Atmos

Climate and Culture

The Bodies Transformed by Water and Memory Drawing on mythology and the African diaspora, photographer David Uzochukwu imagines adaptation as an act of survival.

The Reflecting Pool: Algae, Cyanobacteria, and Microbial Worldmaking

The Reflecting Pool: Algae, Cyanobacteria, and Microbial Worldmaking

The Reflecting Pool: Algae, Cyanobacteria, and Microbial Worldmaking Cyanobacteria, these tiny terraformers to which we largely owe our lives, are proof that nothing is too small to shape a world.

The Overview Deep Ecology

As The US Turns 250, ‘Resistance Rangers’ Fight for Our History and Wild Places

As The US Turns 250, ‘Resistance Rangers’ Fight for Our History and Wild Places

As The US Turns 250, ‘Resistance Rangers’ Fight for Our History and Wild Places NPS funding was squandered, educational materials removed, and natural protections lifted. A group of former park rangers are pushing back.

The Understory Democracy

Our Uncertain World Is Fueling a New Search for Aliens

Our Uncertain World Is Fueling a New Search for Aliens

Our Uncertain World Is Fueling a New Search for Aliens As climate fears deepen and trust in institutions erodes, a growing number of UFO enthusiasts are looking beyond Earth for meaning.

Art & Culture Anthropocene

Urban Evolution: How Life Is Adapting to Concrete Jungles

Urban Evolution: How Life Is Adapting to Concrete Jungles

Urban Evolution: How Life Is Adapting to Concrete Jungles Perhaps the question isn’t urban versus rural living, but to approach both ecologically and ask: How am I changing the story of this place?

The Overview Deep Ecology

Volume 12: Pollinate

A collection of bold ideas and imaginative solutions for a thriving future. In an era defined by urgency and possibility, our planet depends on visions for progress that are actionable, daring, and transformative. Because a single idea, like a grain of pollen, can travel great distances—and catalyze new life.

Jonas Lindstroem Pollinate cover.

Daniel Shea cover for Pollinate.

Elizaveta Porodina cover for Pollinate.

Rahim Fortune cover for Pollinate.

Min Hyun-Woo cover for Pollinate.

Lea Colombo cover for Pollinate

Clara Balzary cover for Pollinate.

Zachary Handlet Pollinate cover

Supreme Court Blocks Roundup Cancer Lawsuits

Supreme Court Blocks Roundup Cancer Lawsuits

Supreme Court Blocks Roundup Cancer Lawsuits The ruling protects corporations from failure-to-warn claims—and could reshape how Americans seek accountability for dangerous products.

Democracy Science & Nature

A Fight Over Offshore Drilling In a Seaside Town Gets Heated

A Fight Over Offshore Drilling In a Seaside Town Gets Heated

A Fight Over Offshore Drilling In a Seaside Town Gets Heated A fight over offshore drilling gets heated as national energy politics land in a seaside town’s backyard.

The Understory Democracy

Photograph of yellowish, cloudy skies with streak of lightning.

Photograph of yellowish, cloudy skies with streak of lightning.

Warming Skies Have Triggered a New Era of Unpredictable Storms The atmosphere is holding more heat and more moisture. What happens when storms start breaking the boundaries that once made them legible?

Science & Nature

Photograph of the Pamir Mountains

Photograph of the Pamir Mountains

The Nomadic Communities Navigating a Warming Third Pole Photographer Zachary Handley documents Kyrgyz nomadic communities in the Pamir Mountains.

Photography Identity & Community

Rebecca Solnit: Why Cynicism Feels Smart—and Isn’t

Podcast Episode 27

Rebecca Solnit: Why Cynicism Feels Smart—and Isn’t

The legendary writer and activist speaks on uncertainty, change, and the stories we choose to believe about what’s to come.…

Fungal map of Earth

Fungal map of Earth

A Hidden Universe: Underground Fungi Could Stretch to the Sun Nearly a Billion Times Below the surface on which all our human feats and follies unfold, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi form a vastly interwoven matrix.

The Overview Deep Ecology

Off-center photograph of a gas station with GAS WAR written where company name would be.

Off-center photograph of a gas station with GAS WAR written where company name would be.

The White House’s Energy Policies Are Costing Americans Dearly Our wallets are taking the hit from an outdated focus on fossil fuels.

The Understory Democracy

How Tourism Saved the Elusive Ghost Leopard From Extinction

How Tourism Saved the Elusive Ghost Leopard From Extinction

How Tourism Saved the Elusive Ghost Leopard From Extinction In the remote Indian region of Ladakh, social media helped turn the snow leopard from feared predator into conservation icon.

Science & Nature Climate Solutions

Two jellyfish swim in the depth of the ocean.

Two jellyfish swim in the depth of the ocean.

Exquisite Mystery: The Beauty of Being Unfathomable The universe is at times lustrously clear and at others impenetrably obscure; yet, it is always worthy of awe.

The Overview Deep Ecology

The BIOME

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The Winter’s Snow Drought Is Now a Full-Blown Water Crisis

The Winter’s Snow Drought Is Now a Full-Blown Water Crisis

The Winter’s Snow Drought Is Now a Full-Blown Water Crisis The West's missing snowpack has teed up a dangerous summer drought.

The Understory Democracy

Corncrakes

Corncrakes

Robert Macfarlane on How to Love Birds in a Time of Loss In The Book of Birds, Macfarlane and illustrator Jackie Morris reckon with a world losing its avian abundance.

Science & Nature Changemakers

The Birds and the Bees Revisited: An Introduction to Queer Ecology

The Birds and the Bees Revisited: An Introduction to Queer Ecology

The Birds and the Bees Revisited: An Introduction to Queer Ecology In this archive edition of The Overview, Willow Defebaugh reflects on nature and queerness.

The Overview Queer Ecology

An ice cream cone and melted ice cream on the pavement.

An ice cream cone and melted ice cream on the pavement.

A Looming Super El Niño Spells a Summer of Extremes In a world already overheating we are woefully unprepared for another record-setting season.

The Understory Science & Nature

Independence

This month, we explore stories of independence in its many forms—from cultural preservation to environmental stewardship and community resilience.

250 Years Since Its Founding, America Needs a Declaration of Interdependence

250 Years Since Its Founding, America Needs a Declaration of Interdependence

250 Years Since Its Founding, America Needs a Declaration of Interdependence It’s time to expand the founding story of the US to reflect the forms of democracy that many of this land’s original inhabitants practiced.

Democracy

A crane carries an American flag in the countryside.

A crane carries an American flag in the countryside.

This July 4, a Call to See Each of Us as Part of a Whole While the U.S celebrates independence, millions are denied basic dignity. A Lakota tradition of radical equality offers a different approach

Indigeneity Identity & Community

Yellowstone Reveals Its Indigenous Soul

Yellowstone Reveals Its Indigenous Soul

Yellowstone Reveals Its Indigenous Soul At Yellowstone Revealed, a program dedicated to sharing Indigenous history at the world’s first national park, connections run deep.

The Frontline Indigeneity

Think You Know Red America? Think Again

Think You Know Red America? Think Again

Think You Know Red America? Think Again Pockets of rural activism—and conversations across party lines—challenge assumptions about America’s political divide.

Art & Culture Points of View

Redefining Democracy This Fourth of July

Redefining Democracy This Fourth of July

Redefining Democracy This Fourth of July Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of NDN Collective, challenges the notion of "democracy" on July 4th from an Indigenous perspective.

The Frontline Democracy

An illustration of an eagle flying above a woman laying down.

An illustration of an eagle flying above a woman laying down.

We the People: A Call for Unity on Independence Day This Fourth of July, freedom means acknowledging our shared humanity.

Deep Ecology The Overview

Independence

This month, we explore stories of independence in its many forms—from cultural preservation to environmental stewardship and community resilience.

250 Years Since Its Founding, America Needs a Declaration of Interdependence

250 Years Since Its Founding, America Needs a Declaration of Interdependence

250 Years Since Its Founding, America Needs a Declaration of Interdependence It’s time to expand the founding story of the US to reflect the forms of democracy that many of this land’s original inhabitants practiced.

Democracy

A crane carries an American flag in the countryside.

A crane carries an American flag in the countryside.

This July 4, a Call to See Each of Us as Part of a Whole While the U.S celebrates independence, millions are denied basic dignity. A Lakota tradition of radical equality offers a different approach

Indigeneity Identity & Community

Yellowstone Reveals Its Indigenous Soul

Yellowstone Reveals Its Indigenous Soul

Yellowstone Reveals Its Indigenous Soul At Yellowstone Revealed, a program dedicated to sharing Indigenous history at the world’s first national park, connections run deep.

The Frontline Indigeneity

Think You Know Red America? Think Again

Think You Know Red America? Think Again

Think You Know Red America? Think Again Pockets of rural activism—and conversations across party lines—challenge assumptions about America’s political divide.

Art & Culture Points of View

Redefining Democracy This Fourth of July

Redefining Democracy This Fourth of July

Redefining Democracy This Fourth of July Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of NDN Collective, challenges the notion of "democracy" on July 4th from an Indigenous perspective.

The Frontline Democracy

An illustration of an eagle flying above a woman laying down.

An illustration of an eagle flying above a woman laying down.

We the People: A Call for Unity on Independence Day This Fourth of July, freedom means acknowledging our shared humanity.

Deep Ecology The Overview

A Scientific Case for Climate Optimism with Tom Crowther

A Scientific Case for Climate Optimism with Tom Crowther

A Scientific Case for Climate Optimism with Tom Crowther In Nature’s Echo, the ecologist shows climate repair can spread through landscapes and communities the way collapse already does.

Science & Nature Changemakers

The Ancient Flower That Survived Syria’s Wars Faces A New Threat

The Ancient Flower That Survived Syria’s Wars Faces A New Threat

The Ancient Flower That Survived Syria’s Wars Faces A New Threat Photographer Emily Garthwaite documents the farmers, distillers, and communities trying to protect a rose central to Syrian history.

Photography

The Wingspan of Friendship: How a Giant Manta Changed One Diver’s Life

The Wingspan of Friendship: How a Giant Manta Changed One Diver’s Life

The Wingspan of Friendship: How a Giant Manta Changed One Diver’s Life In the new documentary, The Last Dive, a unique bond formed between a man and manta ray reminds us of the power of interspecial friendship.

The Overview Deep Ecology

A volcano erupts.

A volcano erupts.

With Geoengineering, a Fringe Climate Solution Moves Into the Mainstream Volcanic activity inspired the concept of solar engineering. One company says it can block the sun’s rays to cool the planet. But should it?

The Understory Democracy

For More Successful Farming, Follow the Forest

For More Successful Farming, Follow the Forest

For More Successful Farming, Follow the Forest Industrial farms are damaging the environment in their attempt to grow more crops, more quickly, from less soil. What happens when farms start imitating nature—bugs, bacteria, and all?

Science & Nature Climate Solutions

A hermit crab nestled in the sand.

A hermit crab nestled in the sand.

What Hermit Crabs Teach Us About Sustainable Growth The hermit crab is a creature of constant change: as they grow larger, they must seek out new shells that better fit their expanded selves.

The Overview Deep Ecology

Photograph of two American bison in the plains of the American west.

Photograph of two American bison in the plains of the American west.

American Bison Survived Extinction. Can They Survive Politics? Trump’s latest public lands fight targets creatures central to Indigenous culture and American ecology and history.

Science & Nature Democracy

Cyborg Plants Are Coming to a City Near You

Cyborg Plants Are Coming to a City Near You

Cyborg Plants Are Coming to a City Near You Foliage augmented with electronics could one day detect pollution, monitor environmental stress, and integrate living systems into cities.

Climate Solutions Science & Nature

The Honey Collectors Who Risk Their Lives in Tiger Country

The Honey Collectors Who Risk Their Lives in Tiger Country

The Honey Collectors Who Risk Their Lives in Tiger Country Photographer Mark Rammers documents the Sundarbans honey collectors who enter tiger country each spring.

Photography Identity & Community

Why Hope Is Inseparable From Living

Why Hope Is Inseparable From Living

Why Hope Is Inseparable From Living Everywhere in nature, we see the stubborn persistence of life against the odds. To live is an act of hope.

The Overview Deep Ecology

The Plastic Reckoning Is Here

The Plastic Reckoning Is Here

The Plastic Reckoning Is Here A landmark plastics bill puts the onus of recycling on manufacturers. Everybody—from industry hacks to environmentalists—hate it.

The Understory Democracy

Meet the Women Carrying the Weight of Fast Fashion

Meet the Women Carrying the Weight of Fast Fashion

Meet the Women Carrying the Weight of Fast Fashion At Ghana’s Kantamanto market, women carry 120-pound bales of discarded garments on their heads at immense risk and little pay.

Ethical Fashion Environmental Justice

A spiral pattern in the desert sand.

A spiral pattern in the desert sand.

The World in an Hourglass: The Singing Physics of Sand A single grain of sand might be older than multicellular life itself, carrying histories of ancient continents and landscapes long lost.

The Overview Deep Ecology

We Banned Cigarette Ads. So Why Not Oil?

We Banned Cigarette Ads. So Why Not Oil?

We Banned Cigarette Ads. So Why Not Oil? High-carbon lifestyles pose a similar threat to public health. What will we do about it?

The Understory Democracy

One Solution for Invasive Species? Put Them on the Menu.

One Solution for Invasive Species? Put Them on the Menu.

One Solution for Invasive Species? Put Them on the Menu. Chefs are teaming up with divers, anglers, and spearfishers to turn lionfish, green crabs, and other marine invaders into dinner—with promis

Climate Solutions Science & Nature

Farming Under Occupation in the West Bank

Farming Under Occupation in the West Bank

Farming Under Occupation in the West Bank Photographer Fredrick Horn documents the work of Treedom for Palestine and farming communities in Jayyus.

Future of Food Identity & Community

The Science of Animism

The Science of Animism

The Science of Animism As Western science’s circle of consciousness widens, as more people open themselves to Indigenous teachings, a new animism is surging forth.

The Overview Deep Ecology

Sierra Club’s New Leader on Why the Organization’s Mission Has Never Mattered More A revelatory conversation with Loren Blackford exposes the dependencies between environmental work and a functioning democracy.

The Long View Changemakers

A cloud of smoke.

A cloud of smoke.

Congress Once Shielded Gun Makers. Now It’s Fossil Fuel Companies’ Turn. A new federal bill could halt climate lawsuits against Big Oil.

The Understory Democracy

Michael Pollan: AI Will Never Have The Sentience Of Animals

Michael Pollan: AI Will Never Have The Sentience Of Animals

Michael Pollan: AI Will Never Have The Sentience Of Animals The science writer explores the widening recognition of animal and plant consciousness—and the growing push to extend the idea to machines.

Changemakers Science & Nature