Investigation
At an Iowa Pork Plant, Piles of Dead Pigs and Wafting Sulphur Dioxide
When climate technology breaks down, the results can be deadly.
Climate•9 min read
Pollution
Feature
How Georgia Residents Hope to Protect Their River From an Industrial Poultry Farm
A proposed 60-house poultry operation near the Satilla River has locals alarmed about pollution, health risks and the future of their water.
Climate•8 min read
Feature
Inside the Fight to Stop Riverview Mega-Dairies From Being Built
How activists in the U.S. and Canada are working together to oppose new factory farms.
Climate•7 min read
Solutions
Iowa’s Clean Water Advocates Are Reclaiming the Past to Protect the Future
Through stories, memories and community engagement, a new grassroots effort is building public support for restoring the state’s polluted lakes.
Climate•6 min read
Southwest Wisconsin Dairy Operation Linked to Spill Affecting Eight Miles of Trout Waters
Heavy rain and 11,500 gallons of dairy cow manure per acre appear to have triggered the deadly spill.
Climate•4 min read
Investigation
EPA Weighs N.C. Environmental Harms From Sewage Sludge Used as Fertilizer
“Off spec” liquid from Winston Weaver fertilizer fire that was applied on a nearby farm field contained toxic PFAS.
Climate•11 min read
Reported
Illegal Manure Pollution in Water — and Cancer — on the Rise in Iowa
A new report maps manure spills in Iowa, where factory farms produce 109 billion pounds of manure per year.
Climate•3 min read
Investigation
UN Green Climate Fund Investing in Factory Farming, Report Finds
Development banks are scaling factory farming in the places already worst hit by climate change.
Climate•6 min read
Reported
Dead Zones Are Growing, but With Government Action, Hope Isn’t Lost
In places with no enforceable limits on nutrient pollution, addressing the problem will remain elusive.
Climate•9 min read
Investigation
Breathing Wildfire Smoke as Babies Sickened These Monkeys for Decades
An early-life wildfire exposure sickened these monkeys for decades.
Climate•5 min read
Solutions
New Air Quality Monitors Could Expose Factory Farming and Environmental Racism
In North Carolina, Sampson County residents and environmental groups are working together to measure air pollution from the meat industry.
Climate•6 min read
Reported
The Supreme Court Rolled Back Clean Water Protections, but Some Iowans Are Fighting Back
A proposed state law would help the state tighten its control over pollution from factory farms.
Climate•7 min read
Reported
Poop From Mega-Dairies Ends Up in Drinking Water, Drone Footage Reveals
Residents that live near industrial dairies find brown drinking water flowing from the tap.
Climate•4 min read
Reported
‘This Is Absurd’: Train Cars That Derailed in Ohio Were Labeled Non-Hazardous
Ohio Department of Natural Resources has confirmed 3,500 dead fish in waterways as well as deceased hellbender salamanders, an endangered species in the state.
Climate•4 min read
Explainer
How Much Does the U.S. Contribute to Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
A breakdown of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by state, sector, year and type of gas.
Climate•9 min read
Analysis
Why Fish Are Disappearing in Bangladesh
There were once more than 300 native freshwater fish species in Bangladesh, but many have disappeared or are on the verge of extinction.
Climate•7 min read
Reported
Toxic Pollutants a Growing Concern for Pregnant Mothers and Babies
Links between exposures to toxic pollutants, like agricultural pesticides, and maternal health outcomes remain under-researched.
Climate•11 min read
Analysis
Can We Turn Plastic Waste Into Edible Protein?
A team of scientists has developed a surprisingly simple process to convert plastic waste into edible protein. The applications could be revolutionary.
Climate•5 min read
Analysis
Air Pollution From Factory Farms Is Killing Us
A new study has revealed that air pollution from factory farms causes more than 12,000 deaths every year and disproportionately affects low-income areas and communities of color.
Climate•6 min read
Review
Watch: What It’s Like to Live Next to a Factory Farm
A 2020 film by Greenpeace tells the story of Michel Pouret-Frydendahl and his neighbors, who live near three intensive pig farms in Denmark. No other country in the world produces…
Climate•1 min read
Explainer
Milk Pollution in Rivers: The World’s Clean Water Is at Risk
Milk pollution in rivers is a serious problem. About 2.1 billion people still do not have access to safe drinking water, and many of them have the dairy industry to…
Climate•7 min read
Explainer
How Does Dairy Farming Cause Water Pollution?
Environmentalists have been at odds with corporate agriculture for years, and while dairy farmers often slip under the radar, they're not off the hook. So we asked, how does dairy…
Climate•10 min read
Perspective
The World’s Recycling System Is Failing
Did you know China stopped purchasing the majority of the world’s recyclable items over a year ago? Citizens are placing recyclable items into bins with good intentions, but most of…
Climate•6 min read
Explainer
Your Guide to Slashing Single-Use Plastic
Plastic consumption is on the rise, but so are the innovative ways to ditch it. This guide will help you to reduce single-use plastic and set you up for plastic-free…
Climate•8 min read
Perspective
There’s No Covering Up the Awful Smell of Factory Farming
The neighbors of factory farms are choking on toxic gases produced by farm animals, and the farmers know it. In September, a $400 million dollars lawsuit shut down the largest…
Climate•6 min read
Reported
Chicken Farms Are Making it Harder to Breathe on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Residents of Somerset and Wicomico want the state to investigate the air for pollutants coming from chicken manure. Their elected officials don’t see the need.
Big Meat•7 min read
Explainer
What Is Manure Runoff?
Manure from agricultural operations and livestock farms is the main source from which phosphorus and nitrogen enter surface and groundwater. Rainwater and over-irrigation cause these elements to seep into waterways…
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.