2021 March/April

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Aerial photo of black coal ash across a landscape in North Carolina.

Feature

Can Harvesting Rare Earth Elements Solve the Coal Ash Crisis?

Over 3 billion tons of coal ash occupy more than 1,400 sites across the US

By Austyn Gaffney

February 23, 2021

Departments

Close-up black-and-white photo of John Muir./ Young people are lined up and holding a bright-orange banner.

Editor’s Desk

Forward Ever, Backward Never

When it comes to the Sierra Club's core mission, the future takes precedence

By Jason Mark

March 2, 2021

Illustration shows the back of man painting over an image of smokestacks spewing smoke, replacing them with a bright sky and healthy trees.

Editor’s Desk

No More Disposable Citizens

How the Sierra Club is centering equity and justice

By Ramón Cruz

February 25, 2021

Illustration of Seth Gunning wearing a Creative Solar shirt and smiling at the camera.

Faces of Clean Energy

Georgia Solar Company Bets Big on Batteries

Lacking other incentives, rooftop solar customers need to bank their joules

Adapted from an interview by Judith Lewis Mernit

March 4, 2021

Illustration shows the backs of a young woman and her mom holding hands and walking on a path through a forest with trees, flowers, and birds. The young woman is wearing pants and a backpack. The mom is wearing a colorful Somali dress and white head scarf

Eyewitness

One Hiker Takes Her COVID-Stricken Mother on an Unexpected Journey

Inside their trek through the Blue Ridge Mountains and rural Somali villages

By S. Ali

March 6, 2021

A man rides horseback leading five other pack animals (horses or mules) along a rocky portion of the John Muir Trail.

Field Trip

One Final Father-Son Adventure Tests the Limits of Horsepower

A look back to a family exploration of the Eastern Sierra

By Tom Valtin

February 26, 2021

Several members of Team Onyx wear off-white shirts and red backpacks. One is holding a plastic bag with a compass and other items.

Critic’s Notebook

Meet TV's First All-Black Adventure-Racing Team

Team Onyx accepts a challenge on "World's Toughest Race"

By James Edward Mills

February 28, 2021

David Holtz stands on a beach with the Mackinac Bridge in the background. He's wearing a baseball cap, an unbuttoned shirt, and khakis.

Changemaker

Is This the Last of Line 5?

Activist David Holtz thinks it's long past time

Interview by Wendy Becktold

March 6, 2021

Illustration shows a woman drinking from a mug and looking out at her yard. There are two red benches, a wheelbarrow, and a broom in the image.

Taste Test

Give Your Landscape a Carbon-Positive Makeover

Here are seven ways to sequester more carbon than you generate

By Lydia Lee

February 28, 2021

Close-up of a young elephant walking between two bigger elephants toward the camera.

Photo

New Arrival

In the Congo Rainforest, a baby elephant is introduced to its community

By Michael Nichols

March 3, 2021

The cover of The Seed Keeper is blue with flowers and two bees.

Books

Cultivating the Seeds of Renewal

In "The Seed Keeper," a Dakota woman digs through a difficult past

By Wendy Becktold

March 7, 2021

The cover of Beloved Beasts shows multiple animals.

Books

On the Sensibilities of an Ecologist

"Beloved Beasts" tracks the history of the conservation movement

By Jason Mark

March 7, 2021

Protect

In Florida, a River Gets Rights

How Orange County became the most populous area in the US to recognize rights for nature

By Rebecca Renner

February 9, 2021

Ask Ms. Green

What Are the Most Environmentally Safe Refrigerators?

Is being Energy Star certified enough?

By Jessian Choy

May 12, 2021

Ask Ms. Green

What's the Greenest Paint for My Home?

Here are some safer, less-toxic options

By Jessian Choy

February 27, 2021

Illustration shows a man with hiking gear, including a cooking pot on his head, a backpack with a rolled-up mat, ski poles, and a paper map.

Environment, Explained

9 Ways to Go Backpacking on the Cheap

One seasoned thru-hiker shares his best secrets and hacks

By Brendan Curtinrich

March 1, 2021