Articles
Six Million and Counting
Published by The Last Word on Nothing.On white-nose syndrome's rising toll on cave-dwelling bats, and the weightlessness of very large numbers.
The Lorax in the Anthropocene
Published by The Last Word on Nothing.What would Dr. Seuss have to say about climate change? A theory in verse. Read an extended version, published by Grist, here.
Biologist Michael Soule on the Seven Deadly Sins
Published by The Last Word on Nothing.An eminent conservationist considers the evolutionary basis of the seven deadlies. Also published in Grist.
Autopsy of an Aspen
Published by The Last Word on Nothing.Rural Westerners don't agree on much, but we all love our aspen. Now, a new study says the trees are dying of thirst.
It's Not (Always) About the Lorax
Published by The Last Word on Nothing.Do environmental journalists reach too quickly for the tragic narrative?
The Middles of Nowhere
Published by The Last Word on Nothing.In place as in politics, the center is much discussed and chronically elusive. Also published in High Country News.
"Why's this so good?": Ian Frazier digs into piggery
Published by Nieman Storyboard.An analysis of Ian Frazier's New Yorker piece "Hogs Wild," and a plea for more humor in environmental storytelling.
Interview with The Open Notebook
Published by The Open Notebook.I talk with Siri Carpenter of The Open Notebook about developing and researching my 2011 Smithsonian feature on white-nose syndrome in bats.
The Calligraphers and the Apple
Published by The Last Word on Nothing.The curious genesis of Macintosh fonts.
