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."


An overhead view of a table filled with meats, fish, poultry, and eggs

New US dietary guidelines worsen carbon emissions

Updated federal dietary guidelines finally take on ultra-processed junk food — but the push for more animal protein quietly erases every environmental gain, and then some.

A small child under a green umbrella against a chalkboard with a rainbow and sun and rain on it

Vet student teaches youth how climate change impacts wildlife and human health

Veterinary medicine student Mikayla Astroff earned a Starfish Canada 2026 Climate 75 Fellowship for her work helping youth understand the impacts of climate change on our ecosystems.
A dentist showing a patient his xrays

Driving sustainability in dentistry

Dentistry has a role to play in reducing environmental impact while improving the oral health of the population.

A doctor working on a laptop

Sustainability can drive innovation and competitiveness in healthcare

Healthcare is increasingly being asked to square a difficult circle: deliver care without contributing to the environmental pressures driving disease in the first place.

A brown leaf surrounded by melting snow

Montana snowpack rapidly melted in May

Throughout May, warm temperatures across Montana led to a rapid melt off of the state’s snowpack, which sits “largely below 50% of median,” as of June 1.

An illustration of a car made out of green grass with a plug icon in the center

COP31 leaders unveil global targets, with spotlight on electrification

The two countries set to lead this year’s COP31 have unveiled three headline goals for November’s UN climate summit - on electrification, waste, and buildings.

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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