A fair amount of my mail — electronic, conventional — comes from people who Know that they have The Answer to our environmental woes. The Answer varies from year to year Continue reading →

In my last column for the magazine I wrote about numbers. Now I’d like for us to do some math. Let’s assume, generously, that 5 percent of Americans are deeply concerned Continue reading →

I ALMOST NEVER write about writing — in my aesthetic, the writing should disappear, the thought linger. But the longer I’ve spent working on global warming — the greatest challenge humans Continue reading →

CHEAP FOSSIL FUEL has made us what we are. Which is to say: rich, powerful — Look at us! We can make the ice caps melt! The oceans rise! But something Continue reading →

From his desk in an office in Chicago, Jeff Smith has a bird’s-eye view of the American landscape. Combing through a huge database of information compiled by the EPA, he can, Continue reading →