Reading “The Book of Nature”
Beginning in the Middle Ages, the natural world was viewed as a Christian parable, helping humans to give divine meaning to plants, animals, and the heavens.
Cochabamba People’s Agreement: Annotated
In April 2010, representatives from 140 countries gathered in Bolivia to outline an explicitly anti-capitalist, decolonial agenda for the sake of the planet.
The League of Women Voters Takes On the Environment
Having won the right to vote, some suffragists moved on to fight water pollution and protect the environment.
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.