soil pollution
Newsletter
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Wildfire retardants help stop fires — but also impact ecosystems
In the rush to put out wildfires, hundreds of millions of litres of fire retardant are dropped on forests across North America. New research shows the effects they can have on water and ecosystems — especially when accidents happen
Credit: Bora030/BigStock Photo ID: 107969429
A Chinese lawyer takes on mining giants abroad
When a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia spilled toxic waste into rivers and farms, veteran lawyer Jingjing Zhang stepped in to help communities fight back, part of her global campaign to hold Chinese companies accountable.
In short:
- For half a day, 50 million liters of mine waste surged into Zambia’s Kafue River system, poisoning drinking water and wiping out crops and fish stocks for thousands.
- Zhang, dubbed the “Chinese Erin Brockovich,” has spent decades pioneering legal tactics to challenge polluters, now training lawyers across the Global South on how to confront Chinese state-owned firms.
- Despite official claims that the situation was “under control,” independent tests later found high levels of heavy metals, while affected villagers received only small, uneven compensation payments.
Key quote:
“Even if we lose, we show people that the law can be a tool for them — that they have rights.”
— Jingjing Zhang, lawyer and founder of the Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability
Why this matters:
Jingjing Zhang's latest environmental justice battle is part of a bigger story: the expanding global footprint of Chinese companies and the environmental wreckage that sometimes follows. While Beijing talks about green development, its firms abroad have been linked to toxic spills, deforestation, and contaminated air and water. Who pays the price when rivers turn toxic and farmland dies? In this case, the villagers in Zambia got a pittance, even as their health and livelihoods are left in question.
Read more:
- In push to mine for minerals, clean energy advocates ask what going green really means
- Mokshda Kaul on making the clean energy transition work for all
- ‘Living under this constant threat’: Environmental defenders face a mounting mental health crisis
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Credit: Tashka/BigStock Photo ID: 169069691
Laguna Pueblo continues to suffer with legacy uranium waste, despite expanded federal compensation program
Decades of uranium mining at Laguna Pueblo left lasting contamination and health crises, even as a new law finally promises compensation to post-1971 workers.
In short:
- The Jackpile Mine, once the world’s largest open-pit uranium mine, remains a toxic Superfund site, with contaminated water and soil still affecting local people, animals, and agriculture.
- New Mexico uranium workers exposed after 1971 are now eligible for a one-time $100,000 payment under the expanded Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act (RECA), but the application process is not yet open and is surrounded by confusion.
- Advocacy groups warn that the physical and social fallout — illness, environmental damage, and the risk of renewed mining — continues to affect the Pueblo community, highlighting gaps in accountability and safety measures.
Key quote:
"I get calls every week: Somebody passed away. Cancer. These horrible diseases that are not even qualified diseases for RECA compensation. We’ve had a lot of our young people die of cancer. They’re in their twenties and thirties."
— Lorretta Anderson, co-founder, Southwest Uranium Miners Coalition Post-71
Why this matters:
Children playing near old tailings, farmers tending fields laced with radioactive remnants, and families drinking contaminated water and living with chronic illnesses all carry the invisible cost of an industry that boomed and then went bust. Jackpile left a legacy of contaminated water, soil, and serious health problems that the community continues to wrestle with today. Laguna Pueblo’s struggle is a stark reminder that some environmental and health crises don’t end when the last miner walks away — they linger for generations, quietly shaping lives and landscapes.
Now, with demand for nuclear power accelerating, the uranium industry has come knocking again in many impacted communities, promising that new technologies will guard against the health and environmental devastation of past mining eras. For those still dealing with legacy mining waste, the industry's promises ring hollow.
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Newsletter
Credit: Anan Kaewkhammul/Big Stock Photo
Interior Department drops wildlife and historic site reviews for orphaned well cleanups
The U.S. Interior Department will no longer require endangered species or historic preservation reviews for states using federal grants to plug abandoned oil and gas wells, a change that could speed cleanups but raises legal questions.
In short:
- The Trump administration ruled that orphaned well cleanup grants are not subject to the Endangered Species Act or National Historic Preservation Act, removing a step states had previously been required to take.
- Legal experts question the decision’s basis, warning states could face lawsuits if federally funded projects harm endangered species without protective permits.
- States with large numbers of abandoned wells, including Texas and Pennsylvania, welcomed the change, citing faster work and fewer administrative delays.
Key quote:
“Starting a reckless race to plug oil and gas wells at the expense of endangered species and historic sites only adds insult to injury. A better approach is making sure these companies pay to quickly and responsibly clean up the messes they created so Americans don’t get stuck with the bill.”
— Hollin Kretzmann, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity
Why this matters:
Orphaned oil and gas wells are a major source of methane emissions, leaking a potent greenhouse gas linked to climate change. They can also contaminate groundwater and soil, posing long-term health and environmental risks to surrounding communities. Removing environmental and historic preservation reviews may allow faster plugging, but it also reduces oversight intended to protect wildlife habitats and cultural landmarks. With hundreds of thousands of wells already documented — and potentially a million more undiscovered — the scale of the cleanup effort is vast. Decisions about how to balance speed with safeguards will shape not only climate and conservation outcomes, but also the financial and legal liabilities borne by states and taxpayers.
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Newsletter
Ugandan farmers adopt new methods to fight deadly landslides and climate change
After devastating landslides killed dozens in 2024, farmers on Mount Elgon are turning to agroforestry and Indigenous planting to protect their land and livelihoods.
Alex Wandeba and Freddie Clayton report for Yale Environment 360.
In short:
- In November 2024, landslides triggered by intense rainfall killed at least 28 people and displaced hundreds in Uganda’s Mount Elgon region, highlighting the growing risk from deforestation and climate change.
- Local farmers, many of whom have lost homes or loved ones, are now embracing agroforestry practices, combining native trees and perennial crops to reduce erosion, rebuild soil health, and improve water retention.
- Community-led programs supported by NGOs and international partners are training residents in sustainable land-use techniques, but long-term success depends on continued funding, proper tree selection, and cultural engagement.
Key quote:
“People lost their lives, properties, crops, animals. They saw the negative impact, and they understood they could make a difference.”
— Rogers Fungo, project officer at MEACCE
Why this matters:
Mount Elgon’s slopes are fertile and densely populated, but they’ve become dangerously unstable. As the climate warms and rainfall intensifies, landslides are striking more often and with greater force. Tree loss, poor farming techniques, and rapid development have left the land stripped and fragile. Efforts to replant native trees and adopt agroforestry mark a shift away from damaging practices, but these strategies require time, labor, and investment. With millions living in similar mountainous regions worldwide, Mount Elgon’s story is a preview of what unchecked environmental stress can bring, as well as an opportunity to explore solutions.
Related: Deforestation leads to risky dietary changes in Uganda's wildlife
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Nuclear energy’s clean image leaves out the radioactive baggage
Nuclear energy is making a global comeback as a supposed climate fix, but Indigenous communities say its toxic past and present make it far from clean.
In short:
- Thirty-one countries, including the U.S., have pledged to triple nuclear energy by 2050, touting it as a zero-emissions alternative to fossil fuels amid rising electricity demands from AI and tech industries.
- Critics argue the “clean” label ignores uranium’s dirty journey — from mines on Indigenous lands to radioactive waste that lasts tens of thousands of years — leaving cancer clusters and poisoned water in its wake.
- Activists like Jesse Deer In Water and Leona Morgan, who’ve lived near nuclear sites, are calling for reparations, ethical oversight, and Indigenous representation in nuclear energy decisions.
Key quote:
“All along this journey of uranium for nuclear power and for nuclear bombs, they leave behind these poisoned communities. The moral debt that the United States owes to Indigenous people is ridiculous. It’ll probably never be met.”
— Jesse Deer In Water, Indigenous anti-nuclear activist
Why this matters:
Nuclear power is strutting back onto the global stage, dressed in a green halo and marketed as the solution to our overheating planet. Activists like Jesse Deer In Water and Leona Morgan aren’t buying the green rebrand. They’ve seen how nuclear waste lingers for generations and how policy decisions are made without including those most affected. If we’re going to call nuclear power clean, they argue, we’d better reckon with its full cost — and start listening to the communities who’ve been carrying that radioactive baggage all along.
Read more:
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Big food brands are falling short on their regenerative agriculture promises
A new report finds that many of the world’s largest food companies are missing the mark on regenerative agriculture, offering little more than buzzwords while continuing to support unsustainable farming practices.
In short:
- Most major food companies received a “D” grade for failing to adequately support farming that improves soil health, reduces pollution, and cuts chemical use.
- While some companies like PepsiCo and Lamb Weston lead the pack with clearer goals and data collection, most offer vague programs without requiring meaningful action from their suppliers.
- The report warns that loosely defined “regenerative” programs risk becoming greenwashing unless companies enforce clear standards and stop relying on harmful practices like excessive pesticide use.
Key quote:
“Engaging in a full range of regenerative practices is essential to improving soil health, biodiversity, farm resilience, and other outcomes. Companies requiring two or fewer practices as part of their regenerative programs … may fail to regenerate healthy soils and be at risk for greenwashing claims.”
— report from the nonprofit group, As You Sow
Why this matters:
Industrial farming practices directly affect human health through pesticide exposure, polluted water, and degraded food quality. This report makes it clear that major food giants are not doing nearly enough to help farmers shift to practices that build soil, cut pollution, and reduce pesticide dependence. As long as “regenerative” remains a vague feel-good term without real standards, it risks becoming yet another greenwashing label slapped on business as usual.
Read more: As regenerative agriculture gains momentum, report warns of “greenwashing”
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