Consumer

As COVID-19 lockdowns push more people online and 5G technology continues its rapid expansion, should the question of whether electromagnetic radiation causes health and environmental injury be raised anew? Yes, argues an award-winning freelancer who herself suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity, and who musters suggestive scientific and medical research to make the case. Plus, sidebars on 5G and on taking personal precautions.

Energy markets may mean more than government action in the ongoing effort to cut global warming emissions. But industry spin makes it tough to sort out the facts. The latest TipSheet, part of our expanding “2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment” special report, has context on tech advances, shifting demand and the impact of subsidies. That, plus six top developments to watch.

As global warming worsens, effects like extreme heat, drought, wildfires, coastal flooding and inland flooding will have an outsized impact in the Southern United States. The latest entry in our ongoing “Covering Your Climate: The South” special report looks at those effects. Plus, read an introductory overview and watch for additional entries on climate mitigation and adaptation in the South.

Most Southern state leaders are doing the least to fight the climate crisis, despite having the most to lose environmentally and economically. When will that begin to change? The latest entry in our “Covering Your Climate: The South” special report looks at the politics of the climate crisis, the dominance of utilities, and the transportation and forestry sectors, along with the few climate breakthroughs. 

The South is ground zero for the climate crisis in the United States, yet little is being done to prevent impacts or protect communities. Will the South tap its potential to be part of the solution? Our special report, “Covering Your Climate: The South,” helps reporters cover the region, starting with a backgrounder on climate concerns from Texas to Virginia.

It’s been a half-century since the first Earth Day in 1970 and a new book from an old hand catalogues the advances and the setbacks in the decades since. BookShelf contributor Francesca Lyman reviews “You Can’t Fool Mother Nature: The Once and Future Triumph of Environmentalism,” and explores how a long view from a veteran environmentalist informs the field of environmental reporting.