Explainer
Agriculture — Especially Cattle Feed — Uses Most of Earth’s Freshwater
The agricultural industry is responsible for 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals globally, intensifying water scarcity and fueling wildfire risks.
Climate•7 min read
Environment
Explainer
How Overconsumption Affects the Environment and Health, Explained
You likely contribute to overconsumption in ways you might not realize.
Climate•12 min read
Review
20 Environmental Books to Inspire You in the Year Ahead
A roundup of books for anyone who cares about the planet.
Climate•15 min read
Explainer
Why Cattle Farming Is Bad for the Environment, Explained
Beef and dairy production are particularly damaging.
Climate•8 min read
Explainer
The Causes and Effects of Deforestation, Explained
A big aspect of climate change, summarized briefly.
Climate•8 min read
Explainer
Humans Destroying Ecosystems: How to Measure Our Impact on the Environment
You might have heard the claim humans are “destroying” the planet — but how do you actually measure that?
Climate•7 min read
Explainer
Agriculture Affects Deforestation Much More Than Most People Realize
Cattle farming accounts for 80 percent of all deforested land across the Amazon, and 41 percent of all tropical deforestation worldwide.
Climate•7 min read
Explainer
What Is Climate Change and How Do We Solve It?
Some of the biggest questions of our time, summarized concisely.
Climate•10 min read
Reported
Texas Panhandle Fire Has Killed Thousands of Cattle, Yet Ranching May Be To Blame
Cattle ranching contributes to the dangerous conditions making wildfires like Smokehouse Creek far more likely.
Climate•4 min read
Explainer
Mangroves Fight Climate Change, but Shrimp Farming Threatens Them
On a per capita basis, mangroves capture four times more carbon than the Amazon.
Climate•8 min read
Explainer
7 Tips for a More Sustainable Holiday Celebration
From plant-based eggnog to recycled wrapping paper, here are the best ways to curb your environmental impact.
Climate•5 min read
Explainer
What the Endangered Species Act Does, and Why It Matters
The Act is turning 50 this year — but how successful has it been at protecting endangered species?
Climate•10 min read
Reported
Don’t Feed Your Holiday Pumpkins to Wild Animals
Pumpkins in parks and your backyard could be doing more harm than good.
Climate•3 min read
Explainer
Amazon Deforestation — How Much of the Rainforest Is Left?
Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is now at a six-year low, but factory farming continues to drive destruction.
Climate•10 min read
Reported
How a Family Cares for Llamas in Guatemala — and Teaches Climate Action
A family in Guatemala chose to keep llamas rather than sell them for meat. Two decades later, they teach tourists how to be more sustainable.
Climate•6 min read
Explainer
How Bees Help the Environment and Humans
Why it’s crucial we protect these extremely helpful insects — and what’s at stake if we fail to do so.
Climate•6 min read
Explainer
Methane Pollution: Why Is Methane Bad for the Environment?
Methane is responsible for 30 percent of global warming since pre-industrial times. Emissions sources include natural gas, landfills and cattle farming.
Climate•9 min read
Explainer
What Is Land Use Change, and What Causes It?
Over the last few centuries, human activity has caused land use change on an unnatural scale.
Climate•8 min read
Analysis
Rapid Bird Species Decline Boosts Case for Biodiversity Action
New wildlife report reveals 49 percent of bird species are decreasing.
Climate•7 min read
Reported
End Animal Farming and Scale Up Protein Breweries
Reboot Food calls for replacing factory farms with precision fermentation.
Climate•5 min read
Perspective
Saving Food Waste From Landfill, One Whatsapp Message at a Time
Foodsharing has rescued 178 million pounds of food from landfill since 2012. Yet experts say more should be done to combat food waste on a global scale.
Climate•7 min read
Explainer
Announcing New Midwest Journalism Fund
Sentient Media is launching a new $10,000 fund and training program to support journalists in the Midwest who report on environmental and agricultural issues.
Climate•2 min read
Explainer
Gen Z: The Future of the Planet Is in Their Hands
Our planet is in trouble. Younger generations, like Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, are taking action.
Climate•1 min read
Reported
Inside David Attenborough’s Journey to the Center of the Climate Movement
For years, he inspired curiosity and awe for the natural world in ways that no other television presenter had done before. But recently, the tone of his films has changed.
Climate•6 min read
Reported
Vegans Are Buying Grazing Land and Giving It Back to Nature
In Britain, a crowdfunding campaign called the Vegan Land Movement is buying out grazing land from farmers to rewild it. The transition is proving more complicated than they expected.
Climate•6 min read
Reported
Brazil’s Amazon Now Emits More Carbon Than It Captures
According to a new study, the Brazilian Amazon is emitting more carbon than it captures. The unprecedented rise in emissions is being driven by animal agriculture.
Climate•6 min read
Perspective
The Climate Crisis Is Worse Than You Can Imagine. Here’s What Happens If You Try.
A climate scientist spent years trying to get people to pay attention to the disaster ahead. But his frantic effort to reduce his carbon footprint left his family exhausted and…
Climate•22 min read
Reported
9 Boundaries We Must Respect to Keep the Planet Habitable
There are nine planetary boundaries beyond which we cannot push Earth without putting billions of lives at risk. We are already outside the "safe operating space" for at least four…
Climate•16 min read
Analysis
Dietary Changes Needed to Prevent Future Pandemics and Biodiversity Loss
A new UN-backed report is calling for the rapid transition away from intensive animal agriculture, fearing it could lead to massive biodiversity loss and the next pandemic.
Climate•5 min read
Perspective
More Than Talk: Making the Climate Conversation Meaningful
Climate change is not a new concept, yet communication experts, scientists, and activists are still struggling with how to convey messages about this pertinent topic.
Climate•6 min read
Perspective
DearTomorrow, Let’s Make it Personal
The climate crisis we are facing is not a political issue, it’s a personal, human issue that affects everyone in different ways. The digital archive project DearTomorrow wants to hear…
Climate•4 min read
Reported
Missing the 2℃ Mark
During a drought earlier this year in Australia, where temperatures reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit, farmers could barely afford to feed their cattle at $10,000 per truckload of hay. All their…
Climate•1 min read
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Sentient investigates and explains factory farms and their effect on climate, the environment, animals, health, politics and rural communities.