Writing
NASA Earth Observatory
- Charting the Exceptional, Unexpected Heat of 2023 and 2024 (November 2024) Global temperatures have soared in recent years and climate scientists are trying to understand why.
- Satellite Data Suggest U.S. Methane Emissions Underestimated (June 2024) Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas may be higher than previously thought, especially from landfills.
- Emissions from Fossil Fuels Continue to Rise (March 2024) Scientists’ annual checkup on Earth’s carbon cycle found that burning oil, coal, and natural gas is impeding progress to limit climate change.
- Indigenous Communities Protect the Amazon (October 2023) Indigenous people are protecting carbon-rich forests in South America, and satellites are helping.
- Protected Areas Safeguard Climate (June 2023) Protecting carbon stored in ecosystems could be a powerful tool in tackling climate change.
- How Nepal Regenerated Its Forests (February 2023) After relinquishing control of forests to the villages that depend on them, forest cover in this small mountainous country nearly doubled.
- Lasering In on Corn Fields (March 2022) An instrument designed to measure tree height can also distinguish corn from other crops.
- Mapping Methane Emissions from Fossil Fuel Exploitation (January 2022) Scientists track the sources of 97 million metric tons of methane emissions.
- Mapping Marine Microplastics (December 2021) Researchers used satellite data to detect and track masses of plastic floating in the ocean.
- Zuiderzee Works (September 2021) Where the Netherlands meets the North Sea, there is an impressive confluence of natural and man-made features.
- Birthplace of a Hidden Figure (August 2021) Katherine Johnson rose above racial struggles to help America rise into space.
NASA Earthdata
- Satellites Help Improve Crop Yields in India (August 2021) Satellites provide crucial information for researchers to monitor and help improve agricultural productivity in India.
- Using Satellites to Measure the Size and Shape of Mangroves (July 2020) Researchers use remote sensing to measure mangrove forest extent and tree height to inform sustainable management of these ecosystems.
Freelance
- A Soil Microbe Saved My Life (November 2018) After nature helped me recover from cancer, I recognize the value of protecting it more than ever. Ensia.
- Eat a Frankenburger, save the world? (August 2013) Lab-grown beef could be great news for the planet. Politico.