Environment

industrial plant releases pollutants into the air next to a waterway
Ayana Byrd  Nov 12, 2019 4:30PM EST

EPA Seeks to Ban Some Scientific Studies in Creation of Public Health Regulations

Health advocates warn there will be an increase in air pollution and unsafe water.
Photo Illustration by Lars Baron/Getty
Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Derrick Johnson, Mustafa Santiago Ali  Nov 8, 2019 8:00AM EST

Preserving Our Democracy Starts with Saving our Environment [Op-Ed]

Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Derrick Johnson and Mustafa Santiago Ali say the communities that are pushed to the sidelines know the most about environmental justice.
smoke being released from smoke stack on a container ship
Ayana Byrd  Nov 6, 2019 1:02PM EST

11,000+ Scientists Warn That The World Is in a 'Climate Emergency'

A new report stresses the need for a major shift in environmental policies.
coal plants spewing smoke into the sky
Ayana Byrd  Nov 5, 2019 1:40PM EST

New EPA Rules Will Allow More Coal Plants to Contaminate Fresh Water Supplies

Environmental activists warn that million of Americans—and a disproportionate number of people of color—will be affected.
North Dakota field.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Nov 1, 2019 12:37PM EDT

As Indigenous Activists Predicted, the Keystone Pipeline Has Another Big Spill

The leak of 383,000 gallons of oil affects wetlands in Edinburg, North Dakota.
A Black person's hand pouring bottled water into a coffee maker
Ayana Byrd  Oct 21, 2019 4:13PM EDT

READ: Five Environmental Justice Activists On The Roots and Future of The Movement

Mustafa Ali, Dr. Robert Bullard and other key figures in environmental justice explore why their fight is a critical one.
White and yellow sign reads "Danger: Radiation Risk" against a blue sky, silver chainlink fence and rusted barbed wire
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Oct 8, 2019 5:43PM EDT

Research Reveals High Levels of Radiation in Navajo Women Stemming From Cold War

“Thousands of abandoned uranium mines dot the Western landscape, hundreds on the Navajo Nation alone, continuing to expose families to the ill effects of radiation, including kidney failure and cancer.”
Two white water fountains on white tiled walls with signs warning people not to drink from them
Ayana Byrd  Sep 30, 2019 3:25PM EDT

Study Finds Race is Primary Factor in Enforcement of Safe Drinking Water Act

Flint and Newark are just two of the many cities where the race of residents is tied to poor regulation of water safety.
Person walks through flooded streets of Houston after Tropical Storm Imelda
Ayana Byrd  Sep 25, 2019 2:39PM EDT

REPORT: Coastal Communities Face Catastrophic Future Due to Climate Change

“The oceans are sending us so many warning signals that we need to get emissions under control.”
Fire department official stands with cases of bottled water in Newark, New Jersey
Ayana Byrd  Sep 24, 2019 1:33PM EDT

Newark Sees Preliminary Decrease in Water Lead Levels

The latest results show that water filters are finally working in most of the tested homes.
girl with a megaphone and her first in the air at climate change protest
Ayana Byrd  Sep 20, 2019 3:27PM EDT

Kids Around The World Go On A #ClimateStrike

Students march to demand action to save the earth—and to protect those most vulnerable to climate change.
Damaged power lines on a hilltop in Patillas, Puerto Rico, against a gray sky
Ayana Byrd  Sep 11, 2019 2:27PM EDT

Ex-FEMA Officials Arrested For Taking Bribes to Award Contract to Repair Puerto Rico's Power Grid

A federal corruption investigation uncovered the bribes that led to Cobra Acquisitions receiving $1.8 billion in contracts.
Balearia ferry docked in Florida. White ferry with blue writing that reads "Balearia" on it against a blue sky with white clouds
Ayana Byrd  Sep 10, 2019 3:21PM EDT

Bahamians Denied Entry to U.S. During Post-Hurricane Dorian Evacuation

There is confusion and finger-pointing about why more than 100 people were not allowed to travel to Florida. Meanwhile, Trump doubles down on rhetoric to keep out “very bad” people.
a gas flare and buildings of the Shell Petroleum plant in Norco, Louisiana, against a dark sky
Ayana Byrd  Sep 9, 2019 1:43PM EDT

Cancer Alley Residents Stop New Chemical Plant From Opening

A lawsuit and protests pushed a Chinese petrochemical firm to withdraw its approved application to build in Louisiana.
Two people standng in the muddy rode in Puerto Rico, shovels in hand, colorful buildings and blue sky behind them
Ayana Byrd  Sep 5, 2019 2:38PM EDT

Trump Administration Takes $400 Million From Puerto Rico Recovery to Fund Border Wall

It’s part of a $3.6 billion package pulled out of the Department of Defense’s budget to pay for 175 miles of barrier.
Aerial shot of Abaco Island, Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian
Ayana Byrd  Sep 4, 2019 3:09PM EDT

8 Ways To Help The Bahamas Recover From Hurricane Dorian

“We are in the midst of one of the greatest national crises in our country’s history.”
A Black man with gray hair wearing a black shirt and jeans bicycles through flooded streets in Texas
Ayana Byrd  Sep 3, 2019 2:01PM EDT

Digital Museums Document Houston Following Hurricane Harvey

The open-access archives also explore how racism made the storm harder for Black and Latinx Houstonians.
Pua Case. A portrait of a middle age woman wearing a headband and a fabric wrap
M. Kaleipumehana Cabral, Kapulei Flores  Sep 3, 2019 10:43AM EDT

Inside the Native Hawaiian Fight to Save Mauna Kea, The Tallest Mountain in the World [Photo Essay]

After nearly a decade of opposition by natives of Hawai’i and allies, the construction of a massive and destructive telescope on Mauna a Wākea is moving forward. Here, stories and words from kiaʻi (protectors) of this sacred mountain at the center of Hawai’i Island life.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Governor Philip D. Murphy at podium in Newark, New Jersey. American and yellow New Jersey flags in the background.
Ayana Byrd  Aug 27, 2019 1:54PM EDT

New Plan Seeks to Replace Newark's Lead Pipes In Less Than 3 Years

With the national spotlight on the city’s lead water crisis, officials have shaved seven years off the initial timeline to replace pipes.
Pallets of water with a line of people standing behind them in Newark, New Jersey at a bottled water distribution center
Ayana Byrd  Aug 26, 2019 1:43PM EDT

The Decisions and Inaction Behind Newark's Lead Water Crisis

An investigation by The New York Times reveals years of mismanagement.