7 Environmental News Sites to Inspire You on Earth Day

From time to time, an industry or subject inspires us to create a best-of list. In case you’ve missed some, you can find them here. These are environmental news sites that produce out-of-this-world coverage in a crowded arena. If you think your site should be considered, give us a holler and tell us why.

On April 22, we’ll celebrate Earth Day 2022 and its theme “Invest in Our Planet.”  The theme calls on businesses, governments and consumers to be accountable for building a sustainable and prosperous future. When it comes to individuals, EarthDay.org says, “What each of us does, and how we do it, has a huge ripple effect on our ecosystems, and on the pace of corporate and government action.”

Consumers, especially younger generations, are getting more involved and trying to live greener. According to a 2021 Deloitte survey, nearly 1 in 3 consumers claimed to have stopped purchasing certain brands due to ethical or sustainability concerns.

These changing consumer behaviors have led companies to focus more on their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives and goals. And they’re reporting on them in their press releases.

But despite these changing behaviors, it may not be happening fast enough. A recent UN report claims that it’s “now or never” to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius – the number agreed upon in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said governments and corporations “are adding fuel to the flames by continuing to invest in climate-choking industries. Scientists warn that we are already perilously close to tipping points that could lead to cascading and irreversible climate effects.”

These seven environmental news sites work to educate and inspire readers’ environmental scientists on Earth Day (and beyond). Read on for research, news and tips to help you invest in the planet.

1. Living on Earth

Living on Earth is tailored for people who prefer listening to radio shows and podcasts over reading news articles. As “public radio’s environmental news magazine,” Living on Earth broadcasts every week across 250 public radio stations. It provides listeners with news on a range of environmental issues from climate change to pandemic disruption.

You can listen to full episodes or just the segments that interest you. If you still prefer to read an article over listening, a transcript is included with every news post.

Stories to listen to (or read) right now: Troubles for Climate Disaster Resilience Workers and Heat Pumps for Peace in Europe.

April is both #EarthMonth and #PoetryMonth – so we spoke with @wjherbertpoetry about her book "Dear Specimen", a collection of poems that peer deep into the past at species long gone to grapple with the extinctions unfolding today.

Take a listen: https://t.co/LA2JzGFfYt pic.twitter.com/zoCWR61Hbv

— Living On Earth (@livingonearth) April 11, 2022

2. National Geographic | Environment

National Geographic is a longstanding leader in the field of environmental science journalism.

NatGeo always includes professional photos with its news stories, engaging readers of all ages. NatGeo regularly posts content on climate change, global warming, and environmental threats.

Stories to read right now: National Geographic and Rolex Announce a New Plan to Explore the Amazon Basin; ‘It’s now or never’: UN climate report’s 4 urgent takeaways; and How to compost—and why it’s good for the environment.

A growing list of Dark Sky Preserves in the U.S. is helping travelers find places with the least amount of light pollution—and the best stargazing https://t.co/AFZtX4cQZR

— National Geographic (@NatGeo) April 20, 2022

3. NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) site covers topical research on categories like land, air, climate, hazards, water, oceans, and ice. It also has a news category dedicated to showing you exactly how NASA’s space explorations and Earth data benefit society.

NASA is most often a primary source because its content is credible and includes crucial data on its official expeditions and research. Stay up to date on some of the best environmental science research news in the world with NASA’s Earth Science news site.

Stories to read right now: NASA Finds New Way to Monitor Underground Water Loss; NASA Science Enables First-of-its-Kind Detection of Reduced Human CO2 Emissions; and NASA Finds 2022 Arctic Winter Sea Ice 10th-Lowest on Record.

The Sun sends salutations 🌞

On Saturday, April 16, the Sun emitted a powerful burst of energy, an X-1 solar flare. Flares and solar eruptions can sometimes impact radio communications, electric power grids, and navigation signals: https://t.co/Bm6VNwJW3Q pic.twitter.com/HY45lzkRwa

— NASA (@NASA) April 18, 2022

4. The Energy News Network

The Energy News Network is a nonprofit news site dedicated to informing the public and policymakers about the latest developments in the transition to a clean energy system.

Divided by U.S. regions, The Energy News Network publishes environmental and energy policy news from the Midwest, Southeast, Northeast, and West.

Stories to read right now: Policy setbacks slow Virginia’s momentum on shared solar; After rough start, electric buses are back on the road in Minneapolis-St. Paul; and Washington wants to capture the natural gas leaking from landfills.

New Hampshire will soon finish a study to determine what to pay customers for unused solar power. Republican lawmakers want to slash the rates before that happens.https://t.co/dNn4gLQtEc

— Energy News Network (@energynews_US) April 18, 2022

5. Grist

Grist’s goal is to “use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action is now.” It knows that climate action is urgent but also understands that doom-and-gloom headlines don’t always tell the whole story.

The nonprofit newsroom focuses on solutions to climate change and covers a range of topics that intersect with climate news and developments, including politics, race, culture and technology, among others.

Stories to read right now: Historically redlined neighborhoods have twice the number of oil and gas wells; Scientists identify the missing ingredient for climate action: Political will; and Weddings are back. We can make them less wasteful.

Can we escape the growth model that's built into the influencer economy and fashion itself? https://t.co/MS2TBMRrsR

— grist (@grist) April 20, 2022

6. Nature

Nature offers readers around the world peer-reviewed research in science and technology. The site and its journals serve scientists and the public with quick dissemination of authoritative news, results, and trends affecting science.

Editors at Nature and its research journals assess more than 50,000 manuscripts each year. Less than 10% of those are selected for publication.

“Articles published in Nature and the Nature research journals have contributed to some of the world’s most notable scientific advances. From the discovery of radioactive decay, to Watson and Crick’s seminal work on DNA, to Dolly the sheep and cloning…” the site explains.

Stories to read right now: Record-breaking simulation hints at how climate shaped human migration; and What the war in Ukraine means for energy, climate and food.

A Review published in @NatRevEarthEnv describes the sources, distribution and consequences of Arctic plastic pollution, and calls for immediate action to mitigate further ecosystem impact. https://t.co/XY0TSftSyH pic.twitter.com/WcloFO02I1

— Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) April 19, 2022

7. ScienceDaily

ScienceDaily is a reliable source of research news featuring the latest content from research organizations, scientific journals and leading universities.

The website covers environmental science categories on plants and animals, earth and climate, and fossils and ruins. There are more than 30 subcategories under the umbrella of environment, such as oceanography and biotechnology.

Stories to read right now: Deserts ‘breathe’ water vapor, study shows; and Huge Amazon swamp carbon stores under threat.    

New link between greenhouse gasses and sea level rise https://t.co/wk7vAjxAVz

— ScienceDaily (@ScienceDaily) April 18, 2022

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Marisa is a Senior Customer Content Specialist, SEO Certified team member and expert on press release distribution. She’s been with Cision since 2013. Connect with her on LinkedIn.