Matt Simon
About Matt Simon
Matt is a science writer for WIRED magazine
The smoke from Canada’s wildfires may be even more toxic than usual
A legacy of mining means that toxic metals could be carried along plumes of smoke.
Mayors are making climate action personal. It’s working.
As the Trump administration boosts fossil fuels and rolls back regulations, mayors are greening their cities — in more ways than one.
The weird way that penguin poop might be cooling Antarctica
Scientists find that ammonia wafting off the droppings of 60,000 birds contributed to the formation of clouds that might be insulating Antarctica, helping cool down an otherwise rapidly warming continent.
Farmers are making bank harvesting a new crop: Solar energy
In California's water-stressed Central Valley, farmers are fallowing land and installing solar, providing financial stability and saving water.
Ancient composting-type method traps carbon for thousands of years
Turning plant waste into biochar captures loads of carbon. New research suggests it stays trapped for much longer than scientists thought.
Droughts are getting worse. Is fog-farming a fix?
Tapping low-hanging clouds could be a cheap way to boost dwindling water supplies, according to new research.
California just debunked a big myth about renewable energy
The state went a record 98 of 116 days providing up to 10 hours of electricity with renewables alone.
Will the world fall in love with nuclear power once more?
Grist sat down with environmental journalist Marco Visscher to talk about his new book on the rise, fall, and return of nuclear.
How do you save a rainforest? Leave it alone
Research shows that, instead of replanting rainforests, allowing them to bounce back naturally would store loads of carbon.
Hurricanes cost more than you think. Here’s why that matters
While initial estimates can be a useful early measure in assessing the damage of natural disasters, the true costs are often much higher.