better way to prevent land use from changing.
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air pollution, carbon, carbon dioxide, climate change, emissions, environment, environmental health, fossil fuels, global warming, greenhouse gas, health, pollution, public health |
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We all have a moral obligation to do the least possible harm to our planet, and that ethos has a name: veganics.
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environment, animal rights, biodiversity, farming, agriculture, vegan, sustainability |
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Smaller, more sustainable families would create massive long-term savings and catalyze sustainable development.
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environment, family planning, philosophy, politics, public health, sustainability, children |
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Massive industrial livestock financing sabotages major U.S. banks’ climate goals.
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agriculture, animal rights, animals, antimicrobial resistance, banking, banks, carbon dioxide, carbon farming, climate change, cows, deforestation, disease, emissions, environment, environmental health, finance, forests, global warming, human rights, indigenous, indigenous rights, labor, labor rights, livestock, pesticides, pollution, soil degradation, water pollution, wildlife, zoonotic disease |
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When it comes to maintaining energy flows, there is a closing window to avert both climate catastrophe and economic peril.
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climate change, economy, energy, environment, fossil fuel, gas, global warming, oil |
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It’s a harsh reality for the climate: What’s already been emitted must be sucked out of the air, too.
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environment, climate change, science, technology |
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How one North Dakota farmer saved his farm and livelihood using carbon-friendly farming methods.
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Carbon farming, agriculture, climate change, global warming |
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Higher carbon dioxide levels and warmer temperatures are causing plants to increase their pollen production.
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environment, health, botany, climate change |
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Despite industry rhetoric, hydropower is high-cost and high-risk. There are better options for a renewable energy future.
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environment, climate change, dam, rivers, activism, economy, indigenous resistance, human rights |
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Under the cover of greenwashing, global insurers are fueling climate change.
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The fate of intact forests is closely linked to that of Indigenous peoples.
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environment, indigenous, forest, deforestation, land, ecosystem, climate change, emissions, greenhouse gas, sustainability, farming, agriculture, stewardship |
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Decades of unjust land use decisions have deliberately shaped and harmed communities. But there are concrete actions you can take to make positive changes.
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environment, activism, climate, climate change, climate acti0n, local, local peace economy, book, community, climate resilience, ordinance, neighborhood, equity, justice, social justice, climate justice, policy, regulation, massachusetts, cambridge, louisville, kentucky, biking, public safety, public space |
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Preserving biodiversity is among the most urgent issues of our time, and it needs to be addressed regionally to succeed.
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environment, indigenous, sacred land, sacred site, biodiversity, animal rights, ecosystem, conservation, ecology, activism, wildlife, land, local |
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The eco-footprint of the wine industry is significant, and some wineries are taking steps to reduce their impact. For conscious consumers, it’s about knowing what to look for.
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environment, wine, food, sustainability, vegan, organic |
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Many nonprofits have accepted family planning policies that are harmful to women, children, and the environment.
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environment, family planning, nonprofit |
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Factory farming has devastating environmental impacts, but there are ways we can protect our vital resources.
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environment, animal rights, factory farms, cows, pigs, chickens, farming, CAFO, farm animals, water, pollution, water pollution, meat, industrial agriculture, agriculture |
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Commercial financial flows to the forest-risk commodity sectors are driving the majority of tropical deforestation.
By Laurel Sutherlin in Environment | Rainforest Action Network, Earth Food Life Project| Apr 24, 2024
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animal rights, banking, biodiversity, climate change, deforestation, economics, ecosystem, environment, finance, forests |
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Several EU nations have embraced biomass electricity, which speeds up carbon emissions, pollution and forest destruction.
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energy, environment, europe, renewable energy, biomass, deforestation, trees |
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Livestock waste can contain dangerous pathogens, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
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environment, animal rights, food, agriculture |
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A key to fighting climate change could be right under our feet.
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A few simple strategies for recipe curation can help newsgroups achieve their own climate goals.
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Food, activism, climate change, diet, europe, europe/united kingdom, health, media, newspapers, north america/united states of america, opinion, vegan |
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Harnessing the power of story may help us survive and thrive on a climate-altered planet.
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environment, climate change, fiction, books, reading, future, activism, literature, novels, writing, author, writers, dystopia, dystopian, cli-fi, climate fiction, narrative, history, storytelling |
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Unsustainable tourism threatens Africa’s wildlife and ecosystems, particularly in the Maasai Mara. The travel industry can help tourists contribute to the solution.
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environment, africa, travel, tourism, sustainable travel, sustainable tourism, safari, wildlife, conservation, africa/tanzania, tanzania, africa/kenya, kenya, giraffe, cheetah, livestock, elephant, wildebeest |
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States have powerful legal tools to counter federal environmental rollbacks, from enacting stronger local regulations to forming interstate coalitions that protect natural resources and public health.
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environment, environmental health, law, constitution, trump, donald trump, federal, states' rights, politics, regulation, epa, cooperative federalism, tenth amendment, ecosystem, public health |
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No version of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), part of the Clean Water Act, adequately protects the nation’s natural areas.
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environment, water, health, WOTUS, clean water, law, federal, clean water act, wetlands, mining, logging, deforestation, forests, trees |
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America’s highest court has limited the EPA’s authority to regulate power plant emissions.
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Supreme Court, climate change, environment, law, politics |
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Broken child welfare policies have undermined political systems and destroyed the planetary ecosystem.
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environment, family planning, sustainability, children, childrens' rights, human rights, civil rights, government, law, united nations, population, climate change, child welfare, self-determination, freedom, politics, greenwashing, families, reparations, development, economy, emissions, future, ecosystem, reproductive rights, women's rights, consumption, overconsumption, consumer, consumerism |
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Time-proven acequia irrigation systems already in use in New Mexico make it possible for people to thrive in arid regions.
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Water, agriculture, ancient, drought, environment, farming, irrigation, science, southwest |
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State lawmakers introduced nearly 2,900 bills based on ALEC templates from 2010 through 2018. More than 600 of them became law.
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Profit-driven urban development has disconnected us—particularly children—from the wilderness. The effects are unhealthy.
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environment, environmental health, children, kids, psychology, health care, mental health, book, book excerpt, urban, urban development, architecture, design, urban design, urban planning |
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Decades of toxic contamination at Camp Lejeune have left veterans, military families, and civilians with devastating health issues.
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environment, health, veteran, military, public health, PFAS, chemical, chemical exposure, law |
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The absence of clear and broad constitutional authority to protect the environment limits the scope of federal environmental law.
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Constitution, climate change, environment, law, legal |
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Unfair family planning regimes have stalled progress in the climate fight and prevent children from having a fair start in life.
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environment, birth equity, childrens' rights, animal rights, children, laws, united nations, human rights, politics, social justice, equality, economics, economy, geopolitics, climate change |
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Rich countries have exported climate breakdown through extractive industries, creating a “carbon colonialism.”
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environment, carbon, carbon dioxide, climate change, colonialism, geopolitics, human rights, natural resources, resource extraction, pollution, decolonization, export, raw materials, consumer goods, manufacturing |
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Chemists are manipulating carbon dioxide to make clothing, mattresses, shoes, and more.
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plastics, climate change, recycling, science, technology, united nations, asia/india, Europe/germany, europe/belgium, asia/china, north america/united states of america, opinion |
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We can empower children to be a part of the solution.
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climate change, children, education |
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Experts warn that continued world population growth will make things worse.
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environment, community, climate change, human rights |
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By focusing the climate fight on what we emit, not what we consume, we are destined to fail.
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As a rapidly warming world strains at the shortcomings in industrial farming, key lessons can be taken from Indigenous practices.
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Indigenous, agriculture, climate change, environment, farming |
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To prevent the worst climate scenarios, carbon emissions must be slashed to net-zero by 2050.
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environment, renewable energy, energy, climate change |
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Eating locally reduces your ecological footprint, but studies show what you eat may be even more important.
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climate change, environment, food, locavorism, science |
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Water pressures like droughts are intensifying due to global warming and population growth. Treating wastewater is a powerful solution, finally gaining more public support.
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environment, water, science |
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Millions of tons of palm oil are ‘missing’ from Big Food’s deforestation-free claims.
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environment, animal rights, palm oil, consumer brands, consumer goods, consumer, food, rainforest, forest, deforestation, animal feed, livestock, greenwashing |
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The U.S. beef industry is destroying the American Wild West and worsening the climate crisis.
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environment, animal rights, food, agriculture, sustainability |
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Middle school student activists write to their elected representatives to urge climate action.
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activism, children, climate change, education, environment, schools |
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Malawi’s farmers—mostly women—lost their land, livestock, and livelihoods after a storm. They are struggling to recover in a nation considered one of the world’s most affected by extreme weather events.
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environment, women's rights, human rights, agriculture, global warming, africa/malawi, malawi, africa, drought, storms, cyclone, extreme weather, weather, climate change, farming, water |
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We have a new major environmental problem on our hands.
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pollution, environment, pharmaceuticals |
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As the world burns—and as kids sound the alarm—the original environmental scientist is worth revisiting.
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biography, climate, climate change, environment, history, nature |
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The average American believes the false narrative that natural gas is a “clean fuel.”
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climate change, energy, environment |
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Plastic is in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. How does it get there—and what does it mean for human health?
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environment, plastic, public health, health, pollution, consumer, biology, science, environmental health |
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Renewable energy doesn’t matter if we can’t distribute it.
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economy, electric grid, electricity, energy, environment, infrastructure, north america/united states of america, renewable energy, solar, united states, wind |
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Most plastic is tossed after minutes of use, but its impact on wildlife and the environment can last for centuries.
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environment, climate, animal rights, animals, birds, marine, ocean, plastic, wildlife, pollution |
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Switching to organic products is an easy way to eat healthier and support the environment.
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environment, agriculture, carbon dioxide, carbon farming, farming, soil, climate change, carbon, farms, organic, organic farming |
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If it wasn’t shade-grown, your coffee most likely destroyed forest cover and wildlife habitat.
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environment, animal rights, biodiversity, agriculture, food, coffee |
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The industrialized food system is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, but it is not a major topic at climate talks.
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agriculture, animal rights, climate change, emissions, environment, food |
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Americans discard 100 billion plastic bags annually, the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil.
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plastic, environment |
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A nationally protected wildlife reserve in Indonesia is under attack by popular, big-name brands.
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environment, animal rights, indonesia, food, palm oil |
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Palm oil is found in 50 percent of all consumer goods. And it’s killing the environment.
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africa, agriculture, animal rights, climate change, consumer, environment, farming, food, forest, human rights, social justice |
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Plastic particles and chemicals pollute all of our bodies. But people living on the fencelines of the fossil fuel, plastic, and waste industries face even more life-threatening pollution.
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environment, health, plastic, pollution |
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The climate crisis is a form of oppression by a wealthy few.
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environment, overpopulation, family planning |
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Despite corporate commitments, deforestation rates remain high, and community land conflicts continue.
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agriculture, consumer brands, deforestation, environment, food, corporate social responsibility |
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Genetically engineered eucalyptus will worsen a bad situation in Brazil.
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GMO, brazil, community supported agriculture, environment, flora, genetic engineering, genetic modification, plants, politics, south america, trees, wildlife, human rights, indigenous, indigenous resistance, trade, climate change, economy, law, social justice, community, paper |
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Hydropower dams, initially celebrated as feats of engineering, are now scrutinized for their negative environmental and societal impacts.
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environment, dam, dam removal, ecosystem, wildlife, water, fish, indigenous rights, tribal, human rights, nature, nature rights, animal rights, hydropower |
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Investing in grid infrastructure would enable utilities to incorporate modern technology, making the grid more resilient and flexible.
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Biodiversity is plummeting, but restoring rivers could quickly reverse this disastrous trend.
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environment, climate change, animal rights, indigenous resistance, women's rights, social justice, south america, brazil, asia/china, asia/india, africa/tanzania, activism |
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More than a million Namibians lack adequate access to toilets, resulting in one of the world’s highest rates of open defecation.
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environment, water, africa, Namibia, public health, water safety, plumbing, sanitation, toilet, hygiene |
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We are the cause of the bumblebee decline—and the solution.
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environment, bees, insects, animal rights, pollinator, bumblebee, food science, climate change, global warming, biodiversity, nature, pesticides, agriculture, farming, flowers, botany, entomology |
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The destruction of nature might one day become a criminal offense adjudicated by the International Criminal Court.
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activism, environment, law, ecosystem, climate change, Paris agreement, animal rights, animals, wildlife |
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Managing solar radiation through technology is possible, but there are ethical and political concerns.
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environment, climate change, technology, politics, science |
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Modern sustainability evolved from forest management of the 18th century, and its ancient roots go back even further. Could it help with today’s climate crisis and lumber shortage?
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Asia, Canada, Central America, Climate Change, Economy, Egypt, Environment, Europe, Germany, History, India, Iraq, Italy, Mexico, Middle East, North America, Opinion, Science, Social Benefits, Syria, United States of America |
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Here’s a frightening peek into our climate-addled future.
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environment, environmental health, climate, climate change, climate disaster, ecosystems, ecosystem, extinction, carbon dioxide, emissions, global warming, wildlife, health, wildfire, sea level, pollution, public health, weather, extreme weather, disaster, storms |
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The “lungs of North America,” the Tongass National Forest is the Earth’s largest intact temperate rainforest. Protecting it means protecting the entire planet.
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environment, animal rights, forest, indigenous, wildlife, climate change |
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A genetically engineered chestnut tree may be the first to spread into forests, setting dangerous global precedents.
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agriculture, chestnut, environment, genetic engineering, genetic modification, science, tree |
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Progress is being undone by growth, especially as the climate crisis deepens.
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environment, climate change, population, overpopulation |
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Our food system is linked to an economic system fundamentally biased against what’s good for people and the planet.
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food, agriculture, environment, consumer goods, consumerism, farm bill, farming, agroecology, permaculture, local, economy |
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The carrot has followed armies, colonial explorers, and politicians to become one of the world’s most prized vegetables.
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agriculture, book, carrot, environment, food, food history, history, vegetable |
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It is clear that plastic is choking the planetary environment. What is less clear is the impact of plastic on human bodies.
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health, plastic, environment |
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If the internet were a country, it would be the sixth biggest user of electricity.
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environment, technology |
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Americans eat more meat per capita than any other country, even though meat consumption is linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
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Nuclear power has promise and peril, posing many challenging questions for environmentalists.
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Activism, Asia/China, Asia/India, Asia/Japan, Climate Change, Economy, Environment, Europe/Austria, Europe/Denmark, Europe/Finland, Europe/France, Europe/Germany, Europe/Hungary, Europe/Italy, Europe/Romania, Europe/Russia, Europe/Sweden, Europe/Switzerland, Europe/The Netherlands, Europe/Ukraine, Europe/United Kingdom, History, Middle East/Iran, Middle East/Israel, Middle East/Turkey, North America/Canada, North America/United States of America, Opinion, Politics, War, climate change, energy, nuclear |
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Electromagnetic radiation from Wi-Fi and cell towers may pose a “credible risk” to birds, mammals, insects, and even plants.
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5G, animal rights, cell phones, electromagnetic, emf, environment, health, technology, wildlife, wireless |
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Renewable energy isn’t replacing fossil fuel energy—it’s adding to it.
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climate change, energy, environment |
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Our existing water supplies could go further by turning wastewater into drinking water.
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environment, water |
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Leaving river protections to states doesn’t make sense when rivers cross state lines.
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clean, clean water, clean water act, conservation, ecosystem, environment, federal, health, indigenous, nature, north america/united states of america, polluter, pollution, protection, public health, regulations, river, stream, streams, supreme court, united states, united states of america, water, waterway, wetlands, wildlife |
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We must ensure ecocentric standards to reverse environmental and social injustices.
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environment, human rights, children, childrens' rights, child welfare, laws, united nations, wealth, nonprofit, sustainability, climate change, climate, climate justice, reparations, consumerism, democracy, politics, birth equity, equality, social justice |
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Protecting the Earth’s oceans is problematic when profit is the leading concern.
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environment, marine, blue economy, economy, economics, politics, world politics, climate change, ecosystem, oceans, water, overfishing, wildlife, resources, natural resources, resource extraction, seabed mining, mining, energy, transportation |
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Wall Street’s dirtiest secret is how fossil fuel expansion depends on Big Bank finance.
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banking, climate change, energy, environment, finance, fossil fuel, peace economy |
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Chemicals commonly found in consumer products have been proven to harm human health, yet they still remain legal stateside.
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environment, food, healthcare, science, activism, law, economy, opinion |
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Desert conditions could spread rapidly from groundwater depletion and plant destruction.
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environment, climate change, agriculture, water, biodiversity |
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Veganic agriculture is the food revolution for the modern world.
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environment, food, farming, agriculture, sustainability |
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A changing climate and population growth are fueling water-based conflicts across the African continent.
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africa, climate, climate change, conflict, drought, environment, food, global warming, public health, water, wildlife |
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Wet markets are perfect breeding grounds for pathogens that can jump from animals to humans.
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agriculture, animal rights, environment, food, health care |
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Marine heat waves are causing record-breaking ocean temperatures that kill animals and impact ocean-based industries.
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environment, climate change, marine, ocean, global warming, heat wave, marine heat wave, wildlife, sea, industrial agriculture |
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Endangered animals may get more attention from the public, but without plants, humans won’t survive.
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Hawaii, Endangered, biodiversity, botany, climate change, extinction |
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Radical societal transformation is inevitable; a plan could make a difference between catastrophe and progress.
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environment, renewable energy, energy, solar, wind, climate change, germany, power, electricity, Energiewende |
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The seven steps that could help build a social movement and ensure a sustainable future.
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environment, energy, renewable energy, climate change, economy, population, sustainable, sustainability, fossil fuel, energy transition, emissions, carbon dioxide, carbon farming, clean energy |
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Bioenergy companies are clear-cutting American forests to heat and electrify Europe. This broken system harms public health, the environment, and the climate.
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environment, energy, forests, deforestation |
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Major U.S. brands involved in the meat industry are causing enormous environmental destruction.
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food, meat, animal rights |
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The promise of AI is eclipsed by its perils, which include our own annihilation.
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artificial intelligence, environment, science, technology |
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Birth equity is essential for ecological security.
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environment, human rights, children, childrens' rights, equity, birth equity, development, climate change, democracy, society, family planning, government, citizen, anima, poverty, consumer, child welfare, animal protection, economy, women, reproductive rights, women's rights |
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COVID-19, SARS, and Ebola were transmitted to humans from wild animals living in tropical forests. Destroying their habitats is killing us.
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animal rights, environment, health |
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A city in the middle of the desert with less rainfall than any other in the nation was bound to have a water problem.
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environment, water |
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Less than 10 percent of the plastic used in the United States is recycled.
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environment, plastic, recycling |
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With more farmers today than at almost any point in history, humanity’s future will likely be agrarian. We must imagine that world into being.
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environment, agriculture, food, farming |
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Women are more supportive of pro-environmental policies, but they’re generally not in a position to make such decisions.
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environment, economy, science, women |
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Known by its brand name Roundup, glyphosate is a clear and present danger to human health.
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agriculture, environment, food soverignty, health, glyphosate, roundup, pesticide, public health, farming, monsanto, chemical |
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Cataclysmic wildfires have been increasing in intensity and frequency due to human-caused climate change.
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animal rights, animals, climate change, environment, science |
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The United Arab Emirates is destroying the biodiversity of a Yemeni archipelago.
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environment, geopolitics, middle east, biodiversity, animal rights, politics |
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A product of entrenched, historic racism, “sacrifice zones”—designed to site pollution hot spots within communities of color—are a frontline in a largely silent, often deadly, and steadily growing health crisis across the United States.
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