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 coyote walking along a road

Animal control has always been tough work. Climate change is making it harder

Bears, coyotes, mountain lions: More wild animals are tangling with humans as increased drought and heat alter their behavior. Animal control officers are scrambling to keep up.
A helicopter flying over a large fire

Wildfires hit Southern California during red-flag conditions

The Bryson Fire sparked Thursday afternoon in Malibu and quickly ballooned, burning up to 200 acres in just a few hours. Near San Diego, another major blaze broke out at Camp Pendleton.
Sugarcane branches laying on green sugarcane leaves

El Niño threatens global sugar supply

A poor sugarcane crop in India, the world’s second-largest producer, is hurting consumers and farmers — and undermining the country’s energy security goals.

A beach with houses on it and dried up land

Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low

Some reservoirs in southern England at critical levels as water companies call for extended restrictions that would affect golf clubs, private schools, and car washes.

Volcanic rock coastline with ocean waves

Climate change could send more toxic mining waste into coastal waters, study warns

Demand for metals has exploded in recent decades, thanks to population growth, technological innovation, and economic development. The volume of metal ores like iron and copper extracted globally quadrupled during the last half-century, and the trillion-dollar industry shows no signs of slowing down.

A view of a couple sitting on the floor looking through bills

Opinion: Climate policies can bring relief on affordability and beyond

Americans are suffering under an affordability crisis, while the climate crisis is making life more expensive. Both require urgent action — and both can be addressed simultaneously.

An illustration of the European Union on a map

Brussels says EU countries partly to blame for failure on key climate rule

There’s a circular blame game going on over who’s responsible for failures in EU methane law.
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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