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 row of wind turbines alongside a field

The real economic impact of clean energy

US energy chief Chris Wright claims that renewable energy is dragging down Europe's economy. Is that true?
Power plant with smoke and dirty orange air.
Credit: Mikhail Dudarev/BigStock Photo ID: 14021453

Study: 2025 emissions rise due to Trump-era policies

Emissions of sulfur dioxide increased by 18% in 2025, according to an analysis of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group.

The U.S. capitol building

Trump's climate silence at the longest-ever State of the Union

The president’s far-reaching speech ignored climate change but not its impacts.
Illustration depicting pumpjacks vs solar panels & wind turbines
Credit: MIRO3D/BigStock Photo ID: 147195269

The culture war is coming for your electricity

Utah Republicans are calling for an energy "divorce" from blue states. A major utility just granted part of their wish.
Portable balcony solar panel

Balcony solar is taking state legislatures by storm

In more than half of U.S. states, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation that would boost adoption of DIY solar systems.
A closeup of pieces of wheat bread

Breadcrumbs (literally) lay path away from fossil fuels

Researchers have developed a carbon-negative method for hydrogenation that uses bacteria fed on waste bread to generate hydrogen for chemical reactions.

Refinery and petrochemical industrial plant
Credit: Tee Theerapol/BigStock Photo ID: 60783539

An oil refinery defined life in this quaint California city. What happens when it’s gone?

For decades, the Valero refinery shaped Benicia’s economy, politics and health. Now the city has become a reluctant test case of whether an oil town can reinvent itself
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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