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."


An illustration of a glass bottle floating in water with the word HELP inside of it.
Credit: Rodion Kutsaiev/Unsplash+

FEMA cuts disaster aid, leaving states fending for themselves

President Trump has said he wants to eventually shift the burden of disaster relief and recovery onto states. It’s already happening.
Solar power panels on a roof with wind turbines and powerlines behind
Credit: Copyright: kckate16/BigStock Photo ID: 478351339

US Energy Department's $8B kill list hits major grid projects

With utility bills rising nationwide, the U.S. Department of Energy is nixing federal cash for projects that would bring more power to the central U.S.

A aerial view of a flooded neighborhood.
Credit: Getty Images/Unsplash+

FEMA buyouts vs. risky real estate: New maps reveal post-flood migration patterns across the US

In general, people are moving to safer homes after disasters, but the vast majority are selling, meaning someone else is now taking on that risk. Buyout programs can help.
Flooded road with sign "Water Over Road."
Photo by Wes Warren on Unsplash

FEMA denied or didn’t advance most Kerr County flood requests

Advocates are questioning why so many applicants from the flood-ravaged Texas county have not received federal disaster help. Nonprofits are trying to fill in the gaps.

Forest dwelling Ecuadorian Kichwa tribesman

How a declaration of ancestral wisdom is changing law, science and our understanding of the world

José Gualinga discusses his Kichwa People of Sarayaku’s visionary Living Forest Declaration and the importance of collaborating across cultures and areas of expertise.
a group of white corals on a coral reef

Podcast: Will coral reefs be gone by 2050?

Twenty-five years ago, a landmark paper warned that the world’s coral reefs could vanish by 2050. Now, halfway to that projected date (and amid ever more frequent coral bleaching events), that grim prediction feels increasingly close to reality.

A red sailboat in the water near icebergs

Climate change in the Arctic: How melting ice is causing Greenland to ‘shrink’

New research shows that Greenland is slowly “shrinking” and shifting northwest as melting ice reduces pressure on the land beneath it, causing the island’s bedrock to twist, stretch, and rise.

From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

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