Sierra Magazine
@sierramagazine.bsky.social
Environmental news, lifestyle tips, and free-ranging opinions from the editors of Sierra magazine. Follow us: https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra
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. 🌎
Is It Too Late for the Western Sandpipers of Roberts Bank?
A major expansion of a British Columbia port threatens the sandpipers' feeding grounds
www.sierraclub.org
November 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
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. 🌎
Meet Dr. Clarice Gaylord, one of the environmental heroes who helped bring environmental justice to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Quiet Architect of Federal Environmental Justice
Dr. Clarice Gaylord laid the foundation for environmental-justice policies
www.sierraclub.org
November 9, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Meet Dr. Clarice Gaylord, one of the environmental heroes who helped bring environmental justice to the Environmental Protection Agency.
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.
Plug-In Solar Power Could Be Coming to a Balcony Near You
The small devices are poised to make energy even more affordable
www.sierraclub.org
November 7, 2025 at 2:46 PM
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.
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.
Art That Heals and Reveals
Indigenous artwork is helping tribal members protect themselves from harmful environmental exposures
www.sierraclub.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:20 PM
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.
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.
This Natural Disaster Has Upended Life for Rural Alaskans
Storms like Typhoon Halong will only get worse as fossil fuel emissions continue to rise
www.sierraclub.org
November 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
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.
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. 🌎
A Road Less Deadly
Can Alaska’s new Kenai Peninsula wildlife crossings save moose?
www.sierraclub.org
November 4, 2025 at 2:33 PM
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. 🌎
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.
Putting Down Roots
A dairy operation helps three New Yorkers break into the tough business of farming
www.sierraclub.org
November 3, 2025 at 2:17 PM
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.
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.
These Inuit Maps Are Reimagining the Arctic
Counter-mapping projects are supporting Indigenous sovereignty in a shifting landscape
www.sierraclub.org
November 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
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.
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.
Life Beyond the Grave
These morticians are both conservation heroes and undertakers
www.sierraclub.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:05 PM
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.
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.
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
www.sierraclub.org
October 30, 2025 at 1:50 PM
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.
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.
Kelp Forests Are Vanishing Along California’s Coast
Here’s why, and what’s being done about it
www.sierraclub.org
October 24, 2025 at 7:56 PM
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.
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. 🌎
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
www.sierraclub.org
October 24, 2025 at 2:06 PM
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. 🌎
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.
Decades of Drought Are Changing How Paleontologists Search for Fossils
As the planet gets hotter, relics of history are receding from view
www.sierraclub.org
October 22, 2025 at 3:33 PM
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.
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. 🌎
A Megadrought Is Reshaping Birdlife in the Southwest
A recent bad year for elegant trogons is only the latest in a string of changes
www.sierraclub.org
October 21, 2025 at 5:29 PM
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. 🌎
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.
Eyes Without a Face
These marine mollusks know how to play peekaboo
www.sierraclub.org
October 20, 2025 at 5:16 PM
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.
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.
Why Trees Often Signify Wealth
Federal funding cuts threaten to widen the gap in who gets to plant trees
www.sierraclub.org
October 19, 2025 at 5:26 PM
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.
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.
Earth Breaches Seventh Planetary Boundary as Oceans Become More Acidic
The planet is increasingly in danger of exiting the “safe” operating space” for life
www.sierraclub.org
October 17, 2025 at 1:56 PM
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.
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.
Robert Redford’s First Environmental Fight
The actor was an activist determined to protect, land, air, and water
www.sierraclub.org
October 16, 2025 at 1:53 PM
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.
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.
The Real Reason the Feds Want to Revive Coal
Here’s how the revival of a dying industry could increase your energy bills
www.sierraclub.org
October 15, 2025 at 1:46 PM
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.
This Indigenous Peoples Day, Sierra is highlighting the many research labs where scientists are creating new intersections between Western conservation techniques and Indigenous ways of knowing.
The Future of Conservation: Indigenous Ways Meet Western Science
Collaboration and co-stewardship are bringing positive change across the country
www.sierraclub.org
October 13, 2025 at 1:35 PM
This Indigenous Peoples Day, Sierra is highlighting the many research labs where scientists are creating new intersections between Western conservation techniques and Indigenous ways of knowing.
Maine saw its worst fire season in twenty years this past August. As manmade climate change continues to alter the atmosphere, boom and bust cycles are likely to intensify. Here’s how one of the least likely states to burn is grappling with a hotter future.
Here’s Why Maine Just Had Its Worst Fire Season in Years
This past August saw more brush fires across one of the least likely places to burn
www.sierraclub.org
October 10, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Maine saw its worst fire season in twenty years this past August. As manmade climate change continues to alter the atmosphere, boom and bust cycles are likely to intensify. Here’s how one of the least likely states to burn is grappling with a hotter future.
Public lands, federal agencies, and key environmental programs are on the chopping block as the Trump administration makes the shutdown as difficult as possible. Here's a closer look at what has—and hasn’t—been done as the shutdown nears its one-week mark, with no signs that a resolution is at hand.
As Shutdown Drags On, Public Lands, Programs, and Jobs Hang in the Balance
The longer federal agencies are shuttered, the more the damage will spread
www.sierraclub.org
October 9, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Public lands, federal agencies, and key environmental programs are on the chopping block as the Trump administration makes the shutdown as difficult as possible. Here's a closer look at what has—and hasn’t—been done as the shutdown nears its one-week mark, with no signs that a resolution is at hand.
This Arctic research collective has influenced what scientists know about the fastest-warming region for decades. Its small budget and wide reach have coordinated research efforts and brought Indigenous ways of knowing into Western science. Last month, the federal government cut its funding.
The End of an Era for Arctic Research
The loss of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States leaves an uncertain future for science in the Far North
www.sierraclub.org
October 8, 2025 at 1:40 PM
This Arctic research collective has influenced what scientists know about the fastest-warming region for decades. Its small budget and wide reach have coordinated research efforts and brought Indigenous ways of knowing into Western science. Last month, the federal government cut its funding.
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.
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
www.sierraclub.org
October 7, 2025 at 1:39 PM
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.
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. 🌎
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
www.sierraclub.org
October 6, 2025 at 1:27 PM
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. 🌎