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 nurse holding a blood pressure gauge while taking a patient's blood pressure
Credit: Ahmed/Unsplash+

MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals earn national recognition with 2026 Greenhealth Champion Award

To qualify, organizations must report greenhouse gas emissions data and demonstrate progress in areas such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, emissions management and resource conservation.

A view of a hospital corridor with two nurses wheeling a patient toward a room

What happens to healthcare in extreme heat?

Stories from inside Europe’s overheating healthcare settings — and exploring what facilities and policymakers can do to prepare them for the changing climate.

An overhead view of a plate of plant based meatballs and tomatoes on pizza dough

Fitness influencers make the case for plant-based protein

Advocates say eating more plants could benefit athletes' health while also reducing the climate impact of their diets.
An aerial view of the city of Colombo in Sri Lanka with apartment buildings

As Colombo heats up, passive cooling offers a low-energy solution — but at a cost

As temperatures soar, Sri Lanka’s urban dwellers are becoming more dependent on mechanical or active-cooling methods such as fans and air conditioners.

A stack of old ledger books

Thousands of handwritten records reveal scale of warming in the Congo

The records, recovered from archives in Belgium and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, span the years 1908 to 2023.

An aerial view of a desalination plant on the edge of a water source

How a bid to beat drought drove Corpus Christi to the brink of disaster

What started as a novel plan to build a desalination plant supplying plentiful water to the oil and gas industry has landed the Texas city in a financial and political quagmire.
Yellow excavator digging deep trench making way for pipeline construction

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe files lawsuit to shut down Dakota Access Pipeline

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on Friday filed a new lawsuit to try to shut down the Dakota Access oil pipeline, continuing a decade-long battle over the project.

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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