by Ryan Wilmot | Sep 7, 2026 | Articles
Commodity markets are usually discussed in terms of prices, supply, demand, and global trade. But commodities also have an environmental dimension. Coal, natural gas, crude oil, gasoline, grains, and marine fuels are physical products whose production and use can...
by Ryan Wilmot | Sep 6, 2026 | Articles
Sea otters are small compared with the ecosystems they influence. Yet along parts of the Pacific coast, the return of sea otters can trigger a chain reaction that changes entire underwater landscapes. The connection begins with sea urchins. Sea urchins eat kelp. Sea...
by Ryan Wilmot | Sep 5, 2026 | Articles
In California’s Mojave Desert, close to the Nevada border, an enormous open pit cuts into rocks containing some of the most strategically important minerals in the modern economy. The Mountain Pass mine produces rare earth elements used in permanent magnets,...
by Ryan Wilmot | Sep 4, 2026 | Articles
Tariffs are usually discussed in terms of prices, manufacturing, jobs, and international trade. They can also interact with air quality. A tariff is essentially a tax placed on imported goods. By changing the cost of products and components entering the United States,...
by Ryan Wilmot | Sep 3, 2026 | Articles
When people think about air pollution, they usually imagine something being released directly from a source. A smokestack releases particles. A car produces exhaust. A cleaning product releases volatile organic compounds. But some important air pollutants are not...
by Ryan Wilmot | Sep 2, 2026 | Articles
Hair salons, nail salons, barbershops, and other beauty businesses may not look like industrial workplaces, but chemically they can be surprisingly complicated indoor environments. Throughout a normal day, employees may open bottles of solvents, mix hair color and...
