Don’t Be That Person at the 4th of July Party
Independence Day is tough on coastal ecosystems where Americans flock to beach parties and communities are left with the mess. Here's how to do it better.
Environment
Meet the Woman Who Pushed Massachusetts Toward the First Carbon Fee in U.S. History
The bill would redistribute money to citizens and local businesses, an idea supported by both conservative and liberal economists.
YES! Wins 4 Excellence in Journalism Awards
From a First Nation’s fight against Big Oil to Seattle’s school to prison pipeline, YES! Magazine coverage was honored in this year’s SPJ NW Excellence in Journalism Contest.
Meet the McDonald’s Cashier Taking on Her CEO for Climate Change
If raising a family on a McDonald’s salary wasn’t hard enough, Tina Sandoval is working to transform the fast-food industry into one that is good for both people and planet.
As a Queer Latina, I Reject Blaming Islam: Bigotry and Homophobia Did This
After the Orlando shooting, I was afraid that people would try to pit Queer communities and Muslim communities against each other. But what I have seen is the opposite.
Do Gun Control Debates Ever Change Anything? In These Countries They Did
Three cases in which gun laws were tightened following tragic mass shootings.
A Park Where You Can Walk Among 1,500-Year-Old Bears and Birds
Terry Tempest Williams on the sacred earthworks of Effigy Mounds National Monument.
How to Keep Mosquitoes Away Without Toxic Chemicals
Mosquitoes don’t like fans, and other tips to keep them off naturally.
A More Relevant and Radical Democratic Platform? Sanders Brings Veteran Activists to the Table
From Cornel West to Bill McKibben, Sanders picks some heavy-hitting social movement leaders for the Democratic National Committee.
Tired of Running From the River: Adapting to Climate Change on India’s Disappearing Islands
Rising waters are quickly submerging the Sundarbans and drowning its livelihoods. As the region’s men leave to find stable income, women make the best of what remains.
Amid Election Chaos, Communities Show Where the Real Power Is
In every community I visited, I found people working hard to lay a different foundation for our society.
Tribes Create Their Own Food Laws to Stop USDA From Killing Native Food Economies
From blue corn to bison, narrow federal food-safety codes impact tribal food systems. But advocates are writing their own food laws to preserve Native food sovereignty.
When the Police Came, I Didn’t Risk Arrest. So What Was My Role at the Break Free Climate Action?
I had held at bay the question of whether I wanted to participate in direct action. But I also knew it was the heartbeat of this diverse movement.
Faced With a Fracking Giant, This Small Town Legalized Civil Disobedience
The first-in-the-nation law will shield residents from arrest as they use direct action to stop fracking-wastewater injection wells.
Choosing a President in a Time of Climate Crisis
Our next president must be someone who understands the science of climate change and can build a clean energy future.
Only Six Years After BP Oil Disaster, Gulf Coast Is Faced With New Drilling
Still recovering from the worst oil spill in U.S. history, Gulf Coast activists battle the threat of new offshore oil wells.
Tiny Houses Are Cute, But Can You Actually Cook a Meal in One?
As an avid cook I wondered what orchestrating a sizable meal would be like in the two-burner kitchen of a 250-square-foot home. So I gave it a try with my favorite recipe.
After a Century In Decline, Black Farmers Are Back And On the Rise
These Black farmers don’t stop at healthy food. They’re healing trauma, instilling collective values, and changing the way their communities think about the land.
Why the Economy Should Stop Growing—And Just Grow Up
“How do we grow the economy?” is an obsolete question. Local initiatives across the world are looking for maturity instead as they rebuild caring, place-based communities and economies.
How Iowa Became the Nation’s Leader In Wind Energy
Even though Iowa is typically associated with red state politics, everyone there seems to agree that wind power makes economic sense for one of the windiest states in the country.
What’s a Carbon Farmer? How California Ranchers Use Dirt to Tackle Climate Change
Scientists believe that simple land management techniques can increase the rate at which carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored in soils.
What Small Farms Need to Compete With Corporate Food
Most small farms have to follow the same rules as big corporate ones. In Maine, flexible food ordinances have increased the number of small farmers.
National Parks Are Used Mostly By Older White People. Here’s Why That Needs to Change
With its history of segregation, the Park Service has had a rocky relationship with race. But if youth of color don’t connect with the outdoors, who will be its future stewards?
In Photos: The Indigenous Protectors of the World’s Most Sacred Places
All around the world, sites sacred to indigenous people are besieged by mining, tourism, and other threats. Meet the groups safeguarding and restoring them.
This Earth Day, Listen Up: Mother Earth Is Calling Us Back
Those of us who succumbed to the false promises of Western consumerism at great cost to the planet and to ourselves are Earth’s prodigal children now returning home.
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