Other writing
April 13, 2022
Amid Hopes and Fears, a Plastics Boom in Appalachia Is On Hold
The rise of fracking in Appalachia has fed visions of turning the Ohio River Valley into a petrochemical and plastics hub. But overproduction of plastic, opposition to natural gas pipelines, and public concern about rampant plastic waste are upending those plans.
April 2021
Air pollution kills millions every year, like a ‘pandemic in slow motion’
COVER STORY: Dirty air is a plague on our health, causing 7 million deaths and many more preventable illnesses worldwide each year. But the solutions are clear.
February 22, 2022
How a dramatic win in plastic waste case may curb ocean pollution
A major citizen suit against a giant plastics company resulted in a huge payout and a commitment to do better. The case has set off ripples of change across an industry that often pollutes with impunity.
April 1, 2021
In Europe, a Backlash Is Growing Over Incinerating Garbage
For decades, Europe has poured millions of tons of its trash into incinerators each year, often under the green-sounding label “waste to energy.” Now climate concerns are prompting the EU to ease its embrace of incineration.
November 30, 2021
Inside a Ukrainian war zone, another fight rages— for clean air
The port city of Mariupol battles pollution from iron and steel plants decades out of date, but activists are making headway.
March 25, 2021
Europe’s plastics industry is about to boom. U.S. fracking is driving it.
Even as the European Union rolls out aggressive plans for reducing plastic waste, countries are importing cheap ethane gas to fuel their plastics industries.