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."


Agents of Change launches the Fellows in Residence program

Agents of Change launches the Fellows in Residence program

Meet the senior fellows that will hone their communication and public engagement skills.

The Agents of Change program, a partnership between EHN and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, is excited to announce the Agents of Change Fellows in Residence Program.

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Solar panels positioned in field during daytime.

US tariffs risk derailing renewable energy while boosting global economic uncertainty

U.S. trade policy is fueling instability across the energy sector, with tariffs threatening to stall clean energy projects and drive up costs across oil, gas, and renewables alike.

Dan Gearino reports for Inside Climate News.

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low-angle photo of train rail.

US Supreme Court clears way for Utah oil railway, limiting scope of environmental review

The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that federal agencies don’t need to evaluate the broader environmental effects of Utah’s proposed oil railway, reversing a lower court decision that had blocked the project.

Kyle Dunphey reports for Utah News Dispatch.

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an oil pump in the middle of a field on a rainy, misty day.

Youth climate lawsuit challenges Trump orders boosting fossil fuel production

A group of 22 young Americans is suing the Trump administration, claiming its fossil fuel expansion policies violate their constitutional rights to life and liberty.

Dharna Noor reports for The Guardian.

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The sun setting over an urban landscape.

Daughter sues oil companies over mother’s death in 2021 heat wave

A Washington woman has filed the first wrongful death lawsuit blaming fossil fuel companies for a loved one’s death during a climate-driven heat event.

David Gelles reports for The New York Times.

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A desert landscape with saguaros, mountains and dark clouds in the background.

Court revives Native American legal challenge to billion-dollar energy corridor across sacred Arizona land

A federal appeals court has reinstated a tribal lawsuit against the Interior Department over a massive transmission line project, saying the agency may have failed its legal duty to protect culturally significant sites in Arizona’s San Pedro Valley.

Susan Montoya Bryan reports for The Associated Press.

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Rows of crops stretching into the distance.

European crops fueled by fracked U.S. gas despite clean fertilizer claims

Despite pledges of sustainable production, European chemical giants Yara and BASF are using fracked shale gas from Texas to make ammonia-based fertilizer, a new investigation reveals.

Agathe Bounfour and Clare Carlile report for The Guardian.

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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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