October 2, 2025
Environmental
Environmental
Houston’s air pollution, especially PM2.5, is rising again, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities near industry...
What a more sustainable tourism industry could look like
Summary
With the HBO series White Lotus expected to drive tourism to Thailand’s Koh Samui, concerns over the environmental and social impacts of mass tourism are growing. Author Sarah Stodola discusses how unchecked tourism can strain local water supplies, overwhelm waste management, and harm ecosystems. She highlights sustainable alternatives, including government-imposed tourism limits and businesses prioritizing local communities. Some destinations, such as Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha, successfully cap visitor numbers to balance economic benefits with environmental preservation. Stodola argues that sustainable tourism requires travelers to adapt to local cultures rather than expecting destinations to cater to their comfort. She also advocates for more regional travel to reduce the carbon footprint of long-haul flights. Experts emphasize that prioritizing local communities over tourists can create a more equitable and resilient tourism industry, ensuring long-term environmental and economic sustainability.
September 22, 2025
Urban & Development
Urban & Development
Internal documents and whistleblower accounts reveal that Trump appointees at HUD have gutted enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, slashing staff, blocking cases,
September 12, 2025
Human Health
Human Health
Houston leads major U.S. cities in poverty, with 21.2% of residents—over 500,000 people—living below the federal threshold...
September 2, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
After 26 years at EPA, environmental justice pioneer Charles Lee retires and joins Howard University’s Environmental and Climate Justice Center, arguing that despite Trump...
August 29, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Two decades after Hurricane Katrina, overlooked survivors are reclaiming their narratives through TikTok, challenging long-standing portrayals from 2005.
August 11, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
The Sierra Club fired Executive Director Ben Jealous after no-confidence votes, budget cuts, layoffs, and misconduct concerns. Union leaders welcomed his departure...
August 11, 2025
Environmental
Environmental
U.S. clean hydrogen projects are collapsing amid shortened tax credit deadlines, rising energy costs, and policy shifts, leaving most proposals ineligible and investors...
August 5, 2025
Climate Justice
Climate Justice
A coalition of nonprofits, tribes, and local governments filed a class-action lawsuit against the EPA, demanding reinstatement of a $3bn climate justice grant program halted...
August 3, 2025
Climate
Climate
The Trump administration’s move to revoke the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases marks a major policy reversal, undermining decades of climate protections...
July 25, 2025
Climate
Climate
Ben Jealous was placed on leave by the Sierra Club amid widespread internal dissent over his leadership, with staff citing failed vision, contentious layoffs...
July 24, 2025
Climate Justice
Climate Justice
The UN's International Court of Justice declared climate change a human rights issue, advising that nations must act or risk reparations, influencing global litigation...
July 23, 2025
Education
Education
The Trump administration has targeted over 4,000 federal grants worth up to $8.2 billion for termination across 600+ U.S. colleges, disproportionately affecting public...
July 23, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
The USDA under the Trump administration has eliminated the term “socially disadvantaged” from its policies, ending race- and gender-based support programs for minority farmers...
July 17, 2025
Legal & Legislation
Legal & Legislation
President Trump's elimination of federal DEI programs has halted essential USDA funding to East Texas Black farmers, further endangering their livelihoods amid decades...
July 11, 2025
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Residents in the Shiloh Community have fought for years to remedy excessive storm water runoff caused by an elevated highway. Now they’re suing.