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."


A gas pipeline stretching across a desert landscape

With promises of money, controversial gas pipeline on Navajo Nation passes first hurdle

A 234-mile stretch of pipeline that could carry natural gas or natural gas-hydrogen blends across the Navajo Nation is a step closer to reality.

A computer keyboard with a green button called Greenwashing

Revealed: British ad giant’s billion-dollar greenwash of U.S. oil industry

A British advertising conglomerate has helped oil companies ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP spend an estimated $1 billion on ads in the United States since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

An illustration with a tower of blue oil drums with the word OPEC on it

What could the UAE’s exit from OPEC mean for oil markets and the climate?

The United Arab Emirates’ planned departure from OPEC may allow it to significantly increase oil production, potentially driving up global emissions.

A row of oil and gas pump jacks against a sunset

Congress once shielded gun makers. Now it’s fossil fuel companies’ turn

Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would block current and future lawsuits seeking to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate damages.

The home page of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

The SEC tried to silence activist investors. Now they're fighting back

After SEC limited EDGAR access, activists launched Proxy Open Exchange to share corporate accountability concerns, including climate issues.

Attendees at the 21st session of the UN Conference on Climate Change
Credit: palinchak/BigStock Photo ID: 110010617

Takeaways from the first conference focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels

Countries have wrapped up a first-of-its-kind summit in Colombia on phasing out fossil fuels with no binding commitments but a growing momentum to shift from pledges to action.
Sick African American man coughing holding paper napkin near mouth suffering from respiratory ailment
Credit: Prostock-studio/BigStock Photo ID: 400400966

In U.S. coal country, black lung surges as federal protections stall

While President Trump is directing hundreds of millions of dollars to coal projects, miners in Appalachia are suffering from a resurgence of black lung disease. But industry pushback has indefinitely delayed federal rules that would reduce miners’ exposure to deadly silica dust. 
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.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.