Atmos

Volume 11: Micro/Macro

Our universe is an endless series of worlds within worlds. This issue looks at patterns, systems, and size with stories that examine local and global theories of change, the scalability of solutions, invisible lifeforms and giant megafauna, and the role of micro actors in shaping macro systems.

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Close-up of a white praying mantis perched near a human eye with glitter, featured on the cover of Atmos magazine, Volume 8, titled

Cover of Atmos magazine featuring a heart-shaped nebula against a star-filled space background. The text reads Atmos, MICRO/MACRO, and a quote about reclaiming the night sky is at the bottom.

A woman in a yellow dress gently embraces a child outdoors, both with eyes closed, conveying comfort and warmth. The image is featured on the cover of Atmos magazine, with trees blurred in the background.

A group of sperm whales swim gracefully underwater in deep blue ocean. The magazine cover reads Atmos, with the theme Micro/Macro and a quote about the ocean’s wonder and stewardship at the bottom.

A winding river cuts through steep canyon walls under a clear sky, featured on the cover of Atmos magazine Volume 11, titled

A tranquil lake with old wooden posts, rocky shore, and a misty, lenticular cloud-capped mountain in the background at dusk; the scene is featured on the cover of Atmos magazine, Volume 11, titled Micro/Macro.

A person holds a large seashell against their bare torso underwater, with sunlight creating ripples and reflections. The cover text reads Atmos: Climate and Culture, Micro/Macro, Volume 11, 2023.

Cover of Atmos magazine, Volume 11, showing stones casting long shadows on a wooden surface with the words MICRO/MACRO at the center. Issue theme focuses on climate and culture, dated 2023.

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Split image with black and white photo at top of Donald Trump walking on a golf course with wind turbines in the background; at bottom, we see a section of tree trunk.

Trump’s Blockage of Offshore Wind Was Years in the Making Trump has a longstanding vendetta against offshore wind. It started with his golf course.

Democracy The Understory

Rotating image gif of trees, deforestation, and Ikea sign

Bounties, Mafias, and the Climate Cost of IKEA’s Fast Furniture An insatiable thirst for cheap, ready-to-build furniture has been linked to illegal logging and assassinations of forest defenders.

Science & Nature Indigeneity

How Did Climate Conspiracy Theories Go Mainstream? It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it.

Art & Culture

A rolled up dollar bill lays on a table next to a small pile of cocaine.

The Surprising Climate Effect of Legalizing Cocaine The war on drugs has created an illegal cocaine market responsible for the degradation of the Amazon and the rights of Indigenous people.

Science & Nature Anthropocene

Podcast Episode 4

Janine Benyus on Biomimicry and Designing With Life’s Intelligence

The latest episode of our new podcast explores what biomimicry can teach us about designing with nature rather than against…

Everything Is Romantic: Embracing an Ecology of Love Romanticism is, at its heart, an invitation to recognize love as a force much bigger than us—a force of nature.

The Overview Deep Ecology

This Hurricane Katrina Survivor Depicted Life After the Storm Two decades later, photojournalist Clarence Williams reflects on survival, memory, and the love ethic that shaped his work in New Orleans.

Identity & Community Climate Migration

A white cat sits on the grass next to a shovel.

Hurricane Katrina Made the US Rethink Pet Rescue On the 20th anniversary of the storm, experts reflect on the resulting federal law now protecting pets from climate disasters.

Science & Nature Anthropocene

A split image of the bottom of a tree trunk and an electric fan in the forest.

It’s Going to Be Harder to Afford Hot Summers Amidst the hottest summer on record, federal protections are being cut, energy costs are on the rise, and millions face deadly heat.

Democracy The Understory

The BIOME

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A Kamayan for the Dolls What began as a shared meal is now the ceremonial heart of Doll Invasion—one that gives back to both the trans community and the Earth.

Identity & Community

The Future of Cooling Was Invented Thousands of Years Ago As buildings crack under record heat, architects are rediscovering ancient technologies.

Climate Solutions

A metal gate separating Tijuana from San Diego.

Once A Revered Border Meeting Place, This Park Is Now Flanked By Cold Steel Beams San Diego and Tijuana's Friendship Park was once a sacred meeting ground for Mexican-U.S. families. It's now an impregnable bulwark.

Identity & Community

In Photos: A Solo Road Trip Along Oman’s Remote Coastline Visual storyteller Noa Avishag Schnall chronicles her journey across the Arabic country in a powerful exploration of belonging for her new b

Photography Identity & Community

The Nature Of

Hosted by Atmos Editor-in-Chief Willow Defebaugh, The Nature Of is a new podcast that looks to the natural world for insights into how to navigate the experience of being human. New episodes every Tuesday.

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