As one presidential administration transitions to the next, incoming officials begin to remake policy. “Elections have consequences,” they say. What’s often not examined are the stories of individuals and communities who are harmed by whipsawing priorities. Steve Mencher takes us into the lives of three advocates who were members of the Biden administration's White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. They now must rebuild coalitions to rectify environmental injustices after the Trump administration's termination of an executive order that gave hope and agency to activists.
In Iran, low air quality looms over the country as it still relies on low cost yet low quality fuel sources while unregulated vehicles sputter unfiltered fumes out of exhausts. Erfan Rashidi voices frustration with Iran’s prioritization of profit over quality of life for the Iranian people, highlighting the country's capitalist and industrial pursuits over preserving Iran’s vast natural resources.
The extraction of natural resources for energy production across human history is marred with injustices to local indigenous populations, it has disrupted entire ecosystems, and frequently put Black and Brown populations in harm's way. Author Moah Christensen explains that “othering” populations in pursuit of energy production has existed since the overhunting of whales for their energy-dense oils in the 19th century; it has persisted through the fossil fuel boom and into the present production of renewable energy.
As climate anxiety continues to loom over communities across the world, author Freyalise Matasar articulates the simultaneous concern she has for a degrading planet and an academic and professional future in limbo. As a high school senior applying to universities this year, Freyalise gives voice to the uneasiness of a generation in the face of President Trump’s barrage on higher education and climate initiatives.
Ancestral time, explained by author Olya K-Mehri, is cyclical, relational, and the missing piece in our current climate rhetoric. Current discourse harps on the sentiment of safeguarding the earth for “future generations”. Olya shows that by fixating on the future like this, we lose focus of our present needs, lose sight of what we’ve inherited from past generations, and uphold a capitalist technology-focused future that overlooks actual climate resiliency.
Author Abiola Davis acknowledges that while damaging, the global climate struggle presents an opportunity for unity and coalition building as varying demographics across Scotland are unilaterally impacted by climate change. As reports continue to paint a bleak picture of environmental changes around Scotland, leveraging collective foresight could curb the severity of expected damage and - critically - bring unity to a politically divided Scotland.
How do we make sense of 2025? Amidst what feels like a serious backsliding of progress and democracy, there have also been some serious victories and large-scale wins. This month, we bring you a visual summary of 2025 - The good, the bad, and what's actionable, too.
Nature-based solutions (NBS) to climate change are having their moment. Prized for their low-cost implementation yet high-efficacy, they are the standard for a resilience solution that is affordable, effective, and community enhancing.
Interviewing doctors from Health for XR, a collective of UK-based medical professionals dedicated to leading direct action protests against climate change, brings to light the deep intersection of health care and climate activism.
Global climate frameworks still fail to hold a major polluting sector accountable: the global military industrial complex, which, it turns out, is the world’s fourth-largest polluter. There are three necessary shifts to actualize a world that holds militaries accountable and prioritizes communities impacted by conflicts that destroy and contaminate essential natural resources.
