Sophie Hirsh
Sophie is a New York-based journalist who loves the Earth, animals, and analyzing Taylor Swift's music.
More From Sophie
Trump reverses protections for Alaska's Tongass National Forest, harming Indigenous Peoples
France bans wild animal circuses and other cruel animal entertainment
England’s straw ban finally goes into effect
England’s ban on plastic straws, plastic stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton swabs is now law.
California bans sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, prioritizing electric vehicles statewide
Thailand national park mails litter back to the tourists who left it behind
The Arctic's largest ice shelf loses massive glacier to the climate crisis
NASA took satellite images of the West Coast wildfires from outer space and it shows the full extent of the devastation
NASA took satellite images from outer space of the wildfires currently ravaging the West Coast.
Obama highlights connection between West Coast fires and climate crisis
Trump’s EPA is letting power plants dump toxic waste into rivers and streams
Bird deaths by wind turbines could go down by 70 percent with this trick
This could be game-changing.
Justice is served: Poacher who killed 500 elephants sentenced to 30 years in jail
Guyvanho, a well-known poacher in the Republic of Congo, is going to jail for 30 years for killing hundreds of elephants, among other crimes.
Day-old chicks are dying in the mail by the thousands due to USPS chaos
Single-use face masks are hurting wildlife. Here's how to dispose of masks safely
Microplastics detected in 100 percent of human organs sampled
After 6,000 years, Native American tribe finally wins Big Sur land back
Australian bushfires killed almost 3 billion animals, new report finds
New York Senate passes bill banning pet stores from selling puppy mill dogs
New reusable N95 masks could reduce coronavirus medical waste, correct PPE shortage
Greta Thunberg donates $1.15 million award to charities 'fighting for a sustainable world'
An ocean cleanup crew just collected a record amount of ocean plastic from the GPGP
Trump guts the historic National Environmental Policy Act
Yellowstone grizzly bears safe from trophy hunters as court overrules Trump decision
Every month, 200 billion face masks and gloves are going into the environment
Cactus leather is the newest eco-friendly fabric
Dakota Access Pipeline is closing down, Atlantic Coast Pipeline project canceled
Compostable wild grass straws are Vietnam's newest zero-waste straw option
Sephora will stop selling mink fur eyelashes
New strain of swine flu presents 'next potential pandemic' — here's how we can prevent it
Trump opens marine national monument to commercial fishing, rolling back Obama-era protections
Beachgoers left major litter on Hamptons beaches throughout MDW reopening
Gloves and masks are already polluting the Mediterranean Sea — watch a diver clean up COVID-19's mess
Amazonian indigenous community wins 24-year lawsuit against illegal loggers
Here's why you don't need to wear gloves to the grocery store
Single-use gloves are not only wasteful, but also unnecessary for grocery trips.
Unfortunately, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season could be record-breaking
Rare turtles nest on Thailand beaches at record-breaking rate, due to coronavirus beach closures
Two years early, Sweden shuts down its final coal-fired power plant
Greta Thunberg donates $100,000 award to help children affected by COVID-19
Largest U.S. pig slaughterhouse shuts down after coronavirus infects 300 employees
With Yosemite closed to visitors, bears and other animals take over
Himalayas visible from 100 miles away as air quality improves during coronavirus lockdowns
India's drastic air quality improvements have cleared up skies, making the Himalayan mountains visible from more than 100 miles away.
Conservation groups and health experts ask WHO to permanently close live animal markets
The dairy industry is dumping truckloads of milk — and it’s hurting fish
COVID-19 could cause the greatest emissions dive the world has seen since World War II
Experts predict emission drops could reach World War II levels.
Mexico moves toward banning animal testing after unanimous Senate vote
Mexico is on track to ban animal testing.
4 koalas and baby joey released back into wild following Australia bushfires
These lucky koalas were rescued, and have just been released back into the wild.
Water in Venice canals goes crystal clear amidst coronavirus lockdown
Venice is in lockdown due to the coronavirus, and the city's murky canals are now clear.
Coronavirus causes decline in air pollution across Northern Italy
Greta Thunberg launches #ClimateStrikeOnline amidst coronavirus: How to participate
Greta Thunberg's weekly climate strike is going digital — and she wants you to participate.
Turtles who eat 14 pieces of plastic have a 50 percent chance of dying, study finds
A new study found that turtles who eat 14 pieces of plastic are 50 percent likely to die.
CO2 power sector emissions significantly dropped in 2019, thanks to slow shift away from coal
Shifting away from coal and towards renewables helped the Earth's CO2 emissions go slightly down in 2019.
Starbucks bans personal mugs as precaution amidst the coronavirus
Starbucks locations in the U.S. and Canada are preventing customers from getting drinks in their personal to-go cups to be safe during the coronavirus.
California bill could shut down SeaWorld by banning dolphin and whale captivity
“We should not rely on cruel and inhumane treatment of any creature simply for our entertainment,” said Senator Galgiani of California.
Public transportation is now free in Luxembourg
Luxembourg just launched free public transport across the country, on buses, trains, and trams.
Coronavirus quarantine causes Chinese pollution levels to go down
China's nitrogen dioxide pollution levels have temporarily gone down, partly due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The fossil fuel industry is driving polar bears to cannibalism
Polar bear cannibalism is being observed more frequently as of late — in large part due to oil and gas drilling in the Arctic.
Ride-hailing apps actually cause more emissions than they displace, according to new report
Ride-sharing apps have actually created more pollution than they've displaced, a new report finds.
Antarctica heatwave melts 20 percent of snow on Eagle Island's ice caps
Antarctica recently experienced a concerning heatwave, which melted 20 percent of snow on one island.
Greta Thunberg Meets Her "Role Model" Malala Yousafzai
Greta and Malala have so much in common — including being fans of one another.
Donald Trump Jr. granted permit to hunt grizzly bear in Alaska
Tesla is cutting down 92 hectares of trees to build a new factory in Berlin
Tesla has been granted absolute permission to complete its latest project: clearing trees to build a new factory in Germany.
Hungary will plant 10 trees for every baby born as part of new climate plan
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that 10 trees will be planted for every baby born.
OK, Boomer: Are boomers actually more eco-conscious than Gen Z?
Baby boomers tend to be more environmentally friendly than Millennials and those in Generation Z, according to a new survey.
This Victoria's Secret trashed hundreds of bras and other goods
Victoria's Secret recently closed a store in Colorado — and flooded the dumpster with unsold merchandise.
This couple bought 40 acres of forest near an Indian tiger reserve to preserve wildlife
An Indian couple purchased 40 acres of land near a tiger sanctuary, and they encourage tigers to make themselves at home in their forest.
FDA lab animals can now be adopted instead of euthanized after experiments
A new FDA policy will no longer require animals used for lab experiments to be killed after testing is complete.
Brazil's Bolsonaro proposes bill to allow mining, agribusiness, and more on indigenous lands in the Amazon
Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro is trying to open indigenous lands in the Amazon to mining and other projects that could cause harm.
Super Bowl donates 35,000 pounds of leftover food to people in need
Food waste was avoided at the Super Bowl by diverting 35,000 pounds of leftovers to local shelters.
Botswana starts selling elephant-hunting licenses for the first time in five years
Botswana re-legalized elephant hunting, and just sold six licenses in an auction.
Antarctic penguin colony populations have gone down by 77 percent — here's how to protect them
Antarctic chinstrap penguin colonies are struggling to adjust to the climate crisis.
A TV series about Greta Thunberg is coming to the BBC
Greta Thunberg will be the subject of a new documentary TV series produced by BBC Studios.
Childhood asthma in Barcelona often due to air pollution and social inequity, study finds
Nearly half of Barcelona's asthma cases can be attributed to air pollution, according to a new study.
Antarctica weather just hit a new high: Summer temperatures
Antarctica may have just hit its highest temperature ever recorded.
How eco-anxiety is inspiring Americans to make behavioral changes for the planet
New research shows that more Americans are concerned about the climate crisis than you may think.
Humane Society condemns $15,000 auction to hunt for deer with Donald Trump Jr.
Donald Trump Jr. is auctioning off an expensive hunting trip with him and his son in Alaska.
Fireflies at risk of extinction due to the climate crisis, light pollution, and more
According to new research, fireflies could face extinction due to the climate crisis.
Oil drilling is killing endangered beluga whales in Alaska, lawsuit alleges
The NOAA is being sued for authorizing oil and gas drilling in beluga habitats in Cook Inlet, Alaska.
Flint residents can finally sue the city for water crisis thanks to Supreme Court ruling
25,000 lawsuits from Flint, Michigan residents can now go to court, thanks to a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Greta Thunberg speaks at World Economic Forum: "Act as if you loved your children above all else"
"Our house is still on fire," Greta Thunberg said.
China is rolling out single-use plastic bans
China is banning several kinds of single-use plastic gradually over the next five years.
Australian firefighters save secret grove of prehistoric trees from bushfires
The Australian government sent firefighters on a secret mission to save the last remaining grove of Wollemi Pine trees, which were once though to be extinct.
Cosmetics tested on animals are now prohibited to sell in California — with a few exceptions
California's Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act just went into effect.
For Earth Day, students will strike for 72 hours: 'Inaction is not an option'
Students will strike for three days in honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
Greta Thunberg inspires punny name for salt truck
This salt truck would totally be Greta Thunberg-approved.
Joaquin Phoenix and Martin Sheen get arrested after passionate speeches at climate protest
Joaquin Phoenix and Martin Sheen were both arrested for protesting climate inaction with Jane Fonda.
Leonardo DiCaprio's Earth Alliance donates $3 million to help Australia wildfires
The Australia Wildfire Fund is a new charity to help with relief for the Australian bushfires.
Almonds Aren't the Culprit, Honey
Thailand's plastic bag ban has people carrying groceries in the weirdest ways
People are getting very creative.
Impossible Foods unveils pig-free pork: here's what early taste-testers think
Impossible Foods revealed its newest product at CES: meatless pork.
Joaquin Phoenix, Russell Crowe, and more link climate crisis to Australia fires at Golden Globes
Many speeches acknowledged the climate crisis and its ties to the fires in Australia.
Vogue Italia skips photoshoots this Month for the environment
Vogue Italia is forgoing photographs this month to avoid the high environmental impact of photoshoots.
Australian Bushfires: Everything You Need to Know
The deadly bushfires tearing through Australia still show no signs of stopping.
Australia bushfires are fueling their own flames with fiery pyro-cumulonimbus clouds
Australian bushfires are generating pyro-cumulonimbus clouds, making it difficult to put the fires out.
Trump's border wall construction is underway in Arizona, and could make 8 species go extinct
Trump's border wall threatens wildlife all along the U.S.-Mexico border, but eight species in Arizona are already at risk.
7 Caribbean countries are banning single-use plastic starting Jan. 1
A single-use plastic ban is going into effect in these Caribbean nations.
The Queen shares her feelings on young climate activists in annual Christmas speech
In Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Christmas Message, she acknowledged the work of young climate activists.
Trump rants about windmills instead of acknowledging the climate crisis
In Donald Trump's latest speech, the president bashed windmills for accidental bird deaths instead of acknowledging the benefits of renewable energy.
New battery discovered that could eliminate the need for controversial heavy metals
The new battery does not require any toxic heavy metals.
#TeamTrees hits $20 million goal to help reforest the Earth
#TeamTrees is officially planting 20 million trees.
BTS wants to raise awareness about the climate crisis with new partnership
BTS is joining the fight for a healthy planet and clean air.
Massive methane leak at Exxon fracking well is one of the U.S.'s worst leaks on record
It took workers 20 days to plug the methane leak.