The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the reliance on Big Pharma in the global North to supply life-saving vaccines to the rest of the world is ineffective and dangerous. In this in-depth feature, Amy Maxmen takes a look at global vaccine inequality, and the effort of a network of countries — led by Afrigen, a […]
nature
Posted inCuration, Nonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, our editors recommend notable features and essays by Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Justin Heckert, Gloria Liu, Sharon Levy, and Mychal Denzel Smith.
Posted inEditor's Pick
How the Yurok Tribe Is Bringing Back the California Condor
“The reintroduction of the long-lived, highly social birds has offered insight into the importance of parenting in the species.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Will Northwest Seaweed Farming Finally Take Off?
In this piece from late 2020, Stefan Milne explores the incredible potential of kelp as “a tool to fight ocean acidification, feed the world, and restore Native food sovereignty.” One study estimated a “marine garden” the size of Washington state could provide enough protein to feed earth’s population, all while cleaning pollutants. He dove into […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
Dislodged
In this beautiful personal essay, Josh McColough recounts a road trip with his daughter along the coast of California and makes poignant observations about humanity and our vulnerable environment. Still, we too often move through life not considering our size and stature relative to forces and objects that humble us. Geologic time. Plate tectonics. A […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Lion King of Los Angeles
Growing up in Los Angeles as a Latino child interested in science, Miguel Ordeñana didn’t really have any role models to look up to. Now, as a wildlife biologist, his research on P-22, the famous mountain lion of Griffith Park, is important and inspiring. Ordeñana is an advocate for landscape connectivity and a more inclusive […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
Off the East Coast, a Massive Network of Wind Turbines Is Coming—Along With New Risks for Migrating Birds
Birds crossing the Atlantic Ocean, like gannets, will soon have to navigate wind farms — and some will die because of them. But the shift to clean energy is crucial for their survival — and for the future of our entire ecosystem. In the coming years, gannets zipping along the Eastern Seaboard will encounter unprecedented […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
Plovers Quarrel: A Tiny, Endangered Bird Returns to Sauble Beach to Find Sunbathers Dug Into the Sand
After a 30-year absence, the plover, a tiny bird, returned to touristy Sauble Beach on the Ontario Peninsula. Now, the town’s residents are arguing over what the beach should be — and how both humans and these endangered birds can share the sand. Pristine white sand is the preferred backdrop for sunbathing, picnics, sandcastles and […]
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Feature, Nonfiction, Story
Searching for the Mountaintop in Upstate New York
A family confronts its racial past along the Appalachian Trail.