Environmental Justice

A commercial street frequented by Chinese and Indonesian workers near the entrance of the industrial compound in Weda Bay, North Maluku, Indonesia. (Wufei Yu/Grist)

An increasingly important route for transporting commodities from Brazil’s central-west region, BR-364 in Rondônia will be partially twinned and upgraded with passing lanes. Image courtesy of Marcio Ferreira/Brazilian Ministry of Transport.

The root causes of period poverty in Zimbabwe run deeper than simple affordability. Prolonged droughts, many worsened by climate change, have devastated crops and pushed millions into deeper poverty, leaving agrarian families unable to buy basic menstrual products.

“It hardly snowed this year. Almost nothing in the valley,” the 35-year-old says, pulling his woolen cap down against the cold wind. “The trees are flowering, and this is when they need the most care. At this point, it’s not about a good harvest — it’s about keeping them alive.”

For Jingjing Zhang, this work isn’t about money. She’s never chased contingency fees or the kind of fame some crusading lawyers seek. Her rewards are quieter: a nonprofit salary, the trust of community partners, fragile progress. “I believe every case is a step forward,” she said during a recent interview. “Even if we lose, we show people that the law can be a tool for them — that they have rights.”

In Srinagar’s famous Dal Lake area, climate change is changing the lifestyles of subsistence farmers and fishers, causing women who rely on these resources to pick up needlework to generate income.

Since 2024, six large oil spills have polluted India's western coast, affecting millions; yet, no one, including the government, wants to take responsibility for the cleanup.

Amidst the Russian invasion, Ukrainian scientists that have been researching in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone are forced to rethink their work and their purpose.

Budget cuts at federal agencies such as NOAA doesn't just impact employees, but puts the millions who rely on their essential services at risk.

While factors such as loud noise, aging, injuries, and chronic illnesses can cause hearing impairment, a growing number of studies have found an unusual connection between air pollution and hearing loss.