Mt. Ontake spews volcanic ash on September 28, 2014 in Otaki, Japan

After the Volcano Erupts

The catastrophic eruption of Japan’s Ontake-san allowed residents to reconsider and reinvent their relationships to the mountainous landscape.
From The Mountains of California, by John Muir (New York: The Century, 1898)

Plant of the Month: White Sage

An important part of Indigenous spirituality and identity, the aromatic evergreen shrub is being threatened by poachers and over-commercialization.
A North American Beaver - Castor Canadensis - sitting in the grass grooming itself

Beaver Politics in Oregon

Reintroduction of the beaver may help mitigate the effects of climate change, but the obstacles between these toothy rodents and their ponds are many.
An amazing looking super cell storm cloud forming on the east coast of Queensland, Australia.

Ecosystems and Extreme Weather Events

Cyclones, droughts, and other severe climate events produce a variety of ecological responses, some of them irreversible.
A computer-generated image of the Project CyberSyn operations room

The Chilean Wide Web?

Salvador Allende’s attempt to network the national economy mirrored his government’s struggle to balance centralization and decentralization.
Das Vogelkonzert (The Bird Concert) by Jan Brueghel the Younger, c. 1640-1645

Every Good Bird Does Fine

Is birdsong music, speech, or something else altogether? The question has raged for millennia, drawing in everyone from St. Augustine to Virginia Woolf.
Plants and saplings growing in a previously logged area of a foggy forest in the Cascade Range of Oregon.

Reforestation: It’s A Trade-Off

While reforestation may help address the climate crisis, implementation requires long-term flexibility, careful listening, and an ability to compromise.
Vials of Smallpox vaccinations alongside the medical tools to administer the vaccine

How the US Handled Its First Mpox Outbreak

Can the CDC and other health organizations apply the lessons learned in 2003?
An electric car charges at a mall parking lot on June 27, 2022 in Corte Madera, California.

How Much Does It Cost to Reduce Carbon Emissions?

Analyses including both static and dynamic costs can help us make better decisions while developing technologies to address climate change.
A 19th century advertisement for tomato seeds

Tomatoes as Medicine

Tomatoes, once believed by Americans to be poisonous, became an unquestioned staple of a healthy diet thanks to doctors and popular cookbooks.