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Tag: Environment

All longform pieces tagged with #environment on The Slow Scroll

Life lessons from a coastal wolf pack
High Country News24 Feb 2025 • ~2350 words

Caroline Van Hemert shares her family's encounter with a coastal wolf pack in Glacier Bay National Park. Witnessing both the harsh realities of nature and the surprising resilience of wildlife, Van Hemert reveals how these wolves have altered their diet dramatically in response t...

A Climate Solution on the Half Shell
Noema25 Feb 2025 • ~3500 words

Aryn Baker explores how oyster farming in La Spezia, Italy, not only provides a sustainable food source but also contributes to coastal protection and marine biodiversity.

Where the Savior Fish Still Swims
bioGraphic25 Feb 2025 • ~5100 words

In British Columbia, the annual return of the eulachon fish, known as the "savior fish," brings with it a wave of traditional community work. Shanna Baker’s narrative explores not just the fishing practices along the Nass River, but also the deep cultural ties and ecological conc...

In Hawai‘i, Restoring Kava Helps Sustain Native Food Culture
Civil Eats24 Feb 2025 • ~2400 words

Despite the FDA's cautious stance on kava due to potential health risks, Hawai'i has labeled it as Generally Recognized as Safe. Naoki Nitta highlights the historical suppression of kava, its recent revival through the efforts of farmers and activists, and the challenges posed by...

Howl
Nautilus21 Feb 2025 • ~8000 words

Kevin Berger explores the complex history and controversial outcomes of gray wolf reintroduction in the Northern Rockies. Diane Boyd, a wolf researcher, argues that natural recolonization would have been more beneficial for the species than the government-led reintroduction. Othe...

The Future Looks Ratty
bioGraphic19 Feb 2025 • ~1850 words

Urban rats are thriving in a warming world, and the implications are troubling. As temperatures rise, rate are finding more opportunities to eat and reproduce, leading to a surge in sightings across major cities like New York and Washington, D.C. Benji Jones explores the links be...

Democratic Decarbonization?
Phenomenal World17 Feb 2025 • ~5550 words

Ben Kodres-O’Brien reviews Sandeep Vaheesan's new book, "Democracy in Power: A History of Electrification in the United States." The book explores the dominance of corporate interests in electricity generation, advocating for a more democratic approach to decarbonization.

Turkey said it would become a ‘zero waste’ nation. Instead, it became a dumping ground for Europe’s rubbish
The Guardian18 Feb 2025 • ~4200 words

Despite committing to become a "zero waste" nation, Turkey has become a dumping ground for Europe’s plastic waste, with dire consequences for local farmers and the environment. Alexander Clapp reports on how much of the imported plastic is either burned, dumped illegally, or con...

Breakfast for Eight Billion
The New Atlantis14 Feb 2025 • ~3600 words

In the 1980s, a significant shift occurred in global food production, allowing the average person to access enough calories for the first time in history. Charles C. Mann explores how innovations from the Green Revolution, particularly advances in fertilization, irrigation, and g...

Ley Lines and the Allure of Imposing Order on History's Chaos
Atlas Obscura12 Feb 2025 • ~3250 words

Colin Dickey explores ley lines, theorized as unseen lines connecting ancient sites, and their evolution from archaeological speculation to metaphysical importance. It traces the origins of the idea to Alfred Watkins' "The Old Straight Track" and its subsequent interpretations, c...