Derrick Z. Jackson: The Fight for Clean Water — Majesty or Madness
I came upon six great blue herons grabbing herring out of the water as gulls swooped down for the leftovers. The Charles is now its own wildlife refuge.
Derrick Z. Jackson: Protecting Puffins in Maine Is an Emotional Commitment
After contorting under boulders for puffin chicks, chasing skittish tern chicks in the weeds and sitting as stone-silent sentinels in bird blinds to observe feeding and behavior, the five-person research crew on Seal Island relaxed in their work cabin in the orange and purple sunset glow.
Derrick Z. Jackson: Administration Cuts Will Leave No Refuge for Wildlife
Smyrna, Delaware—Bald eagles descended to pose on the banks and boulders on the mudflats. Shorebirds bobbed in shallow pools. Great blue herons, great egrets, and snowy egrets snapped up fish … Continue reading
Derrick Z. Jackson: EPA Staff Stand Firm As Administration Lobs Cuts, Baseless Accusations, and Cruelty
A decimated EPA means less scrutiny for another Flint water crisis, less eyeballs on Superfund sites, and limited ability to investigate toxic contamination after train derailments, such as the incident two years ago in East Palestine, Ohio.
Derrick Z. Jackson: Republicans Line Up for the Real Scam on Renewable Energy
For all that President-elect Donald Trump trashed renewable energy on the stump, much of his ranting may very well become a murmur when he returns to the Oval Office.
Derrick Z. Jackson: Uneasy Election Enthusiasm in Philadelphia
More than any other social condition, concentrated poverty erodes the cooperative networks on which democratic participation depends.
Derrick Z. Jackson: Wetland Protections Remain Bogged Down in Mystery
It is mind-bog-gling, syllable pun intended, that scientists still do not know how many wetlands lost protection in last year’s crippling of the Clean Water Act by the Supreme Court. A new … Continue reading
Derrick Z. Jackson: Care for Endangered Seabirds Continues Amid a 51-Year Legacy of Optimism
Steve Kress’s smile lit up the dusk as research assistants at least 50 years younger than him regaled him with tales of their vigilance to save tern chicks on Stratton Island, Maine.
Derrick Z. Jackson: Ripe for Disaster Declarations | Heat, Wildfire Smoke…and Death Data
It is clear that the opposition is willing to risk sacrificing lower-wage construction and farm workers to the sun’s brutality as executives count the cash in air conditioned offices.
Derrick Z. Jackson: In the Race for Clean Energy, the United States is Both a Leader and a Laggard—Here’s How
Announcing recently that the world broke a record by generating 30 percent of all electricity from renewable sources in 2023, the British think tank Ember said the data proves we are in a “new era” of energy in which a permanent decline in fossil fuels is “inevitable.
Derrick Z. Jackson: After Decades of Disinformation, the US Finally Begins Regulating PFAS Chemicals
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it would regulate two forms of PFAS contamination under Superfund laws reserved for “the nation’s worst hazardous waste sites.”
Derrick Z. Jackson: The Very Slow Road to Banning Asbestos
Like almost all things chemical in the United States, the recent announcement by the Biden administration that it is banning a major form of asbestos is both a triumph and a disgrace.
Derrick Z. Jackson: House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Climate Change Playbook — Deny the Science, Take the Funding
It took no time for Mike Johnson to establish a hefty carbon footprint as new Speaker of the House. In the first legislative act under his watch, his Republican majority last month … Continue reading
Derrick Z. Jackson: Climate Reality vs. Public Perception | Will Toxic Haze and the 2023 Danger Season Make a Difference?
Whether we wake up or not, a harsh climate is the new normal. To date in 2023, the United States has already suffered nine climate and weather disasters resulting in at least a billion dollars of damage.
