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."


Roads in the forefront and a cityscape behind at sunrise

World must cut emissions by 18% in four years ‘to find our way back’, UN says

Action needed to avoid disastrous overshoot of climate targets, according to the United Nation's environment body.

Helicopter landing on helipad at an offshore oil rig

UK approves long-stalled Jackdaw gas drilling project in the North Sea

The project will lessen the country’s dependence on imported energy, though environmental advocates say it undercuts a pledge to reduce carbon emissions.
People silhouetted in an arch carrying suitcases and walking toward the setting sun

Can this film change our understanding of the climate and migration crises?

Josh Fox fueled the fight against fracking with his documentary Gasland. His latest film, The Welcome Table, sends a potent message on climate and immigration.
A view of a tropical beach covered in green ground cover with a dog walking through it

Bank credit remains scarce in Bangladesh where climate risks are highest

The flow of bank credit to climate-vulnerable regions in Bangladesh remains low, with lending heavily concentrated in major commercial areas, including Dhaka.

A beaver chewing on leaves in a water source

Beavers help heal watersheds in drought-stricken US West, experts say

Beaver dams slow moving water in a way that promotes localized year-round availability, creates habitat for native fish, and provides a natural break that slows wildfires.

A view of the front of the White House on a sunny day

Trump vowed to stop an 'energy emergency.' Then he created a real one

The president used executive powers to boost oil and coal, but he can't fix the shortages caused by the Iran war.
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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