Vinyl Chloride, Revisited
In the wake of the derailment of a train in Ohio come renewed concerns about vinyl chloride and its use in industrial products.
Why Climate-Change Geoengineering Feels Wrong
The idea of altering the climate instead of tackling emissions in earnest inspires widespread angst. A philosopher considers why.
Why You’ll Never Get Lead Poisoning from a Pencil
Some of the greatest moments in international pencil history involve discoveries of a different mineral.
The Permanent Crisis of Infrastructure
Ever since it entered public consciousness in the 1980s, infrastructure has been synonymous with decline.
You’ll Never Believe Who Invented Curbside Recycling
Far from ushering in a zero-waste world, the switch from returnables to recycling provided cover for the creation of ever more packaging trash.
How to Clean Up After a Nuclear Disaster
Workers are still cleaning up after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant partial meltdown. There's a lot of contaminated material to contend with.
This Island Is Closed for Maintenance
The Faroe Islands owe their untouched nature to their remote location and stormy climate. And to a weekend closure.
The Woman Agrostologist Who Held the Earth Together
When government wouldn't fund female fieldwork, Agnes Chase pulled together her own resources.
Editors’ Picks 2018: Sustainability and the Environment
Wildfires in California, floods in Venice, robot-bees, and cows that mitigate climate change.
It’s the End of the World as We Know It. Is there Any Room for Optimism?
Climate scientists tend to be optimistic and have faith that humanity can engineer our way out of the climate change we’ve created.