popular stories 2022

Our 5 most popular reads from 2022

A corpse, woodworking dangers, plastic titans ... revisit the stories that stuck with our readers this past year.

The totals are in — here are the five most viewed stories from our newsroom in 2022.


1. A corpse in a barrel in a drying reservoir

corpse in a barrel in a drying reservoir

Our weekend columnist Peter Dykstra is always on the lookout for the weird and wacky in the environmental realm.

With this column, he found it.

2. The hidden, potential cancer-causing, danger in woodworking and art supplies

BADGE BPA chemical

Reporter Meg Wilcox did a deep dive on a scary chemical that's common in woodworking and art supplies. Might want to check this one out before your next craft night.

3. The Titans of Plastic

petrochemical shell pennsylvania plastic

In collaboration with the excellent Sierra Magazine, reporter Kristina Marusic gives readers a clear-eyed look at the multi-faceted impacts of plastics production.

4. For clean beauty brands, getting PFAS out of makeup might be easier said than done

PFAS in makeup

We spent a good part of the beginning of 2022 examining PFAS chemicals in everyday products. This investigation into makeup caught the eye of readers.

5. Chemicals in everyday products are spurring obesity, warns a new review

chemicals obesity

Our weight depends on more than diet and exercise. Reporter Grace van Deelen reported on the latest research examining a concerning class of chemicals called "obesogens."


wind turbines lined up in a green field

Op-ed: The real scam — rail against renewables, run away with factories

The renewable energy industry will have a strong expansion in the US — led by politicians who harness and hoard solar power, wind power and electric vehicles for their own constituents, but deny it for everyone else.

For all that President-elect Donald Trump trashed renewable energy on the stump, much of his ranting may very well become a murmur when he returns to the Oval Office.

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Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Palm trees bending in the wind

Cyclone devastates Mayotte

Cyclone Chido struck Mayotte with unprecedented intensity, leaving 22 dead and highlighting how climate change fuels stronger storms.

Taiwo Adebayo reports for The Associated Press.

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Coal power plant with emissions rising from towers

Biden aims for steep emissions cuts amid looming Trump presidency

President Biden announced a new goal to slash U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 61% to 66% by 2035, even as Donald Trump’s return to the White House threatens to derail climate policies.

Maxine Joselow reports for The Washington Post.

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Liquid Natural Gas tanker

US LNG expansion faces hurdles despite federal approval

A federal study warns of significant greenhouse gas emissions and higher energy costs linked to LNG exports, but stops short of halting expansion plans.

Pam Radtke reports for Floodlight.

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Truck being loaded with coal

Coal stockpiles strain US power sector as demand wanes

Massive coal reserves are sitting unused at U.S. power plants, creating financial challenges amid lower demand for coal-fired energy.

Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill.

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Bogotá faces water rationing
Credit: Luis Quintana Barney/Flickr

Bogotá faces water rationing

Water rationing in Bogotá shows how climate disruptions are forcing cities to adapt, testing collective resilience in the face of scarce resources.

Elizabeth Rush reports for The Atlantic.

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Oil pipelines stretching into the distance

Wisconsin oil spill fuels doubts over Enbridge’s pipeline safety

A recent Enbridge oil spill in Wisconsin has intensified concerns about the safety of the company’s Line 5 pipeline project, despite state assurances of minimal risk.

Kristoffer Tigue reports for Inside Climate News.

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From our Newsroom
Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Resident speaks at an event about the Midwest hydrogen hub organized by Just Transition NWI.

What a Trump administration means for the federal hydrogen energy push

Legal and industry experts say there are uncertainties about the future of hydrogen hubs, a cornerstone of the Biden administration’s clean energy push.

unions climate justice

Op-ed: The common ground between labor and climate justice is the key to a livable future

The tale of “jobs versus the environment” does not capture the full story.

Union workers from SEIU holding climate protest signs at a rally in Washington DC

El terreno común entre los derechos laborales y la justicia climática es la clave de un futuro habitable

La narrativa de “empleos vs. proteger el medio ambiente” no cuenta la historia completa.

unions and labor movement

LISTEN: Pradnya Garud on the role of unions in climate justice

“They’ve been able to combine forces and really come forward to bring social and environmental change.”

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