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Earth Island Journal
@earthislandjournal.bsky.social
A print and online magazine dedicated to thoughtful journalism about the environment and other intersectional issues. Send pitches to [email protected].
6,000 feet above sea level in South Dakota’s Black Hills, there’s a meadow. The Oceti Sakowin people of the Great Sioux Nation call it Pe’ Sla, which translates to “the heart of everything that is.”

Pe’ Sla is sacred to the Sioux. Soon, it could be a graphite mine.

From @a2-alliance.bsky.social
Protecting the Black Hills from Mining
Pe’ Sla is a sacred place to the Lakota. Soon, it could be a graphite mine.
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/the-heart-of-everything-that-is##
November 26, 2025 at 6:21 PM
If you’re one of the millions of Americans aiming to score new electronics this #BlackFriday, "you might want to consider the real costs of that sale-priced gizmo," writes @vincebeiser.bsky.social.

From environmental harm to child labor, the metals in these products cost far more than you think.
The Real Cost of Black Friday Electronics
From environmental harm to child labor, the metals in your gadgets cost far more than the sale price.
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/the-real-cost-of-black-friday-electronics##
November 25, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Despite being home to one of the largest petrochemical industries in the world, Texas has a rapidly growing solar energy market.

But a dramatic shift in federal policy and funding under Trump has left the industry unstable and uncertain of the future. Republished from @capitalandmain.bsky.social.
Known for Its Oil, Texas Became a Renewable Energy Leader. Now It’s Being Unplugged
The state was set to get $400 million to expand solar energy in disadvantaged communities. The Trump administration took it all back.
www.earthisland.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
The AI data center boom has spread to Tucson, Arizona. A developer linked to Amazon is pushing for a data center that would ultimately require more than half a billion gallons of water a year — in a desert.

But locals stood up in droves and the Tucson City Council did the unthinkable.
How One Arizona City Blocked a Data Center
“If Tucson can stop a data center from accessing its water, then any city can.”
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/how-one-arizona-city-blocked-a-data-center##
November 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM
While the US stayed home from #COP30, one delegation is there in full force: Big Agriculture.

According to a new investigation, more than 300 Big Ag lobbyists are taking part in the climate talks.

By @rachelsherrington.bsky.social and @ninalakhani.bsky.social for @theguardian.com and @desmog.com
More Than 300 Big Agriculture Lobbyists Have Taken Part in COP30, Investigation Finds
Lobbyists representing an industry responsible for one-quarter to one-third of global emissions participated in key talks at the UN climate summit.
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/more-than-300-big-agriculture-lobbyists-have-taken-part-in-cop30-investigation-finds##
November 18, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Kumi Naidoo, president of @fossiltreaty.bsky.social makes an emotional plea at #COP30 about the urgent need to phase out oil, gas, and coal. "There is nothing more important," he says.
undefined on Instagram: "fossilfueltreaty“My exhaustion, sleep deficit, and all the emotions of #COP30 got the better of me. Had a bit of a breakdown here i…"
fossilfueltreaty“My exhaustion, sleep deficit, and all the emotions of #COP30 got the better of me. Had a bit of a breakdown here in Belem—as the weight of the urgency that we find ourselves in continued to sit on my shoulders.We are running out of time to protect our children and their children’s future from catastrophic climate change.If we do not have a clear commitment to phase-out fossil fuels, humanity will lose the battle against the climate crisis.I appeal urgently to all the leaders gathered here at COP30: Stop the addiction to fossil fuels. We need a serious fossil fuel phaseout plan.The thing that gives me hope is a growing bloc of countries working on a roadmap for a fast and fair global transition to phase out fossil fuels – the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty.”Check out the emotional and powerful intervention from @kuminaidoo, President of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative.
www.instagram.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:21 PM
When the movie Jaws came out 50 years ago, it was promoted with the tagline, “Don’t go in the water.” The new documentary The Age of Water could tweak that to “Don’t drink the water.”

But this film is not all dark; it’s a hopeful tale about the power of ordinary people organizing for their rights.
What Lies Beneath?
A new documentary set in central Mexico follows two mothers as they fight to uncover what poisoned their daughters.
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/what-lies-beneath##
November 13, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Earth Island Journal
With so much national political noise, it's easy to overlook successes close to home. My first article for @earthislandjournal.bsky.social Journal looks at the movement to build trails for people of all abilities, including those on wheels @appmtnclub.bsky.social www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
Walk This Way — Or Roll
Amid federal cuts to alternative transportation projects, states like Massachusetts are leading the way in creating universally accessible trails for hikers of all abilities.
www.earthisland.org
November 10, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Apurímac, a mountainous region in southern Peru, is a place of immense natural beauty and cultural wealth. Members of the Indigenous community of Pumamarca there say both the environment and their way of life under threat from the expansion of the country’s largest copper mine, known as Las Bambas.
A Local Indigenous Community Pushes Back Against Peru’s Largest Copper Mine
Pumamarca residents say their ancestral lands, water resources, and way of life are at risk as the Las Bambas mine expands.
www.earthisland.org
November 13, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Reposted by Earth Island Journal
It's that time of year. Time to wonder: Why do we change the clocks? This story, originally published by
@us.theconversation.com, centers an Indigenous approach to question why we "fight against our biological presets" to favor productivity when we "need winter to rest and summer to bloom."
Daylight Saving Time Runs Counter to Human Nature – and Nature Itself
An Indigenous approach shows how changing the clocks to “save” daylight hours means losing some of our natural rhythms.
www.earthisland.org
November 6, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Earth Island Journal
My latest, via @earthislandjournal.bsky.social:
On one point, Bill Gates and I agree. Gates writes “There is no CEO who sets the world’s climate priorities or strategies, which is exactly as it should be."
Let’s take him at his word on that.
www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
The Billionaires Won’t Save Us
What Bill Gates’s climate memo gets wrong — and why.
www.earthisland.org
November 5, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Last week, as a who's who of climate scientists warned that global society is “hurtling toward climate chaos,” @billgates.bsky.social released a memo saying the opposite.

As @jasondovemark.bsky.social writes, the memo is “standard issue delay, only now dressed in the good vibes of philanthropy.”
The Billionaires Won’t Save Us
What Bill Gates’s climate memo gets wrong — and why.
www.earthisland.org
November 5, 2025 at 7:37 PM
As more people of all ages and abilities turn to the outdoors, there’s growing interest in building trails that are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.

Massachusetts is one state leading the way. Story by @jenniferweeks83.bsky.social.

www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
Walk This Way — Or Roll
Amid federal cuts to alternative transportation projects, states like Massachusetts are leading the way in creating universally accessible trails for hikers of all abilities.
www.earthisland.org
November 4, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Earth Island Journal
🗳️ It's election day on Tuesday! This may be an an off-off-cycle year, but there are still a handful of important races for the climate.

@emilypont.bsky.social points out a handful for you to pay attention to tomorrow ⤵️:
The Climate Races to Watch on Tuesday
It’s an off-off-cycle election year, but there are still a handful of key elections going on in Georgia, New Jersey, and Virginia.
heatmap.news
November 3, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Seven years after a super typhoon leveled Saipan’s largest middle school, it has yet to be rebuilt. That wait has taken a toll on the thousands of students who have attended the school since, and serves as a symbol of how cyclones can plague communities years after they pass through. #The89Percent
A Storm Leveled Their School. Seven Years Later, They’re Still Waiting For Help
Saipan’s Hopwood Middle School is a haunting symbol of a super typhoon’s legacy from 2018 and how Pacific cyclones can plague communities years after they pass through.
www.earthisland.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Experimental projects by the US Forest Service are testing the relocation of trees, moving seedlings from where they are growing to where climate data predicts they will grow. The "assisted migration" projects have sparked both curiosity and concern. #The89Percent www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...
Helping Trees Move Up
Experimental projects by the US Forest Service are testing if relocating trees can help them survive climate disruption.
www.earthisland.org
October 29, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Reposted by Earth Island Journal
A century after it was first described, an international voyage has captured the first confirmed video of a colossal squid in its natural habitat.

Watch the video and read more in @theconversation.com : theconversation.com/a-century-af...
A century after its discovery, scientists capture first confirmed footage of a colossal squid in the deep
The first confirmed footage of a juvenile colossal squid in its natural habitat shows a delicate and graceful animal – far from the “monster” narrative we see all too often.
theconversation.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:19 AM
A group of Pakistani farmers whose livelihoods were devastated by floods three years ago has fired the starting shot in legal action against two of Germany’s most polluting companies. #The89Percent @coveringclimatenow.org
Pakistani Farmers to Sue German Polluters Over Climate-Linked Flood Damage
Claimants seek compensation from RWE and Heidelberg Materials after extreme flooding destroyed harvests
www.earthisland.org
October 28, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Reposted by Earth Island Journal
For a fourth straight year, banks are making more money providing loans and underwriting bond sales for green-related projects than they’re earning from fossil fuel companies
Banks Earn More Fees From Green Bonds Than From Big Oil Issuance
For a fourth straight year, banks are making more money providing loans and underwriting bond sales for green-related projects than they’re earning from fossil fuel companies.
bloom.bg
October 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM
#Melissa, expected to make landfall on Tuesday, is reportedly strongest #hurricane to hit #Jamaica since record keeping began in 1851. 😟
Hurricane Melissa, at Category 5, is set to slam into Jamaica as island's strongest recorded storm
Hurricane Melissa has intensified to a Category 5 storm as it nears Jamaica. On Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that Melissa is expected to make landfall on the island Tuesday, bri...
apnews.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:10 PM
It is widely recognized that climate change is the biggest global health threat that we face today. But the question of how climate change affects our brains gets relatively little attention.
How Does Climate Change Affect Our Brains?
Earth Island Journal supports environmental activists and leaders working to protect the biological and cultural diversity that sustains our environment
www.earthisland.org
October 24, 2025 at 9:12 PM
UCLA now manages more than 90 percent of its grounds without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The university has also worked to remove turf and dramatically increase plantings of drought-tolerant native species, one of a number of US campuses committed to rewiliding their school grounds.
Restoring Biodiversity at Centers of Learning
Universities across the US are growing native gardens and ditching pesticides.
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/restoring-biodiversity-at-centers-of-learning##
October 23, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Colorado oil and gas companies used toxic chemicals prohibited under state law in operations involving dozens of wells on either side of the Rocky Mountains, a recent investigation found.
Oil and Gas Companies Used Banned Toxic Chemicals Near the Rocky Mountains
One of the prohibited substances can cause cancer; new state law forced operators to identify chemicals.
www.earthisland.org
October 22, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Decades of crude oil spills and gas flaring have transformed the Niger Delta into one of the most polluted places on Earth. Now, in the face of mounting lawsuits over spills and declining outputs, the international oil companies that plundered these lands are rushing to divest from the region.
Big Oil is Deserting the Polluted Niger Delta
After decades of plunder, oil giants are scrambling to divest from the Niger Delta without cleaning up or paying reparations to impacted communities.
www.earthisland.org
October 21, 2025 at 6:05 PM