Sierra Magazine

A Montana Utility’s Coal Addiction Costs Ratepayers Millions Energy bills are set to go up because the state wants to keep the Colstrip coal plant running

In Montana, regulators approved a plan that would let the state’s largest utility overcharge customers so that it could continue operating. Now, officials at NorthWestern, which runs the plant, say they want to keep it open at least until 2042.

Marching Mangroves Threaten This Delicate Florida Ecosystem South Florida residents worry about the inland and northward march of the trees

Mangroves are largely celebrated for their power to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels. But these Florida residents are worried about what they’re inward migration means for the region's current grassland ecosystems. 🌎

Creating Outdoor Space for All How a grassroots movement transformed former railroad land into trails for public use

Here’s how thousands of miles of abandoned railways got turned into hiking, biking, and horseback riding paths for all to enjoy.

Shifting Shores Leave Spiders in a Sticky Situation on the Great Salt Lake Arachnids face increasing risk in a changing world

As the Great Salt Lake disappears, so too does the home of the orb weaver. Without the water to support their prey and the plants they rely on to move, the spiders face an increasingly inhospitable situation.

Conservation Leaders Unite to Oppose Steve Pearce BLM Nomination The Trump pick to lead the land management agency has ties to anti-government extremists

Steve Pearce has spent the last few decades quietly propping up and profiting from the oil and gas industry. His likely ascension to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is another sign that this administration favors profiteers over people and the public.

With US Absent, China Asserts Itself at World’s Biggest Climate Summit China’s COP30 leadership goes beyond pledges with its product showcase

On the opening day at COP30, the United Nations’ annual climate summit, the scene was emblematic of a shifting order. With the United States absent, all eyes were on China.

Earth Nowhere Near Where It Needs to Be to Avoid Catastrophic Climate Change Latest emissions gap report points to the need for greater climate action to avoid disaster

The United Nations Environmental Programme reported in its latest emissions report that new Paris Agreement climate pledges have only slightly lowered global temperature projections for this century. The planet, according to the report, is still on track for catastrophic climate events and damage.

Hurricane Melissa Is a Reminder of Our Dangerous New Reality as the Climate Crisis Accelerates Scientists warn that “we are now pushing the limits of extreme rapid intensification”

When Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica, it unleashed torrential rainfall, life-threatening storm surge, and catastrophic winds. These types of massive storms—and the devastating impacts that result—are a sign of what is in store as the fossil-fueled climate crisis accelerates, scientists warn.

COP30 Forges Ahead as World’s Biggest Emitter, the United States, Stays Absent With no delegation, the US has left a vacuum that others are already filling

As global climate talks enter their third decade, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, the United States, is absent. The Trump administration, which formally withdrew from the Paris Agreement, has declined to send a delegation to COP30 in Belém, Brazil. That silver lining is new leadership.

How to Survive Toxins Like Other Animals Do Critters have evolved a suite of clever strategies to keep out of harm’s way

Living beings have been wielding deadly molecules to kill each other for hundreds of millions of years. In response, many animals have evolved ways to survive these toxins. Scientists are beginning to unravel these defenses and hope as a result to identify better treatments for poisonings in people.

Restoring Louisiana’s Coastline Takes a Village Nonprofits work in tandem with Native American communities to delay the state's land loss

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is collaborating with the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw to return oyster shells to reefs from which they came. In the process, they are rebuilding an ecosystem that can help thwart erosion and provide a home for native wildlife.

Is It Too Late for the Western Sandpipers of Roberts Bank? A major expansion of a British Columbia port threatens the sandpipers' feeding grounds

This long-distance trekker has relied on a slimy goop to fuel its global journey between North and South America. Now, a shipping container port threatens this delicate balance between life and death. 🌎

The Quiet Architect of Federal Environmental Justice Dr. Clarice Gaylord laid the foundation for environmental-justice policies

Meet Dr. Clarice Gaylord, one of the environmental heroes who helped bring environmental justice to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Plug-In Solar Power Could Be Coming to a Balcony Near You The small devices are poised to make energy even more affordable

When most people think of solar energy, they think of rows of photovoltaic (PV) panels on rooftops or vast solar farms out in the desert. But portable plug-in solar devices small enough to generate power right off a balcony could be coming to an area near you.

Art That Heals and Reveals Indigenous artwork is helping tribal members protect themselves from harmful environmental exposures

Debra Mackenzie works with tribes throughout the Southwest to bring Indigenous artwork to health care communications. She and her team use Native American symbology to make it easier for people to understand health and science research in a way that honors Indigenous values and culture.

This Natural Disaster Has Upended Life for Rural Alaskans Storms like Typhoon Halong will only get worse as fossil fuel emissions continue to rise

Western Alaska has become the testing ground for America’s climate future—one where disasters are not distant hypotheticals. For residents in the region, the costs of climate change are no longer abstract; they’re measured in flooded homes, displaced families, and reshaping of coastlines.

A Road Less Deadly Can Alaska’s new Kenai Peninsula wildlife crossings save moose?

Hundreds of moose are hit and killed along a stretch of road that wends through Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula every year. Now, efforts are underway to build a wildlife crossing to help all sorts of critters avoid the busy road to reduce fatalities and accidents. 🌎

Putting Down Roots A dairy operation helps three New Yorkers break into the tough business of farming

A NYC plant lover wanted to grow food for their community. They had one problem: land was expensive. To help, a cohort of nonprofits connected the would-be farmer and their collaborators with willing land sellers so they could set up shop.

These Inuit Maps Are Reimagining the Arctic Counter-mapping projects are supporting Indigenous sovereignty in a shifting landscape

Maps have long been used as tools of colonial power. “More Indigenous territory has been claimed by maps than by guns,” wrote American geographer Bernard Nietschmann in 1994. To kick off Native American Heritage Month, Sierra contributor Chloe Berger explores counter-mapping.

Life Beyond the Grave These morticians are both conservation heroes and undertakers

Burying a loved one can be toxic for the environment. Here’s how some undertakers are turning a passion for environmental conservation into a novel form of afterlife care.

In Rural Louisiana, Meta’s New Data Center Promises Growth—But at What Cost? The Hyperion's impact on a largely agricultural community remains to be seen

Data centers are often touted as a boon for local economies. But the reality is that those benefits are created in a bubble. The construction brings jobs at first, but the operations drain local water sources, increase utility bills, and provide few long-term benefits to locals.

Kelp Forests Are Vanishing Along California’s Coast Here’s why, and what’s being done about it

The Trump administration has not been friendly to the notion of protected marine areas. The administration has moved to open previously protected marine areas to fishing. And, a new report from the University of Exeter indicates that Earth’s natural systems are crossing significant tipping points.

Two Florida Coral Species Were Nearly Wiped Out by a Heat Wave Corals are the canary in the coal mine for oceans, and they’re sending researchers troubling signals

Coral are the canary in the coal mine for oceans and they’re sending researchers troubling signals. Two popular species were recently declared functionally extinct, meaning they no longer play a role in the local marine ecosystem. 🌎

Decades of Drought Are Changing How Paleontologists Search for Fossils As the planet gets hotter, relics of history are receding from view

Erosion is a paleontologist’s best friend. But after decades of drought across the Intermountain West, paleontologists haven’t been able to count on water ferrying new fossils to the surface.

A Megadrought Is Reshaping Birdlife in the Southwest A recent bad year for elegant trogons is only the latest in a string of changes

The megadrought currently sucking the Southwest dry is having far-reaching impacts on wildlife, especially migratory birds. The elegant trogon is one of them. With arid conditions intensifying, the birds are producing few young, leading to population declines that worry researchers. 🌎

Eyes Without a Face These marine mollusks know how to play peekaboo

Marine mollusks often shy away from humans, making this particularly close encounter a rare one: Underwater photographer Alex Mustard found himself eye to eye with a curious conch while exploring the seafloor off Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.

Why Trees Often Signify Wealth Federal funding cuts threaten to widen the gap in who gets to plant trees

The inequity in tree cover was always stark—neighborhoods with more resources were the easiest to plant new trees in. The shade gap is about to get much larger due to funding cuts from the federal government.

Earth Breaches Seventh Planetary Boundary as Oceans Become More Acidic The planet is increasingly in danger of exiting the “safe” operating space” for life

The latest EU Copernicus Ocean State Report warns that now more than three-quarters of the earth’s support systems are beyond a “safe operating space,” setting a dangerous precedent that could alter the habitability of Earth.

Robert Redford’s First Environmental Fight The actor was an activist determined to protect, land, air, and water

Like many environmentalists, Robert Redford's advocacy was spurred by the grandeur of the West, specifically the area near the Kaiparowits Plateau, where he helped beat back efforts to build a power plant. His love affair with the region led to a lifetime of conservation work.

The Real Reason the Feds Want to Revive Coal Here’s how the revival of a dying industry could increase your energy bills

This administration is enamored with coal, a dying energy source whose operating costs outweigh the revenue it generates. New maneuvers to keep coal on life support could force average Americans to pay much higher energy bills. So who’s asking for this? Hint - it’s not the average American.