Journalism
Freelance contributions to a variety of periodicals, in print and online.
In Germany, the Energy Transition Continues
Germany’s much-vaunted Energiewende or “Energy Transition” is ambitious–and deeply challenging to implement. Here’s a progress report for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, timed to coincide with inauguration of Joe Biden, who promised to begin a new era of climate progress on this side of the Atlantic.
Climate Change in The American Leader
A dramatic change in presidential leadership means it’s time to rethink how the United States deals with climate change. What’s to be expected of the new Biden administration?
The Most Beautiful Climate Change Adaptation Project in the World
In 2019 I worked with colleagues at NAU to develop a new online journal dedicated to artistic and literary responses to climate change. For the first issue I interviewed a German engineer whose job it is to protect the city of Hamburg from sea level rise.
In Paraguay, rural communities facing deforestation see power – and profit – in a beloved drink
In Paraguay, yerba mate is a beloved drink. And if it’s grown sustainably, it just might provide a means for struggling rural communities to provide for their future. A report from The Conversation.
A new use for old produce
What do you do when the systems we use to bring food into the country are wasteful? If you’re Yolanda Soto in Nogales, Arizona, you get to work and share.
Generating Controversy
A story commissioned by National Parks magazine, about the impact of the Navajo Power Plant on the local people living nearby.
Star Trek: How Birds Use Electromagnetic Cues to Travel
How do migrating birds find their way at night? An overview of recent research on the topic, from Audubon magazine.
Phoenix Tries To Rise from the Flames
The sweltering heat island that envelops Phoenix every summer is Phoenicians’ own fault. But can clever design help lower the mercury? An assessment from a High Country News special issue.
Southwestern Farmers Share Their Water with Endangered Birds
Why would beleaguered New Mexico farmers share scarce water supplies with a nondescript songbird? Read the full account of a new chapter in the West’s water wars in this Audubon feature, with photos by Mike Lundgren.
WW II-Era Law Keeps Germany Hooked on ‘Brown Coal’ Despite Renewables Shift
Even as it continues through a huge build-out of renewable energy, Germany continues to rely on the world’s most polluting fuel for a big percentage of its electricity. A report for InsideClimate News.
Catching Fire: Restoring Arizona’s Overgrown Forests
The Southwest’s overgrown ponderosa pine forests need help. A broad-based restoration initiative in Arizona aims for long-term ecological integrity, and for good jobs in the woods. Read the story, and see Chris Crisman’s splendid photos, at Nature Conservancy Magazine.
Why Is Germany’s Greenest City Building a Coal-Fired Power Plant?
Germany’s Energiewende or “energy transition” is far from a smooth path. One of the speed bumps on the way is a giant new coal-fired power plant under construction in Hamburg. A site report for InsideClimate News.
Despite New Obstacles, Germans Still Aim for Future Without Nukes or Fossil Fuels
It’s a national project at least as ambitious as America’s effort to reach the moon, and fraught with obstacles. Yet Germany is serious about switching to renewable energies while switching off nuclear and fossil-fuel electricity. A progress report for InsideClimate News.
A Key Experiment to Probe the Future of Our Acidifying Oceans
In a Swedish fjord, European researchers are conducting an ambitious experiment aimed at better understanding how ocean acidification will affect marine life. A field report for Yale Environment 360.
Will Navajos Approve a Grand Canyon Megadevelopment?
A proposal for a touristic megadevelopment in the Grand Canyon, on the edge of one of the U.S.’ poorest communities: what could go wrong? An overview for the High Country News.
Cutting a Lifeline
Arizona’s San Pedro River is a green corridor in the desert, and an important pathway for migratory birds. But a huge proposed development nearby threatens the river’s flow. A report for Audubon.
Pick Your Poison
Thanks to Rachel Carson’s crusade, DDT was banned and birds are rebounding. If only it were that simple. A retrospective look on the 50th anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring.
The Science of Feathers
They are what most makes a bird a bird. New research is showing how they formed and how they help birds survive. An overview for Audubon.
Pecking Order
Birds’ beaks look hard and unvarying. But they’re not. An essay on the wondrous malleability of birds’ business end, from Audubon.
The World’s Best Bad Idea
Almost everybody agrees that pumping vast quantities of carbon dioxide into the oceans is a terrible way to deal with climate change. But our current inaction on climate change means that future generations may well have to make some terrible choices. A cover story from Miller-McCune that was underwritten by a 2010 Abe Journalism Fellowship.
