Atmos

Climate and Culture

The Healing Power of Herbs Welcome to The Overview newsletter, a weekly meditation on nature from Editor-in-Chief Willow Defebaugh.

‘Frankenstein’ Puts the Human Cost of Mastery Over Nature on Full Display

‘Frankenstein’ Puts the Human Cost of Mastery Over Nature on Full Display

‘Frankenstein’ Puts the Human Cost of Mastery Over Nature on Full Display In a world remade by man's ambition, Guillermo del Toro revives Mary Shelley’s classic as a modern parable of hubris.

Art & Culture Anthropocene

An electric vehicle is being charged as the sun sets.

An electric vehicle is being charged as the sun sets.

EV Tax Breaks Ended—But the Future of Electric Car Ownership Is Bright EVs may be popular enough that the end to the tax break doesn’t matter.

The Understory Democracy

An abandoned tractor in a field.

An abandoned tractor in a field.

The Global Food System Is Buckling Under War and Climate Pressure The war in Ukraine has revealed how conflict, climate shocks, and trade dependencies are converging to push millions closer to hunger.

Future of Food

How to Resist Buying So Much as a New Parent

How to Resist Buying So Much as a New Parent

How to Resist Buying So Much as a New Parent Achieving a better life—and planetary future—by teaching your child to consume less.

Climate Solutions Anthropocene

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.

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.

A black and white photo of a flower.

A black and white photo of a flower.

Daniel Shea’s Vision of an Interconnected Planet What began as an attempt to photograph a forest became a meditation on scale, structure, and the ties between nature and the built world.

Photography

A tree grows on verdant grass in an ecotone.

A tree grows on verdant grass in an ecotone.

Life at the Edge: The Tension and Potential of Ecotones Ecotones—where worlds meet and boundaries blur—show that life flourishes in tension, and creation begins in the in-between.

The Overview Deep Ecology

A person wearing a red drape covering their body and face stands in front of a large pile of blue cloths.

A person wearing a red drape covering their body and face stands in front of a large pile of blue cloths.

The High Price Of Circular Fashion In India’s Recycling Capital In Panipat, weak regulation at recycling warehouses means workers breathe toxic dust and families are left without protection.

Ethical Fashion Well Being

A collage of a

A collage of a

The Shutdown’s Climate Bait and Switch The White House is using the shutdown as cover to cut science jobs.

The Understory Democracy

“Small Is All”: adrienne maree brown on Unlocking Everyday Magic

Podcast Episode 5

“Small Is All”: adrienne maree brown on Unlocking Everyday Magic

The latest episode of our new podcast explores alchemy, witchcraft as resistance, and the magic of small, everyday acts.

The shadow of a man stands in front of a large fire flame.

The shadow of a man stands in front of a large fire flame.

Healing the West’s Relationship With Fire through Pyrotherapy A new program in Butte County, California, helps re-normalize good fire by teaching wildfire survivors about prescribed burns.

Well Being Science & Nature

Dead flowers hang out of two cups of water that sit on a ledge.

Dead flowers hang out of two cups of water that sit on a ledge.

How to Live With Climate Change Without Burning Out Thomas Doherty's new book distills lessons on resilience, grief, and the practice of hope.

Art & Culture Well Being

A painting of two Palestinian children.

A painting of two Palestinian children.

A Young Poet Chronicles Gaza’s Life and Loss Yahya Al Hamarna’s debut book, My Voice Cannot Be Bombed, captures the devastation of genocide from within Palestine.

Art & Culture Identity & Community

A Palestinian boy picks up a fig from a tree at his family's field in Gaza City.

A Palestinian boy picks up a fig from a tree at his family's field in Gaza City.

Volunteers On Palestinian Farms Are More Valuable—and Scarce—Than Ever Thousands of volunteer farmhands pilgrimage to Palestine each year—but two years of genocide have made the journey more challenging.

Environmental Justice Identity & Community

The BIOME

Join our membership community. Support our work, receive a complimentary subscription to Atmos Magazine, and more.

Four people cross the Brahmaputra river.

Four people cross the Brahmaputra river.

Protecting the River Island Disappearing in the Brahmaputra In photographer András Zoltai’s new book, Majuli emerges as both a disappearing landscape and a testament to community.

Photography Identity & Community

A slug moves along a red background.

A slug moves along a red background.

The Fertile Spoil: Notes on Decomposition Earthworms, fungi, and microbes are the forest’s alchemists—transforming death into nourishment.

The Overview Deep Ecology

Still from Ghost of Yotei video game.

Still from Ghost of Yotei video game.

This Year’s Most Anticipated Video Game Is an Homage—and Elegy—to Nature Nature in Ghost of Yōtei is more than a backdrop. This rugged and beautiful scenery is a character with its own powerful story.

Art & Culture Science & Nature

A powerline falls amid a storm.

A powerline falls amid a storm.

Twin Disasters Are Leaving Forecasters in the Lurch Hurricane season and the government shutdown are testing Trump’s cuts at the National Weather Service.

The Understory Democracy

Welcoming the New Season

Autumn reminds us of life’s cycles—of release, renewal, and return.

Early fall leaves

Early fall leaves

A Love Letter to Autumn’s Wild Rose Artist Landon Speers documents the wild rose in a poetic meditation of the beauty and transience of autumn.

Photography Science & Nature

The Changing of the Seasons

The Changing of the Seasons

The Changing of the Seasons They say that the only constant is change—and nowhere is this more evident than in nature where we can witness the changes of the seasons.

Anthropocene Well Being

Rites of Passage

Rites of Passage

Rites of Passage Every autumn, trees show us how beautiful it can be to shed our leaves—and that what we let go of can never really be lost.

The Overview Deep Ecology

Several butterflies gather together in the shape of a tree.

Several butterflies gather together in the shape of a tree.

Saving the Monarch Butterfly Migration Recently, monarch butterflies were listed as endangered, threatening the future of the annual monarch butterfly migration.

Science & Nature

The sun sets along the horizon, behind a shadowed mountain

The sun sets along the horizon, behind a shadowed mountain

Circadian Song: Kinsale Drake on Living by the Sun Kinsale Drake explores how we can honor synchronicity with nature.

Art & Culture Anthropocene

Stay the Winter

Stay the Winter

Stay the Winter This season is often dominated by darkness and a feeling of lifelessness, but it is also a time to reflect, restore, and recharge.

The Overview Deep Ecology

A young woman wears a white costume.

A young woman wears a white costume.

adrienne maree brown and Prentis Hemphill On Restoring Our Rhythm What does it mean to rewild ourselves? In a culture that teaches us to treat our bodies as machines and see them as sources of shame, there

Well Being Identity & Community

Welcoming the New Season

Autumn reminds us of life’s cycles—of release, renewal, and return.

Early fall leaves

Early fall leaves

A Love Letter to Autumn’s Wild Rose Artist Landon Speers documents the wild rose in a poetic meditation of the beauty and transience of autumn.

Photography Science & Nature

The Changing of the Seasons

The Changing of the Seasons

The Changing of the Seasons They say that the only constant is change—and nowhere is this more evident than in nature where we can witness the changes of the seasons.

Anthropocene Well Being

Rites of Passage

Rites of Passage

Rites of Passage Every autumn, trees show us how beautiful it can be to shed our leaves—and that what we let go of can never really be lost.

The Overview Deep Ecology

Several butterflies gather together in the shape of a tree.

Several butterflies gather together in the shape of a tree.

Saving the Monarch Butterfly Migration Recently, monarch butterflies were listed as endangered, threatening the future of the annual monarch butterfly migration.

Science & Nature

The sun sets along the horizon, behind a shadowed mountain

The sun sets along the horizon, behind a shadowed mountain

Circadian Song: Kinsale Drake on Living by the Sun Kinsale Drake explores how we can honor synchronicity with nature.

Art & Culture Anthropocene

Stay the Winter

Stay the Winter

Stay the Winter This season is often dominated by darkness and a feeling of lifelessness, but it is also a time to reflect, restore, and recharge.

The Overview Deep Ecology

A young woman wears a white costume.

A young woman wears a white costume.

adrienne maree brown and Prentis Hemphill On Restoring Our Rhythm What does it mean to rewild ourselves? In a culture that teaches us to treat our bodies as machines and see them as sources of shame, there

Well Being Identity & Community

A bee sucks nectar from a flower.

A bee sucks nectar from a flower.

The Most Essential Worker in History Has Never Been Paid Every profit, every paycheck, rests on nature’s invisible labor. From mangroves to rainforests, it’s time to compensate ecosystems.

Science & Nature Anthropocene

The crashing waves of the ocean.

The crashing waves of the ocean.

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson on Why the Ocean Is a Very Big Deal The marine biologist co-hosted Atmos’ Blue Renaissance event during Climate Week NYC. She adapted her remarks for the op-ed below.

Ocean Life Points of View

A tower made out of playing cards.

A tower made out of playing cards.

The Climate Casino: Inside the Markets Betting on Our Planet’s Future What began as a hobby has exploded into a multimillion-dollar market. From heat waves to hurricanes, traders are wagering on the climate.

Art & Culture Anthropocene

Several sheep graze along a pasture filled with solar panels.

Several sheep graze along a pasture filled with solar panels.

‘It’s Such a Blessing’: The Farmers Embracing Solar Arrays From summer squash to sheep’s wool, a variety of agricultural products may grow better beneath an awning of solar panels.

Climate Solutions Future of Food

A blue constellation

A blue constellation

Constellations Below: Lessons From Undersea Bioluminescence Hope, like bioluminescence, reveals itself only when we're moved to action.

The Overview Deep Ecology

A multicolored leaf

A multicolored leaf

‘We Are Part of Nature’: Inside the Rise of Hikrodosing Atmos joins a mushroom-infused microdose hike for an afternoon of psychedelics, reconnection with nature, and crystal harps.

Science & Nature Well Being

Can the Courtroom Save the Climate?

Can the Courtroom Save the Climate?

Can the Courtroom Save the Climate? Injunctions and other legal wins are just the start.

Democracy The Understory

blue hand against a green and black background

blue hand against a green and black background

Could Weakening Environmental Law Actually Strengthen Climate Action? Experts are divided over the SPEED Act, which aims to expedite climate action, counterintuitively, by eroding environmental law.

Democracy Climate Solutions

For Climate Week, Atmos Celebrates the ‘Blue Renaissance’ of the Ocean

For Climate Week, Atmos Celebrates the ‘Blue Renaissance’ of the Ocean

For Climate Week, Atmos Celebrates the ‘Blue Renaissance’ of the Ocean At Climate Week 2025 in New York City, Atmos honored the ocean with a night of art, storytelling, and solutions.

Ocean Life Science & Nature

A person takes a photo of a mountain landscape.

A person takes a photo of a mountain landscape.

Can Tourism Help Save the Places It Endangers? Travel is booming—and straining ecosystems. Activist tourism promises a fix, from reef cleanups to elephant care.

Science & Nature Climate Solutions

Flies cover an illustration of a human body.

Flies cover an illustration of a human body.

How To Be a Better Parasite Lessons on living sustainably from nature’s most exploitative species.

Science & Nature

In Photos: How Urban Encroachment Is Changing Life In Makharda

In Photos: How Urban Encroachment Is Changing Life In Makharda

In Photos: How Urban Encroachment Is Changing Life In Makharda Set in West Bengal, photographer Bharat Sikka’s latest project highlights the changing landscape of an Indian township.

Identity & Community Photography

Miranda Green

Miranda Green

Get to Know Miranda Green, Author of New Atmos Newsletter ‘The Understory’ The award-winning journalist investigates the people, choices, and backstories behind today's climate headlines.

Changemakers Democracy

a group of kids raising fists outside a courthouse

a group of kids raising fists outside a courthouse

The Youth Activists Suing Trump Are Fighting Climate Change and Authoritarianism Lighthiser v. Trump challenges the president’s energy policy while testing the limits of executive overreach.

Democracy Movement Building

A feather that has been cut into three even sections lies vertically on a smooth wooden surface.

A feather that has been cut into three even sections lies vertically on a smooth wooden surface.

Breaking the Spell of Ecological Dissociation The antidote to ecological dissociation is deep healing and a reconnection to the soul of the world.

The Overview Deep Ecology

As Israel Escalates in Gaza, Artists Rally for Survival and Justice at Together for Palestine Concert

As Israel Escalates in Gaza, Artists Rally for Survival and Justice at Together for Palestine Concert

As Israel Escalates in Gaza, Artists Rally for Survival and Justice at Together for Palestine Concert The benefit concert drew global stars to raise funds for Palestinian-led aid groups and climate justice organizations.

Art & Culture Identity & Community

A satellite dish

A satellite dish

Big Gov Wants to Take Away Your Climate Data Lies, damned lies, and (climate) statistics

The Understory Democracy

a man in a football jersey holding a football in his right hand

a man in a football jersey holding a football in his right hand

High School Football Isn’t Ready for More Extreme Heat Climate change is raising the risk of heat strokes in states where high school football is most popular, new data analysis shows.

Art & Culture Identity & Community

When the World Stops Smelling Like Itself

When the World Stops Smelling Like Itself

When the World Stops Smelling Like Itself Climate change is erasing the aromas of daily life. Farmers say the loss is already here—from Grenada’s cocoa to Egypt’s jasmine—and affecting relationships between all living things.

Science & Nature Anthropocene

This Brick Is the World’s Most Boring Climate Solution

This Brick Is the World’s Most Boring Climate Solution

This Brick Is the World’s Most Boring Climate Solution Thermal batteries promise round-the-clock renewable heat, offering a faster path to decarbonizing carbon-intensive industries.

Climate Solutions Science & Nature