The Making of the ‘Thin Green Line’
This story is published as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. One afternoon in 2012, members of the Lummi Nation called a public
Marlene Cimons
Writer and Journalist
Marlene Cimons
Anti-Immigration Policies Are Hurting the COVID-19 Fight
A prominent Asian virologist with longstanding ties to the United States was making plans to attend a conference here when he learned he couldn’t get a visa. It was the first time
When Disaster Strikes, Disinformation Spreads
Rumors take hold after every crisis, whether it’s a global pandemic or a climate-driven disaster. Social media makes it easy. Anyone can post any story, true or not, and count on others
This Man Wants to Make You a Tower Climbing Grease Monkey
Thanks to the coronavirus, we are rapidly heading toward a recession. Lawmakers are scrambling for ways to keep the economy aloft — distributing relief payments, bolstering unemployment, bailing out out hard-hit industries. But these
Want to Stop Climate Change? Educate Girls.
Greta Thunberg, who famously missed school to protest climate change, recently met Malala Yousafzai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize fighting to make sure girls could get an education. The photo op
Thawing Permafrost Is Letting Scientists Study Long-Dead Diseases
For decades, the Inuit woman, a victim of the 1918 Spanish flu, lay buried in a mass grave under six feet of Alaskan permafrost. But when the frozen ground began to thaw
Cool Designs to Guard Against Flooding (PHOTOS)
Architect Ruurd Gietema lives in The Netherlands, a country perennially trying to hold back the sea. He said his homeland has paid a price for the high dikes and tall dunes it
Air Pollution Could Be Making You Anxious, Depressed — and Violent
There is a wealth of research detailing all the terrible things that air pollution can do to your body, such as contributing to heart disease, lung cancer, childhood asthma and emphysema, among
Climate Refugees Face an Uncertain Future Under Trump
Belinda Osorio Hanzman chokes up at the thought of having to leave her two children behind in Florida if she is forced to go back to Honduras, the country where she was
Racist Housing Policies Have Left Communities of Color at Greater Risk of Extreme Heat
Extreme heat often kills more people in this country than hurricanes, floods, lightning and tornadoes. But heat is not an equal opportunity killer. “It’s very selective in the way it kills people,”
As California Forests Heat Up, Birds Are Flocking to Higher Ground
Forests are critical to slowing climate change because they soak up huge amounts of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Birds help keep forests healthy by eating insects that spread tree-killing diseases. Birds also scatter
The Innovative Design of One of the World’s Largest Net-Zero Buildings
It is hard to build a net-zero building — one that produces more energy than it consumes — in the middle of a city. For one thing, nearby skyscrapers might block sunlight from reaching rooftop solar
Scientists Use Underwater Speakers to Lure Fish to Dead Reefs
A healthy coral reef sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies in milk. Snap. Crackle. Pop. “Thousands of invertebrates make this constant crackling, sizzling, static-like sound as … shrimp snap their claws and
Worsening Weather Could Make Life Miserable for Lupus Patients
Rheumatologist George Stojan says that many of his lupus patients know their joints are going to swell or go stiff when the weather shifts, particularly when the temperature or humidity changes. It
Climate Change Could Mean Shorter Winters, But Longer Flu Seasons
The flu has a paradoxical relationship with the weather. In the United States, the flu thrives in the winter, when the air is cold and crisp, and then ebbs in the spring,
When Selling Your Home, It Pays to Be a Climate Change Denier
David Fisher worries about what could happen to his home on Fire Island in an era of rising seas. The two-story wood-and-glass house is only 75 feet from Great South Bay and
Air Pollution Could Literally Cause You to Lose Your Hair
There is no question that air pollution poses a serious health danger. It exacerbates asthma, especially in children, and shortens lives. It’s also linked to diabetes, cognitive decline and birth defects, as
Environmental Scientists Want Help Coping With Their Grief
Scientist Tim Gordon studies how rising temperatures are damaging corals in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, where intense cyclones and warm waters have caused extensive damage in recent years. What he sees brings
Illegal Gold Mining Is Laying Waste to the Amazon
Last summer, scientist Maria Rodriguez traveled to the Peruvian region of Madre de Dios, once the home of lush rainforests, meandering rivers and thriving wildlife. But her destination was anything but picturesque.
How Your Prescription Drugs Could Kill You During Heat Waves
One day during the summer of 2018, Nita Sweeney, a 58-year-old retired lawyer-turned-author from Upper Arlington, Ohio, set off for a 7-mile run — a normal distance for an avid runner. It was warm
Scientists Use the Dark of Night to Generate Clean Energy
Scientist Aaswath Raman long has been keen on discovering new sources of clean energy by creating novel materials that can make use of heat and light. And lately, he has focused on
Politics Is Literally Keeping Americans Up at Night
Two defining features of the Trump presidency are conflict and chaos. From the moment he took the oath of office, waves of criticism followed him wherever he went. Now, as the House
Meet Kick-Ass Teen Climate Activist Xiye Bastida
Xiye Bastida grew up in the Mexican town of San Pedro Tultepec embracing the Otomi indigenous belief that if you take care of the Earth, it will take care of you. “Earth
Century-Old Ship Logs Show How Much Ice the Arctic Has Lost
When retired Canadian meteorologist Michael Purves transcribes the handwritten notes from an ancient ship’s log, he finds himself transported back in time a century, imagining he is on board an old cutter,
It Ain’t Easy Selling Green
When Morgan Poor gave birth to her son, she and her husband shopped around for the perfect diaper, hoping to find one that was both effective and environmentally friendly. They tried a