We are “slowly becoming Homo plasticus,” scientist Megha Satyanarayana warns, citing increasing evidence of the pervasive presence of plastics in our bodies, water, air, and soil. In her argument, Satyanarayana describes how a consumer and convenience culture, a desire to make profits, and a slow regulatory process make it hard to address microplastic pollution. Megha …
Category: Why Care About the Planet?
Space junk: Iris Gottlieb on the growing problem of garbage in outer space
Trash is piling up around the globe, from overflowing landfills to plastic waste washing up on shorelines. However, this problem extends beyond Earth itself. In this essay, Iris Gottlieb highlights a newer and often overlooked dumping ground: outer space. Gottlieb describes the human-made debris orbiting the planet and littering the Moon, arguing that outer space …
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The costs of free parking: Henry Grabar on the benefits of eliminating abundant parking spaces
Consider the expansive parking lots that surround buildings and the curbside parking spots that line many city and suburban streets. One study estimated that there are 3.4 parking spots per vehicle in the U.S. What could that space be used for instead? In this essay, researcher Henry Grabar examines the environmental, economic, and social costs …
Turning off the tap: Daniel Jaffee on the long-term effects of relying on bottled water after a drinking water crisis
Plastic bottled water is both a boon and a problem: it is convenient, yet it’s also more expensive than public tap water, and the empty plastic bottles often litter streets and pollute waterways. Some households, though, are stuck relying on pallets of bottled water for their everyday basic needs. In this argument, Daniel Jaffee, an …
The air we breathe: Jan Victor Andasan on how polluted air from ports harms people in surrounding neighborhoods
The environmental and human impact of our global economy is visible in ports, where chemicals, oil, natural gas, and massive containers of goods are moved, shipped, and stored. In this video op-ed, activist Jan Victor Andasan describes how the pollution spewing from these ports, pipelines, refineries, and rail yards contaminates the air of nearby communities, …
“Growing trees for the long haul”: Benji Jones on the problems with mass tree-planting campaigns around the world
In November 2021, world leaders gathered at COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and pledged to end deforestation by 2030. One strategy governments and organizations rely on to restore forests is mass tree-planting campaigns, such as the World Economic Forum’s “One Trillion Trees” initiative. Yet these campaigns, found across the globe, are not …
Beyond doom and gloom: Dagomar Degroot on the taking action to curb emissions and solve the climate crisis
Sometimes, if a problem feels too complex or insurmountable, it’s easy to just give up. Dagomar Degroot, an associate professor of environmental history at Georgetown University, warns against falling victim to this “doomism” when it comes to climate change. In this essay, Degroot contends that the news media often presents a false binary in how …
“When we protect nature”: Greta Thunberg on changing the ways we farm, eat, and treat nature
What does the COVID-19 pandemic have to do with the climate crisis and the worldwide loss of wildlife habitats? Activist Greta Thunberg argues that industrial agriculture, which supports meat- and dairy-heavy diets, plays a significant role in these interconnected crises. In this five-minute video, Thunberg challenges her audience—us!—to adopt a plant-based diet and change our …
“Hemp is the way”: Winona LaDuke on the hemp industry and climate justice for Native communities
After decades of being banned due to its close genetic relationship with marijuana, hemp was legalized through the 2018 Farm Bill. Winona LaDuke, a Native writer and activist, argues that Native tribes, which have historically cultivated the crop, should lead and benefit from the growing hemp industry. In this February 2021 essay, LaDuke explains how …
Lunar landings: Alexandra Witze on protecting the Moon by regulating scientific exploration
Scientists and space explorers face a conundrum: What if upcoming scientific missions to the Moon end up contaminating the very ice researchers are so eager to study? In this January 5, 2021 Nature article, Alexandra Witze explains how experts are determining ways to balance their scientific goals with their responsibility to act as stewards of …
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