Atmos

Climate and Culture

A Looming Super El Niño Spells a Summer of Extremes Each week, award-winning climate journalist Miranda Green offers a look beneath the climate headlines—into how decisions are being made, why they matter, and what they reveal about this moment. Subscribe to The Understory to never miss an edition.

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

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

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

Hibiscus flower with

Podcast Episode 25

From Soil to Shelf: The Science of Beauty With Jorge Blanco

Davines' North America culture and creative director talks regenerative organic agriculture and the hidden systems behind everyday products. Read More

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

The BIOME

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

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

Ocean Month

Ocean Month is a reminder that the health of our planet is inseparable from the health of its waters.

Learning to Surrender: The Sacred Lessons of Yemayá

Learning to Surrender: The Sacred Lessons of Yemayá

Learning to Surrender: The Sacred Lessons of Yemayá Santeriá practitioners discuss the environmental and spiritual lessons we can learn from the Queen of the Sea, Yemayá.

Ocean Life

The Growing Threat of Oceanic Warming

The Growing Threat of Oceanic Warming

The Growing Threat of Oceanic Warming As my ancestors taught for millennia, we are charged with protecting our world for the next seven generations to come, writes Ruth H. Burns.

Ocean Life Indigeneity

A swirl of blue and white ocean waves.

A swirl of blue and white ocean waves.

Oceanic Feeling All life stems from the ocean. What will it take for us to protect our common origin and find our way back home to it?

The Overview Deep Ecology

Cristina Mittermeier Reflects On Her Life Underwater

Cristina Mittermeier Reflects On Her Life Underwater

Cristina Mittermeier Reflects On Her Life Underwater Photographer and conservationist Cristina Mittermeier talks about how the ocean powers life on Earth—and how urgently we must protect it.

Science & Nature Ocean Life

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

The surface of the ocean with the sun shining in the distance.

The surface of the ocean with the sun shining in the distance.

The Ocean Is the World’s Most Undervalued Economy The ocean is a site of endless wonder—and also valuable ecosystem services.

Ocean Life Climate Solutions

Punish Us, Orcas

Punish Us, Orcas

Punish Us, Orcas The orcas probably aren’t seeking revenge or defending the environment, but there’s a reason we see them that way.

Ocean Life Deep Ecology

Ocean Month

Ocean Month is a reminder that the health of our planet is inseparable from the health of its waters.

Learning to Surrender: The Sacred Lessons of Yemayá

Learning to Surrender: The Sacred Lessons of Yemayá

Learning to Surrender: The Sacred Lessons of Yemayá Santeriá practitioners discuss the environmental and spiritual lessons we can learn from the Queen of the Sea, Yemayá.

Ocean Life

The Growing Threat of Oceanic Warming

The Growing Threat of Oceanic Warming

The Growing Threat of Oceanic Warming As my ancestors taught for millennia, we are charged with protecting our world for the next seven generations to come, writes Ruth H. Burns.

Ocean Life Indigeneity

A swirl of blue and white ocean waves.

A swirl of blue and white ocean waves.

Oceanic Feeling All life stems from the ocean. What will it take for us to protect our common origin and find our way back home to it?

The Overview Deep Ecology

Cristina Mittermeier Reflects On Her Life Underwater

Cristina Mittermeier Reflects On Her Life Underwater

Cristina Mittermeier Reflects On Her Life Underwater Photographer and conservationist Cristina Mittermeier talks about how the ocean powers life on Earth—and how urgently we must protect it.

Science & Nature Ocean Life

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

The surface of the ocean with the sun shining in the distance.

The surface of the ocean with the sun shining in the distance.

The Ocean Is the World’s Most Undervalued Economy The ocean is a site of endless wonder—and also valuable ecosystem services.

Ocean Life Climate Solutions

Punish Us, Orcas

Punish Us, Orcas

Punish Us, Orcas The orcas probably aren’t seeking revenge or defending the environment, but there’s a reason we see them that way.

Ocean Life Deep Ecology

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

An image of an eye inside of a hollow egg shell.

An image of an eye inside of a hollow egg shell.

Processual Biology: You Aren’t a Being, You’re a Process This week’s Overview explores processual biology’s compelling idea: that we are not static beings, but transformation given shape.

The Overview Deep Ecology

A Green Manifesto For Future Generations

A Green Manifesto For Future Generations

A Green Manifesto For Future Generations Atmos marks Earth Day with Silvana Travele and Bonnie Wright in a short film confronting the rollback of climate safeguards.

Climate Solutions Changemakers

A sign reads

A sign reads

Earth Day in an American Era of Scientific Retreat A war on science means fewer environmental protections and a serious case of “brain drain.”

The Understory Democracy

Plant Baby Plant: Inside Robin Wall Kimmerer’s New Movement

Plant Baby Plant: Inside Robin Wall Kimmerer’s New Movement

Plant Baby Plant: Inside Robin Wall Kimmerer’s New Movement At community “Blooms” around the country, the botanist and writer is cultivating a gift economy rooted in care.

Changemakers Climate Solutions

In Senegal, Castoff Clothing Finds New Life

In Senegal, Castoff Clothing Finds New Life

In Senegal, Castoff Clothing Finds New Life Creatives Juanita Richards and Shandi Alexander channel the spirit of Kumpo through castaway clothing and Indigenous textiles.

Identity & Community Ethical Fashion

A close up of a crow.

A close up of a crow.

As the Crow Flies Ravens and crows carry macabre symbolism, but their behavior can teach us a lot about grief—and remind us that love and loss are universal.

The Overview Deep Ecology

How ‘National Security’ Became the New Justification for Drilling

How ‘National Security’ Became the New Justification for Drilling

How ‘National Security’ Became the New Justification for Drilling What’s happening to the public lands and oceans we thought were protected?

The Understory Democracy

Blowin’ in the Wind: How Nordic Countries Made Electricity Free

Blowin’ in the Wind: How Nordic Countries Made Electricity Free

Blowin’ in the Wind: How Nordic Countries Made Electricity Free As wind and hydropower flood Nordic grids, electricity prices are plunging and offering a glimpse of a cheaper energy future.

Climate Solutions

The Thin Blue Line That Shields Life From the Void

The Thin Blue Line That Shields Life From the Void

The Thin Blue Line That Shields Life From the Void A fragile veil of gas, suspended between nothing and everything, makes life on Earth possible.

The Overview Deep Ecology

Big Bend National Park in Texas.

Big Bend National Park in Texas.

Border Wall Meets Bipartisan Backlash in Big Bend A proposed structure through the national park inspired a rare moment of political unity to protect open spaces.

The Understory Democracy

In His Latest Book, David George Haskell Shows How Flowers Made Our World

In His Latest Book, David George Haskell Shows How Flowers Made Our World

In His Latest Book, David George Haskell Shows How Flowers Made Our World The biologist explores how flowering plants reshaped ecosystems through cooperation—and why that story matters more than ever.

Art & Culture Science & Nature

Photographer Darren Vargas Visits Death Valley During the Superbloom

Photographer Darren Vargas Visits Death Valley During the Superbloom

Photographer Darren Vargas Visits Death Valley During the Superbloom After nearly a decade, Vargas traces the brief, improbable season when one of the harshest landscapes in North America is remade by color.

Photography Science & Nature

Life Imitates Life in the Evolutionary Marvel of Mimicry

Life Imitates Life in the Evolutionary Marvel of Mimicry

Life Imitates Life in the Evolutionary Marvel of Mimicry Nature is a panoply of mirrors and relational identities, life imitating itself through iteration and imitation.

The Overview Deep Ecology

Artist Dustin Yellin on What It Means to Be Human

Artist Dustin Yellin on What It Means to Be Human

Artist Dustin Yellin on What It Means to Be Human The globally acclaimed painter, sculptor, and collagist explores consciousness, deep time, and building a culture of connection.

The Long View Changemakers

FEMA in the Crosshairs as Climate Disasters Worsen

FEMA in the Crosshairs as Climate Disasters Worsen

FEMA in the Crosshairs as Climate Disasters Worsen Extreme weather events are growing more frequent and intense. Will FEMA be around to help affected communities?

The Understory Democracy

A mother and child dressed as fruit flies sit in the grass with a large pear sculpture in the background.

A mother and child dressed as fruit flies sit in the grass with a large pear sculpture in the background.

How Gender Stereotypes Got Written Into Evolution Feminist biologists have been challenging a flawed fruit-fly experiment that helped harden Victorian stereotypes about sex.

Science & Nature Identity & Community