Joseph Winters

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week - Longreads In this week's Top 5 we have lessons from apartheid, clever Claude, feeling bodies anew, the power of wax, and free mining.

In our weekly Top 5:

—Lessons from apartheid (@thedialmag.bsky.social)
—Clever Claude? (@newyorker.com )
—Bodies anew (@GeorgiaReview)
—Wax on, wax off (@grist.org)
—Mine’s free (Dispatch Magazine)

longreads.com/2026/02/13/t...

Exciting to see @longreads.com pick up the story Tik Root and I wrote for @grist.org, about the ski industry's transition away from ultra-fast PFAS waxes longreads.com/2026/02/12/p...

The Olympics are ditching PFAS waxes — and the ‘ridiculous’ speed they gave skiers A key source of speed is gone, as concerns over toxic “forever chemicals” reshape Olympic skiing and the science behind winning on snow.

Tuning into the Winter Olympics? The 2026 Games will be the first since a ban on PFAS ski waxes, which were very fast but also toxic. For @grist.org, Tik Root & I talked to skiers & wax techs about the shift toward safer waxes — and its implications for race day. @grist.org grist.org/culture/the-...

UN climate talks are built on consensus. That's part of the problem. At COP, the requirement that countries find consensus before taking action has stalled climate progress for decades. Experts say there's a better way.

Consensus decision-making is considered the "poison pill" that's stalled U.N. climate talks for decades. Is there a better way? @grist.org grist.org/cop30/un-cli...

Big Oil's cheerleaders (yes, including THAT John Yoo) are taking to right wing outlets to beg the Supreme Court to kill climate deception lawsuits.

The fossil fuel industry is terrified of these cases.

They knew, they lied, and communities deserve their day in court to hold them accountable.

So many climate solutions, so few emissions reductions. A new book explains why. In The Long Heat, Wim Carton and Andreas Malm argue that capitalism has turned the climate crisis into a business opportunity.

In The Long Heat, Wim Carton and Andreas Malm offer a tour of the climate "solutions" on offer when society refuses to reduce GHG emissions in the near term. Check out my write-up of the duo's "Marxist IPCC report of a readable nature." @grist.org grist.org/culture/clim...

A ‘coordinated campaign of deception’: Philly sues 2 companies over misleading recycling labels The lawsuit targets SC Johnson, owner of Ziploc bags, and Bimbo Bakeries, the country's biggest bread and snack food manufacturer.

Philadelphia filed an extremely thorough lawsuit on Wed against SC Johnson (Ziploc) and Bimbo Bakeries over claims that their plastic bags are recyclable, accusing the companies of engaging in a "coordinated campaign of deception." @grist.org grist.org/accountabili...

This Pennsylvania settlement could set the standard for preventing tiny plastic pellet pollution A company agreed to install technology to watch for "nurdles," tiny plastic pellets used to make all manner of goods.

In Pennsylvania, a plastics company has agreed to continuously monitor its stormwater and wastewater outflows for tiny plastic "nurdles" — and pay up if any of the pellets are detected. Green groups are hopeful that this will become standard practice. @grist.org grist.org/solutions/pl...

Report: Big businesses are doing carbon dioxide removal all wrong The technology is needed to limit global warming. But corporations are supporting it in lieu of emissions reductions.

A new report from @newclimate.bsky.social finds little corporate support for durable CO2 removal, which is needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C. Those that are investing in the technology aren't doing so in conjunction with deep emissions cuts. @grist.org grist.org/accountabili...

How much carbon can we safely store underground? Much less than previously thought. Carbon storage “can no longer be considered an unlimited solution to bring our climate back to a safe level.”

There is only enough safe underground storage space for 1,460 Gt of CO2, according to new research in the journal Nature. This is an order of magnitude less than previous estimates, and only enough to cut global warming by 0.4-0.7 degrees C, not 6 degrees. @grist.org grist.org/science/carb...

'Consensus kills ambition': UN plastics treaty talks end without an agreement Procedural hurdles once again foil progress on a global agreement to end plastic pollution.

Another round of plastics treaty negotiations hamstrung by the search for consensus. "Every day, our oceans and ecosystems and communities are suffering from the consequences of our inability to make decisive and unified actions." @grist.org grist.org/internationa...

YouTube video by VonWong " I thought about having kids " - #plasticstreaty

Great video from artist Benjamin Von Wong about protecting human health through the U.N. plastics treaty: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pYl...

Health was supposed to be central to the UN plastics treaty. Now it’s up for debate. Despite strong evidence that plastics are harmful to people, oil-producing countries oppose action on human health.

Will the U.N. plastics treaty prioritize human health? Scientists say it must, but oil-producing countries are lobbying against mandatory protections. @grist.org grist.org/health/un-pl...

Plastic pollution is toxic and everywhere. Now, legal experts say it’s a human rights violation. This week, they’re advocating for a U.N. treaty to safeguard people’s basic rights.

The plastics crisis has gotten so bad that "the ability of future generations to enjoy a toxic-free environment conducive to a life w/ dignity is now compromised." Here's why legal experts are increasingly referring to plastic pollution as a human rights issue. @grist.org grist.org/equity/un-pl...

Opinion | Two Words: Plastics Treaty

Since we are all affected by the microplastics everywhere, the least that should be done is to ban the known toxic chemicals in some plastics. Right now the plastics treaty is being negotiated and the Trump Administration is on the wrong side of history.

The art of a plastics treaty: How sculptures, collages, and poetry have influenced global talks As countries try to find agreement on plastic pollution, creative interventions are turning heads — and turning the conversation to health harms, fossil fuels, and false solutions.

Over the past 3+ years of plastics treaty negotiations, art has communicated plastics' connection to fossil fuels, the health impacts of plastic pollution, and the need to curb plastic production. This was a fun one to write! @grist.org grist.org/culture/plas...

Here’s what to watch for at this month’s global plastics treaty talks Delegates are meeting in Geneva for a sixth — and potentially final — round of negotiations.

3/ And here's what to watch for as the talks wrap up over the next couple of days. grist.org/internationa...

Who’s who at the plastics treaty talks, from delegates to lobbyists Your guide to the major coalitions and observers.

2/ Here are the major coalitions and alliances behind the negotiations. grist.org/internationa...

The global plastics crisis explained in 6 charts Research shows the extent of plastic pollution today — and why the U.N. is negotiating a treaty to keep it from getting worse.

I've been in Geneva since Friday covering the sixth round of negotiations over the U.N. plastics treaty, and I've put together some resources to explain what it's all about!

1/ Starting with these 6 charts that explain the plastics crisis @grist.org grist.org/internationa...

We have a real problem with people in important positions spouting absolute nonsense. Human-caused climate change threatens the continued orderly development of human civilization. That’s the truth.

This fuel is 50% plastic — and it’s slipping through a loophole in international waste law Environmental groups are concerned that rich countries are exporting plastic to poor countries in the form of “refuse-derived fuel.”

Rich countries are exporting plastic to poor countries in the form of “refuse-derived fuel." @jbwinters.bsky.social reports in @grist.org:

Yuyun Ismawati shared, “If we are going to deal with plastic waste through RDF, then … everybody must be willing to learn more about what’s in it.”

The oceans may contain much, much more plastic than previously thought A new study finds there are 27 million metric tons of invisible plastic particles in the North Atlantic alone.

A new study in Nature estimates there are 27 million metric tons of nanoplastic in the North Atlantic Ocean alone, and that these invisible plastic particles make up a greater fraction of marine plastic pollution than micro or macroplastics. @grist.org grist.org/science/ocea...

‘A self-inflicted tragedy’: Congress approves reversal of US climate policy Once Trump signs the megabill, the country will no longer have a federal plan to address the climate crisis.

Green groups have described Trump's domestic policy megabill as “historically ruinous” and “a self-inflicted tragedy for our country.” Trump is expected to sign it into law tomorrow evening. @grist.org grist.org/politics/a-s...

The Supreme Court just ended its term. Here are the decisions that will affect climate policy. Experts say the most impactful decisions have enabled the Trump administration to gut the federal workforce and freeze funding.

The executive branch and the Supreme Court “are exhibiting extraordinary hostility to actions on climate change at a time when the planet is burning. ... It’s a pretty depressing story overall.” @grist.org grist.org/justice/supr...

The Trump administration claims roads in forests prevent wildfires. Researchers disagree. Experts say repealing the "Roadless Rule" won't help stop fires, but it will help loggers.

The Trump administration is rescinding the Roadless Rule — a 2001 policy limiting the construction of roads in national forests — “to reduce wildfire risk.” Experts say that’s a pretense to increase timber extraction. @grist.org grist.org/wildfires/wi...

Science says plastic bag bans really do work A new study finds that outlawing or taxing plastic bags reduces beach litter.

New research in the journal Science shows that when you outlaw or discourage the sale of plastic bags, fewer of them end up as litter on beaches. @grist.org grist.org/science/plas...

See The Wilderness Society's map for all of the forests, recreation sites, wilderness study areas, and other lands included in the proposal: wilderness.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant...

Your favorite campgrounds, hiking trails, and forests could soon be up for auction Republicans want to make 250 million acres of public lands eligible for sale to housing developers.

Republicans want to make 250 million acres of public lands eligible for sale to housing developers — including lots of national forests that, if you live in the West, you probably know and love. @grist.org grist.org/politics/pub...

As EU enacts new greenwash rules, funds remove climate labels By removing words like "ESG" and "sustainable" from their names, funds can keep investing in fossil fuels despite the EU greenwash rules

The EU just told finance companies they can't call their funds "sustainable" if they're invested in fossil fuels.

So companies got rid of fossil fuels from some funds. But for others, they just dropped words like "sustainable" from the name.

www.climatechangenews.com/2025/06/03/a...

How little we’ve seen: A visual coverage estimate of the deep seafloor In decades of deep-sea exploration, humans have observed only 0.001% of the deep seafloor, leaving 66% of planet Earth unseen.

66% of the entire planet is deep ocean (≥200 m), but new research shows humans have visually observed less than 0.001%, a total area approximately one-tenth of the size of Belgium. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...