Writing about the environment these days can be tough. There’s more bad news than good. Climate-fueled disasters, new extinctions, science denial — we’ve covered some topics this year that will make your heart sink.
But there’s a lot of encouraging news, too. As we look back at 2021, we want to revisit the stories that gave us hope, introduced new solutions, and highlighted the people hard at work on some of the most challenging issues of our day.
Here are a dozen stories to fuel your fire for the year ahead:
A Nose for Science: Conservation Dogs May Help in Search for Endangered Franklin’s Bumblebee — Rescue dogs become sleuths for conservation.
How Wildlife Rescuers Can Protect Public Health — What happens when you combine machine learning, computer science, epidemiology and wildlife health? Something pretty amazing.
The Divestment Movement’s Big Month — The economic war on fossil fuels is gaining strength.
Fisher Rewilding: How Washington State Is Restoring a Native Carnivore — An emerging population of fishers has been years in the making.
Stormwater Could Become an Important Water Source — If We Stopped Ignoring It — It’s not sexy, but the benefits are plenty.
New Clues to Help Monarch Conservation Efforts — Planting milkweed helps these vanishing butterflies. But there’s more to it than that.
Are We Managing Invasive Species Wrong? — Researchers made a surprising discovery in a California lagoon.
The Race to Build Solar Power in the Desert — and Protect Rare Plants and Animals — More solar with less environmental harm.
Our Last, Best Chance to Save Atlantic Salmon — It’s dam removal or bust for Atlantic salmon.
Could Property Law Help Achieve ‘Rights of Nature’ for Wild Animals? — It’s not as wild an idea as you might think.
Do Species Awareness Days Work? — Spoiler alert: They do. But there are specific ways to make them more effective.
Scientists Find New Way to Reduce Marine ‘Dead Zones’ — How much benefit we get from wetlands really depends on where restoration efforts take place.
