Tagged: Pollution

Overhead view of a frac sand mining facility with train tracks, large sand piles, and a settling pond

What Happens in the Wake of Frac Sand’s Boom and Bust?

Wisconsin is home to some of the best sand in the country, making it a key player in the oil and gas industry. For this episode of Ground Truths, Justyn Huckleberry and Clare Sullivan take a close look at frac sand mining in the state—the lack of regulation and oversight, environmental and health consequences for local residents, the volatility of oil and gas markets, and how some activists are fighting back.

Numerous blue and green objects placed close together

Swimming with Trash in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is known for its pristine beaches and tourist spots, but it has increasingly become a dumping ground for the world’s unmanaged garbage. Ysabel Muñoz Martínez charts how “wastescapes” are proliferating in the Anthropocene.

Plastic Drink Beach

The Year of the Plastic Straw Ban

Controversial plastic straw bans continue to make headlines. A cultural analysis helps weigh the most recent legislation and asks whether bans on single-use plastics offer a path toward a more sustainable future or a distraction from systemic change.