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."


Smokestacks emitting smoke against a blue sky

Why Scope 3 emissions are a big deal for Canada

Greenhouse gases released indirectly through business activities, called Scope 3 emissions, can be massive — but Canadian companies don’t report them
A green trash bag holding remains of a melon

The climate solution sitting in America’s trash

Cutting food waste is a huge potential climate win. Why are we ignoring it?
Rainforest with green fronds and orange flowers

Carbon offsets are failing. Can a new plan save the rainforests?

Brazil is set to unveil an ambitious international plan that would provide up to $4 billion a year to countries that protect their tropical forests. Proponents see it as a potential game-changer for forest conservation, but some ecologists and economists are raising concerns.
A view of a Babylonian fortress ruin in Iraq

Cradle of civilisation at risk of erosion in Iraq due to climate change

Iraqi officials are sounding the alarm to save monuments of the cradle of civilisation, with thousands of years of history at risk of disappearing as Iraq's ancient southern cities face erosion because of climate change.
An oil tank with the sunset in the background

Major American LNG exporters habitually break air pollution laws, report finds

With Trump propelling the U.S. LNG industry into a massive expansion, companies are flouting landmark environmental laws.
A pile of trash, including plastic bottles, floating in a water source

Heavy rains and poor waste systems drive microplastics into India’s urban lakes

Researchers warn that India’s urban freshwater bodies are becoming increasingly toxic due to unmanaged plastic waste and intensifying weather patterns.

Hurricane satellite view
Credit: Getty Images For Unsplash+

The dangerous combination that made Melissa a monster hurricane

Hurricane Melissa’s power was undeniable, intensifying faster than most storms on record.
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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