New York City, the beach street dumping barge, 1866

A History of Garbage

The history of garbage dumps is the history of America.
Welder-trainee Josie Lucille Owens plies her trade on the SS George Washington Carver at the Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, CA, 1943

Toxic Legacies of WWII: Pollution and Segregation

Wartime production led directly to environmental and social injustices, polluting land and bodies in ways that continue to shape public policy and race relations.
An infinity symbol in water

Destroying “Forever Chemicals” For Good

But will it make a difference for cleaning up pollution?
Pollution Rising from Factories in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Descubriendo pistas sobre la contaminación local con magnetismo

Un análisis químico de una área puede determinar cuánta contaminación hay en el aire. Pero hay un método mucho menos costoso que podría ayudar a las comunidades más pobres.
Pollution Rising from Factories in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Magnetism Can Reveal Levels of Local Air Pollution

A chemical analysis of an area can find out how much pollution is in the air. But there's a much less expensive method that could help poorer communities.
Firefighters monitor a controlled burn at Bouverie Preserve on May 30, 2017 in Glen Ellen, California

Smoke Pollution from Prescribed Burns vs. Wildfires

Government can regulate air quality. But some policies on smoke might be self-defeating.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deepwater_Horizon_offshore_drilling_unit_on_fire_2010.jpg

Where Did the Oil from the Deepwater Horizon Spill Go?

The public's focus eventually turned away from the 2010 disaster. Scientists, however, are still learning the scale of the devastation.
Vegetables cooking in a pan on a stove

What to Do about Indoor Air Pollution

Even for those stuck at home during the pandemic, quarantine can pose dangers to health. But it's not all dire!
Alpine Pennycress - Noccaea caerulescens

In Phytoremediation, Plants Extract Toxins from Soils

Researchers have a cheap, easy way for cleaning up oil spills: letting plants do the work. Why isn’t it used more often?
A gas flare from the Shell Chemical LP petroleum refinery illuminates the sky on August 21, 2019 in Norco, Louisiana

Environmental Racism and the Coronavirus Pandemic

COVID-19 is disproportionately deadly among people of color. Long-term environmental racism could be a major factor in this disparity.