WIRED • 11th October 2024

Darpa Thinks Walls of Oysters Could Protect Shores Against Hurricanes

Some of nature's greatest wall-builders -- like oysters and corals -- have been decimated by human activity. But what if we could recruit these creatures to help us build better seawalls? Meet the "hybrid reef".

Grist • 24th July 2024

How Israel’s war on Gaza unraveled a landmark Mideast climate deal

The war hasn't just driven chasms between countries in the Middle East -- it's damaging everything, including the work they were doing together on climate change. Here's the story of one such project, the idealists who supported it, and their struggle to carry on.

Grist • 19th July 2024

One way a plastics treaty could help the Global South: Fund waste management

We could soon see the world's first-ever global treaty to stop plastic waste. But any diplomat can make promises - what kinds of activities would actually make a difference? The research is more unified than you'd think.

Grist • 8th January 2024

The war zone in Gaza will leave a legacy of hidden health risks

9/11 showed us that when you blow up buildings, you expose humans to all manner of toxic materials. The flattening of Gaza (and places in Iraq, and Syria, and Yemen) suggests this exposure is a common risk in war zones too -- yet there's been next to no research on this. Why?

Grist • 7th November 2023

The West wants to help developing countries transition to renewables. It's off to a rocky start.

The Global North has an innovative plan to speed up energy transitions in the Global South. But roadblocks have sprung up in all four countries implementing the plan -- and that says everything about the challenges that face the global energy transition.

WIRED • 12th October 2023

Hydro Dams Are Struggling to Handle the World’s Intensifying Weather

For centuries hydropower has relied on relatively predictable behavior from Mother Nature. How can dams prepare for the new climate regime? Here's one pilot program in the Western US trying to find out.

Grist • 25th July 2023

The race to defuse an oil 'time bomb' disaster threatening the Red Sea

For almost ten years, the world knew there was a dying oil tanker off the coast of Yemen that could blow up at any moment. Why did it take so long to act?

Grist • 19th April 2023

How do you tackle microplastics? Start with your washing machine.

A huge share of plastic in the ocean comes from clothes and other fabrics, which are increasingly made with synthetic materials that don't biodegrade. A few US and European governments are exploring an option to capture these "microfibers" with special devices attached to the wash.

Al-Jazeera • 8th December 2022

Cambodia’s Mekong dolphin is dying despite efforts to save it

Many species are unloved. Not the Mekong dolphin, which has been the object of two decades of conservation work supported by communities, governments, and environmentalists. So why are they still dying?

NBC News • 1st December 2022

California city asked where its recycling went. The answer wasn’t pretty.

Palo Alto, one of the greenest cities in California, just wanted to know if its recycling was contributing to the plastic crisis in Southeast Asia. This is the story of a four-year journey to find out.

NBC News • 16th May 2022

Preserving the history of America’s ‘secret war’ in Laos

We don't teach it in US schools, but during the Vietnam War, the CIA led a "secret war" in neighboring Laos. Here's the story of a Lao-American group working to preserve the truth about this chapter of American history.

Washington Post • 11th October 2021

A high-tech, low-cost push to track sharks, rhinos and other species amid climate change

The story of a dude, a mysterious shark, and the little tracking devices that will revolutionize our insight into the private world of animals.

The Economist • 24th July 2021

Floating wind turbines could rise to great heights

It was always known that you could make wind turbines float. But recent technological advances suggest that you might even be able to make money doing it.

NPR Goats & Soda • 5th July 2021

Shoot That Invisible Ball! How A Top Wheelchair Player Keeps Up Her Game In Lockdown

Cambodia's lockdowns have kept Sinet An and her teammates off the court. Fortunately, there's Zoom. (Photo credit: Cindy Liu)

The Economist • 20th May 2021

Why are hundreds of huge stone jars scattered across north-east Laos?

20th-century conflicts delayed research on Laos' perplexing Plain of Jars. Peacetime has afforded archaeologists the space to pursue answers.

Vice • 15th March 2021

Criminal Gangs Are Cashing In On Humanity’s Plastic Crap

It's the new hustle in organized crime: plastic.

Travelfish • 5th February 2021

Laos: The Messenger. A long read.

A profile of Anan Bouapha, who has emerged as a voice for the LGBTIQ community in Laos.

Washington Post • 28th October 2020

How investors are coming up with the green to save the ocean blue

"Green" financing is big business, and it's finally coming to oceans. Could it be a game-changer for seas battered by climate change and overfishing?

The Economist • 1st September 2020

Interview on The Economist's "Intelligence" podcast

I was interviewed by The Economist's Intelligence podcast for my piece on Laos' famous ant-egg soup.

The Economist • 15th August 2020

Urban Laotians pay handsomely for ant-egg soup

Laos is changing, and so is the way Lao people eat. Will ancient favorites like ant-egg soup have a future?