Sierra Magazine

How to Watch Dolphins Without Leaving the Shore A rare feeding habit brings dolphins closer than ever and helps them live year-round in South Carolina

Dolphins in South Carolina beach themselves to feed using a technique called strand feeding. The acrobatic maneuver helps them live year-round off the coast of South Carolina and brings them closer to the shore than most wild dolphins ever get.

Can Bison Ever Reclaim Their Historic Range East of the Mississippi? Some groups are trying to restore the stomping grounds of America’s national mammal

Bison once roamed the North American continent from New York to California. Settlers moving West killed this charismatic mammal on an industrial scale. Since then, bison conservation has largely focused on the West. Now, some conservation-minded groups are hoping to bring them back East. 🌎

This One Word Change Could Gut Our Strongest Conservation Law The bipartisan Endangered Species Act is on the line as the federal government proposes a new change

The Endangered Species Act has protected species and their habitats for over 50 years. A single word change could significantly alter the way the law is implemented. The only beneficiaries of this plan are extractive industries. 🌎 by @morgansjogren.bsky.social

“Together We Can Change the World”: A Tribute to Jane Goodall The beloved primatologist was a beacon of hope, compassion, and love

An environmental writer reflects on his time spent with renowned primatologist Jane Goodall and contemplates what's lost with her passing. "The lust for greed and power has destroyed the beauty we inherited, but altruism, compassion, and love have not been destroyed."

Will Washington’s Groundbreaking Climate Law Inspire Other States? The Evergreen State is creating a road map for phasing out fossil fuels while boosting renewable energy

Washington state's cap-in-invest program, which charges major companies a fee for their pollution, has been widely popular and successful at raising money for clean energy projects. But can this deep-green state serve as a roadmap for others to follow as federal support for renewable energy wanes?

What’s the Greenest and Safest Way to Dry Clean My Clothes? Here’s the dirt on “green” cleaners, wet cleaning, and reusing bags and hangers

Dry cleaning tends to involve toxic chemicals that aren’t safe for people or our planet. What about those shops advertising petrochemical-free, organic, eco-friendly, green, or nontoxic dry cleaning? Unfortunately, all too often those businesses are just greenwashing their image.

How to Make Time Stand Still Start with your local rose garden

A writer seeks refuge in San Jose's rose garden to grapple with the constant change the city has undergone. "I don’t need Google to confirm that a garden of heart’s delight is out there, ready to inspire my senses, if I just take the time to look for it," by @gary-singh.bsky.social

12 Pet Brands That Specialize in Sustainability and a Circular Economy Feed, comfort, and entertain your best friend in closed-loop fashion

You should be able to love your pet without participating in a wasteful pet economy. The animal care industry has been marked by excessive packaging, novelty toys, and single-use plastic. What’s an eco-conscious pet owner to do? Here are some pet brands that will help you walk the circular pet talk.

A Circular Economy for Pets Mindfully feeding and caring for your pet may be easier than you think

In an ideal world, living sustainably wouldn’t be at odds with owning cats and dogs. Unfortunately, more than 300 million pounds of plastic waste is produced by Big Pet annually. The good news? Consumer demand for a circular economy is driving better alternatives.

One Year After Helene, Conservation Meets Recovery in North Carolina The nonprofit MountainTrue is prioritizing river cleanup strategies that protect sensitive habitats

Although a year has passed since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, the region is still grappling with much of the wreckage left behind. With state funding, this local nonprofit launched a new initiative to restore local rivers, streams, and creeks.

Wildfires Have Lasting Psychological Effects on Farmworkers Farmworking communities face a long struggle to overcome mental and emotional impacts

"Farmworking communities face a long struggle to overcome mental and emotional impacts" of wildfires. Uprooter Elham Shirin for @sierramagazine.bsky.social

www.sierraclub.org/sierra/wildf...

The Past, Present, and Contested Future of LNG Terminals Along the Gulf Coast SIERRA MAGAZINE | WRITING Delaney Nolan, with Julie Dermansky & Geoff McGhee

To illustrate what the rapid buildout of Gulf Coast LNG export terminals looks like, this beautifully written @sierramagazine.bsky.social story from @delaneynolan.bsky.social cleverly likens the development to an aggressive disease that advances in stages. www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2024-...

Snapshots of Recovery: Eaton Fire Survivors Nine Months Later Revisiting three fire-struck families as they rebuild, reconnect, and reckon with ongoing uncertainty

As displaced residents navigate the costs and concerns that come with recovery following the LA fires, the streets are often silent. For many survivors, the quiet in Altadena is deceptive, failing to convey the often all-consuming experience of moving forward from the disaster.

This Brooklyn Artist Records Thawing Permafrost Scientists are listening to discover new ways of understanding climate change

Scientific researcher are constantly looking at big problems in new ways. Nikki Lindt uses her artist skills to unveil new findings about where and how the Arctic is thawing. Her findings are offering scientists a window into a previously unknown way of understanding climate change—through sound.

The Gap Between Climate Targets and Fossil Fuel Production Is Wider Than Ever The world’s top greenhouse-gas-emitting countries are failing to take a path that avoids catastrophic warming

Despite the overwhelming consensus that nations need to ramp down fossil fuel use, just three countries (the US, China, and Russia) are boosting dirty energy use at alarming rates, finds a new report by the Stockholm Environment Institute.

An Accidental Activist Takes On a Pipeline in New York Courtney Williams learned how to push back on the oil and gas industry

When Courtney Williams moved to Peekskill, New York, she had no idea that one of the country’s largest fracked-gas pipelines, the Algonquin, ran just 400 feet from her new home. The movement to prevent the pipeline’s expansion sparked a sense of environmental activism that continues to this day.

From Forest to Fireweed The ecological upheaval of Jasper National Park

Years of fire suppression and drier conditions are leading to rare and new fire phenomena. Cyclones and even storms fueled by hotter fires are leveling forests beyond repair. Here's what researchers are saying about how fire changes in an increasingly warmer and drier world.

Montanans Are Making Space for Grizzlies Wildlife corridors and conflict prevention help keep bears safe

With federal protections for grizzlies under threat, grizzly bears in the Intermountain West will need more local support. In Montana, a growing cohort of residents is doing just that—helping communities in bear country coexist while making it easier for bears to traverse the landscape. 🌎

Can Buying Hunting Licenses Help Save Florida’s Bears? A creative solution to limiting the number of bears killed in the state’s newly approved bear hunt

The Florida wildlife commission has approved a bear hunt despite the objections of Floridians. Even the state agency has debunked one of the primary justifications for the hunt, which is that bears will run out of habitat. Now, advocates are mounting a novel way to save the state’s bears. 🌎

Every Watershed Deserves a Rock Opera How an Oregon sewer inspired a live multimedia performance

Sarah Fox wants residents of her Oregon community to expand their horizons when it comes to environmental protection to consider something unexpected: sewers. Without a functioning sewer system, Hood River's watershed would be poisoned with pollution and its residents plagued with disease.

Sun Day Brings Earth Day Energy to Renewables Events across the country on September 21 will celebrate the clean energy revolution

It might seem like renewables are doomed, but in reality, clean energy is advancing with or without the current administration. Solar is still growing faster than ever. On September 21, thousands of people across the US will gather to spread the message that the clean energy revolution is here.

The Fight Over Data Centers They’re unsightly and power hungry. The White House wants to build a whole lot more.

Data centers are an essential part of boosting AI. The Trump administration loves them, but they don't bring jobs or tax revenue, and they can be terrible for the environment. Now, local communities are starting to question whether these huge drains on society are needed in their backyards.

The Resistance Rangers Want Your Help in Protecting National Parks A movement of off-duty and former officials has mobilized to save embattled parks

@resistancerangers.bsky.social is a group of 1,000 off-duty and former Park Service employees who are pushing back against the Trump administration's mass firings. The group plans actions, shares info about cuts to programs and public lands, and preserves disappearing park web pages.

This Land Is Your Land A mother and daughter pedal across Wyoming as public lands hang in the balance

With the Bureau of Land Management ramping up oil and gas leasing across millions of acres, recreation and conservation take a back seat. Ride along with this mother as she revels in the beauty of Wyoming's Red Desert while contemplating the fate of lands that may never be the same.

Public Lands Are On the Line Trump and his allies are targeting our shared, wild spaces for extraction

Just out from Sierra's fall 2025 issue: a critical look at how the Trump administration and lawmakers are trying to take public lands away from people and turn them over to private corporations.

All Aboard the Mardi Gras Service Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, Amtrak has revived a railway connecting Gulf Coast communities

For the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the region now has a dedicated passenger train service. Along with providing a sustainable alternative to driving, the new Mardi Gras Service was built with today’s Gulf South in mind.

Wildfires Have Lasting Psychological Effects on Farmworkers Farmworking communities face a long struggle to overcome mental and emotional impacts

The deadly toll of wildfire is widely known. The lasting psychological effect? Less so. Here’s how farmworkers are grappling with the costs of doing business in the age of accelerating wildfires.

What Comes Next After Texas Hill Country’s Deadly Flood? The long road to recovery will be complicated as federal officials dismantle emergency management policy

As Americans enter hurricane season, recovery efforts—or the lack of them—highlight what could be the future for the nation’s largest disaster recovery organization. Disaster funding seems to be at the mercy of leaders who use it as a tool for influence rather than a means to help those in need.

What Happens to the Clothes You Return Online? Too often, they don’t get recycled or reused but instead fill up our landfills, lands, and oceans

Most shoppers know about floating islands of trash. What they may not realize is that most of the items we return do not return to the website’s inventory. Here’s a closer look at the impact and causes of waste accumulation and how we can find a proactive way to create positive change.

The Trump Administration’s Campaign Against Renewable Wind Reaches a New Phase Environmental advocates say that stop work orders will raise consumer prices and risk energy shortages

The Revolution Wind offshore wind project was expected to provide reliable and affordable power at a time of rising electricity demand. That didn't stop the Trump administration from trying to cancel the project.