Elizabeth Anne Brown

Copenhagen

Writer and Journalist at Freelance

Freelance journalist and recovering biologist. Find my words @NYT, @NatGeo, @SciAm, @Washingtonpost, @TheAtlantic. Disgruntled self-employee

Articles

Why there's a 10,000-person wait list to scavenge London’s Thames

3 days ago | nationalgeographic.com | Elizabeth Anne Brown |Simon Roberts

ON A SUMMER DAY in central London, a 44-year-old woman named Lucy Peel descended a slippery stairway on the bank of the River Thames to crouch on her hands and knees over a particularly intriguing pile of mud. It was low tide, and the waters of the river had receded substantially. Ignoring the obvious tangles of trash—plastic bags, vape pens, broken glass—Peel painstakingly scanned the exposed riverbed until she spotted something nestled in the sand that could easily be mistaken for a leaf.
What Period Products Are Best for the Environment?

Dec 29, 2024 | nytimes.com | Elizabeth Anne Brown

However, certain conditions, including vaginismus and extremely heavy flow, can make menstrual cups a nonstarter. But don't despair! Other options - including reusable pads, period underwear and reusable tampon applicators - can still "meaningfully and significantly" reduce the environmental impact of your cycle, said Dr. Notten, who holds a doctorate in chemical engineering.
What Kind of Cat Litter Is Best for the Planet?

Dec 8, 2024 | nytimes.com | Elizabeth Anne Brown

House training cats is easy. Most will use a litter box instinctively before they're a month old. But what's the environmental cost of the litter they'll need over the years? Some new cat box fillers are marketed as more sustainable that conventional litters, including a few that claim to be flushable or compostable. (Spoiler: They're not.) Others are made from agricultural leftovers like walnut shells. We've dug deep to see which ones are good for your kitty and the environment.
Why are women more disgusted than men? It may help them live longer

Nov 13, 2024 | nationalgeographic.com | Elizabeth Anne Brown

It’s a sitcom trope: The rascally kid does something gross, like bring home a flea-bitten puppy or track mud into the house. Dad doesn’t see the harm, but flustered mom launches the full decontamination protocol. Cue the laugh track. Turns out there’s science beyond the stereotype: In several species of primates, including humans, researchers have found that adult females are more sensitive to grossness than males.
Social Policy Experts: Trump and Harris Will Offer a Mix Bag

Oct 14, 2024 | charlotteobserver.com | Stephen Gutowski |Elizabeth Anne Brown

Editor's Note: Although partisans on both sides of the aisle have warned that the stakes of the upcoming presidential election could not be higher, the two campaigns themselves have been remarkably light on policy substance. With Election Day now less than a month away, we reached out to dozens of thinkers, writers, and analysts we trust with a simple question: What are your biggest policy concerns about a potential Trump or Harris administration?
What's the Best Way to Do Laundry?

Sep 8, 2024 | nytimes.com | Elizabeth Anne Brown

Your favorite laundry detergent sends stains and smells packing. But where do those suds go once your clothes are clean? Most wastewater treatment systems were built to extract just what "we flush down the toilet" before the treated water is released back into the world, said Karl Linden, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder who specializes in wastewater treatment technologies. Unfortunately, that doesn't include the chemical additives of modern life.
Do Countertop Compost Machines Really Work?

Aug 11, 2024 | nytimes.com | Elizabeth Anne Brown

The sad vegetables at the back of your fridge won't just be wasted when you finally throw them away: They could also contribute to global warming. When food is buried under heaps of other trash in a landfill, the bacteria that would normally turn it into nutrient-rich soil can't get enough oxygen to do the job. Instead, different bacteria gobble it up and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Ryba ma głos. Wyśpiewuje miłosną serenadę

Jul 30, 2024 | projektpulsar.pl | Elizabeth Anne Brown

Osiągająca długość 12 mm przezroczysta Danionella cerebrum należy do najmniejszych współczesnych kręgowców, ale jest też prawdopodobnie najgłośniejszym zwierzęciem na świecie w proporcji do masy ciała. Poziom natężenia wydawanego przez tę rybę dźwięku mierzony pod wodą w bliskiej odległości to 140 decybeli. Tak głośny jest wybuch petardy – mówi Verity Cook, badaczka z Universitätsmedizin Berlin prowadząca badania nad aktywnością mózgu towarzyszącą komunikacji akustycznej.
A Slap of a Honeybee's Wings Sends Ant Invaders Flying Away

Jul 16, 2024 | nytimes.com | Elizabeth Anne Brown

Asian honeybees have an impressive playbook of tactics to defend their hives: hypnotic shimmering waves to warn off predatory hornets; defensive balls to roast intruders alive with their body heat; and, of course, their once-in-a-lifetime use of a stinger. Add another weapon to the honeybee arsenal: wings. Scientists in Japan have learned that Asian honeybee guards use their wings to slap pesky ants into next week.
What's Greenest and Cleanest When Nature Calls?

Jul 14, 2024 | nytimes.com | Elizabeth Anne Brown

Recycled paper keeps trees in the ground and requires fewer resources to produce. Based on anonymized data from paper mills across the United States, the Environmental Paper Network, a nonprofit group, estimates that tissue from 100 percent recycled material requires about half as much water and 37 percent less total energy than using virgin fiber from freshly cut trees. And, it produces roughly 70 percent less greenhouse gases.