Sustainability

Our best advice for how to live in a climate-changing world.

Latest in Sustainability

Smoke stacks at coal burning power plant
Environment

Hawaii’s only coal plant will shut down for good in September

By Laura Baisas

George Washington Bridge traffic going into Manhattan in the daytime when congestion pricing will apply
Environment

Why congestion pricing reduces traffic better than new highway lanes

By Thor Benson

High Line elevated walkway and forest in Manhattan, New York City
Environment

4 ways the Inflation Reduction Act invests in healthier forests and greener cities

By Miyo McGinn

Older couple sitting on bench in Miami.
Environment

By 2050, most of the US will be blanketed by extreme heat belt

By Laura Baisas

Air conditioning units on orange wall.
Environment

What do AC limits mean for a heatwave-stricken Europe?

By Thor Benson

Kids with long frizzy brown hair birdwatching with binoculars from a duck blind
Environment

How to become a citizen scientist—and when to leave it to the professionals

By Bridget Reed Morawski

Everything you need to know about EV tax credits and the Inflation Reduction Act
Technology

Everything you need to know about EV tax credits and the Inflation Reduction Act

By Rob Verger

Wind turbines on hill.
Environment

The Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS could kick US climate policy back into action

By Thor Benson

Future LEDs could be made with fish scales
Environment

Future LEDs could be made with fish scales

By Dan Bracaglia / Popular Photography

House with solar panels on roof.
Environment

How can electrified buildings handle energy peaks?

By Carla Delgado

Power lines against sunset.
Environment

In Texas, a strained grid braces for more crypto mining

By Thor Benson

Flooded buildings and cars in neighborhood.
Environment

Disaster prep can save lives, but isn’t as accessible to those most at risk

By Carla Delgado

Henry Ford article How Power Will Set Men Free
Environment

Why hasn’t Henry Ford’s ideal power grid become a reality?

By Bill Gourgey

Oak Fire satellite image
Environment

A hellish combination of topography, weather, and fuel stirred the Oak Fire

By Sara Kiley Watson

Woman shopping for fruit in grocery store.
Environment

The case for paying carbon taxes on unsustainable food

By Carla Delgado

Poster at protest reading "stop coal now."
Environment

Federal climate policy is still possible—if Biden takes action

By Thor Benson

red panda sleeping on branch
Environment

We don’t have a full picture of the planet’s shrinking biodiversity. Here’s why.

By Sara Kiley Watson

Yellow sun and clouds
Environment

A historic heatwave is rippling through Europe

By Sara Kiley Watson

Girl riding someone's shoulders during climate protest.
Environment

The biggest tool we have to fight climate anxiety is community

By Thor Benson

Cow eating hay at farm.
Environment

We’re one key step closer to buying lab-grown burgers

By Sara Kiley Watson

French fries and food menus on dining table.
Environment

Should restaurants put carbon footprint labels on their menus?

By Carla Delgado

Caribou peeking over horizon
Environment

Climate change is forcing massive wildlife migrations towards the poles

By Benjamin von Brackel

Forest with mountain and sunset in background.
Environment

Why you can’t put a price on biodiversity

By Sara Kiley Watson

Trees grow with power plant pollution in the background.
Environment

The EPA needs to retool its fight against climate pollution. Here’s how.

By Thor Benson

KLM airplane taking off of runway.
Environment

Greenwashing lawsuit against Dutch airline is the first of its kind

By Sara Kiley Watson

Woman listening to phone outdoors under tree
Environment

The surprising link between lively music and sustainable shopping

By Carla Delgado

Field of pearl millet grain crops
Environment

Pee makes for great fertilizer. But is it safe?

By Thor Benson

Soil with small green plants.
Environment

Diverse microbes are key to healthy soil. Climate change is threatening that.

By Carla Delgado

Emissions from plant and ship streaming into the air.
Environment

The Supreme Court’s EPA ruling may spell doom for US climate goals

By Sara Kiley Watson, Philip Kiefer

Compostable plastic cups found in garbage.
Environment

Single-use plastic is on its way out of national parks. But why is the pace so glacial?

By Bridget Reed Morawski

Person in brown sweater with a white apron frying something on a gas stove that's leaking methane
Environment

Gas appliances could be leaking up to 21 hazardous pollutants in your home

By Sara Kiley Watson

Boat leaving cruise ship on the ocean.
Environment

Care about the planet? Skip the cruise, for now.

By Thor Benson

Farmer holding freshly harvested carrots.
Environment

The EU’s plan to halve pesticide use is ambitious, but realistic

By Sara Kiley Watson

Three jugs of milk on sidewalk.
Environment

Heat stress might curdle the dairy industry

By Carla Delgado

Vegetables on grocery produce shelf.
Environment

Transportation makes up a fifth of all food system carbon emissions

By Sara Kiley Watson

Coal mining operation with vehicles.
Environment

Why China just can’t seem to quit coal

By Thor Benson

Water glasses being filled.
Environment

The right kind of filter can keep microplastics out of drinking water

By Carla Delgado

Microplastic pellets on the beach.
Environment

Horrific blobs of ‘plastitar’ are gunking up Atlantic beaches

By Sara Kiley Watson

Blocks of concrete on shovel.
Environment

Green cement could change the construction game—but will builders actually use it?

By Maria Parazo Rose

Offshore wind turbine against cloudy sky
Environment

Offshore wind has been slow to take off in the US. Here’s what could change that.

By Thor Benson

Fabric carbon filter
Environment

A protein-filled cotton sheet can filter carbon emissions

By Sara Kiley Watson

Tidal turbine against cloudy sky.
Environment

Tidal turbines put a new spin on the power of the ocean

By Sara Kiley Watson

Smokestack with a cloud of CO2 emissions that are bad for climate change over a coast during a sunset
Environment

There’s more carbon dioxide in the air than ever before in human history

By Sara Kiley Watson

Vintage VW bug parked on the street.
Environment

Love classic cars? Now you can get a ’50s whip turned into an EV.

By Thor Benson

A pantry full of many canned and preserved fruits and vegetables.
DIY

Expert tips for growing food in all four seasons

By Alice Waters

Hands of a couple wearing engagement and wedding rings.
Environment

From labs to lookalikes: what you need to know about ‘sustainable’ diamonds

By Sara Kiley Watson

Children standing by school bus
Environment

Biden’s infrastructure bill is funding the switch to electric school buses

By Carla Delgado

Rise Gardens brand indoor hydroponic garden
Environment

Try your hand at sustainable gardening with at-home hydroponics

By Bridget Reed Morawski

What these flowers can teach us about adapting to a human-altered world
Environment

What these flowers can teach us about adapting to a human-altered world

By Robert I Colautti / The Conversation

A photo of steelmaking.
Environment

Steelmaking is a major source of emissions. These companies are racing to fix it.

By Marcello Rossi / Undark

Surgical tools on blue backdrop.
Environment

Can we decarbonize surgical healthcare?

By Carla Delgado

four orange candles are in a row with a black background
Environment

How to use candles and incense sustainably

By Ella Weaver

Grass field with homes and wind turbines in the background.
Environment

Why ‘rooftop wind’ simply can’t compete with rooftop solar

By Thor Benson

Glen Canyon dam and Arizona bridge.
Environment

Lake Powell’s drought is part of a growing threat to hydropower everywhere

By Sara Kiley Watson

A woman in hiking attire and a large backpack standing on a cliff in a mountain range.
DIY

Smart tips for travelers looking for a sustainable getaway

By Alisha McDarris

Gas meters on brick wall.
Environment

The EU is struggling to phase out Russian oil and gas

By Thor Benson

A SanDisk USB drive on top of an e-reader.
DIY

4 smart reasons to keep an old USB drive around

By David Nield

Lightbulbs hanging in restaurant.
Environment

How bad are incandescent light bulbs for the environment?

By Carla Delgado

USPS mail truck
Environment

The USPS is getting sued for sticking with gas-guzzling trucks

By Sara Kiley Watson

Atlanta skyline at sunset
Environment

Urban sprawl defines unsustainable cities, but it can be undone

By Jocelyn Timperley

Solar panels on a home's roof at sunrise.
Environment

Outdated zoning laws are holding renewable energy back

By Thor Benson

White electric fan in living room.
Environment

Feeling hot? Try these eco-friendly tips for cooling down.

By Carla Delgado

Some playing cards in a wooden drawer in a workshop, with the joker in the foreground.
DIY

The surprising woodworking tools you already have around the house

By Jean Levasseur

A cracked-open coconut on a light pink background with the white outline of a palm leaf underneath.
DIY

The planet needs its peat moss. Use these gardening alternatives instead.

By Ellen Airhart