Noah Haggerty
Noah Haggerty reports on how Western wildfires reshape land, water and communities, following the story from the first flames through cleanup, contamination and recovery. He is an environment and science reporter at the Los Angeles Times, focused on wildfire in the American West and the environmental crises that follow. He brings a physics research background into his coverage, turning complex science and policy into clear reporting grounded in on-the-ground work.
Wildfire, Disaster and Recovery
Haggerty’s core work follows major fires and their aftermath across the American West. He has reported from the field on large blazes such as the Palisades fire, documenting evacuation challenges, the firefight and widespread destruction.
In pieces on wildfire debris removal at places such as the Palisades Bowl mobile home community, he stays with residents through the slow process of clearing ruins and rebuilding. His coverage asks how communities can prevent the next disaster, as in his feature on whether Pacific Palisades residents can design a city that never burns.
Across this reporting, he connects individual fires to broader questions about land use, housing in fire-prone areas and the limits of current fire management.
Environmental Health and Contamination
A defining thread in his beat is the long tail of fire-related pollution and public health risk. In his reporting on the Eaton fire, he shows how the blaze contaminated Altadena with lead and how those pollutants linger even after official cleanup. He has contributed to a series of stories on soil contamination following Los Angeles wildfires, examining what is left behind in burned neighborhoods when the smoke clears.
These pieces track testing regimes, cleanup standards and disputes over when areas are truly safe to return to. His work stays close to residents dealing with contaminated yards and parks, while also bringing in scientists and regulators to explain what the data shows.
The coverage has earned industry recognition, underscoring its depth and impact.
Climate Resilience, Ecosystems and Tribal Stewardship
Beyond immediate disaster zones, Haggerty reports on how ecosystems and communities adapt to a hotter, drier climate. In his feature on California’s largest lake, he follows tribes returning to restore a sacred fish species in the face of deep ecological crisis, treating tribal stewardship and cultural survival as central environmental stories rather than side notes.
His coverage of the effort to save dying and disappearing trees in Los Angeles burn scars looks at urban forests as critical infrastructure, not scenery, tying tree loss to heat, erosion and neighborhood resilience. In his reporting on whether a coastal community can become a city that never burns, he explores fire-resistant urban design, community planning and the practical limits of “climate-proofing” built environments. Taken together, these stories show a sustained interest in adaptation, Indigenous leadership and the repair of damaged landscapes.
Heat, Policy and Everyday Climate Decisions
Haggerty also covers how institutions and residents respond to extreme heat and day-to-day climate decisions. In his piece on the Bass administration quietly replacing the city’s chief heat officer, he focuses on how staffing and governance affect the ability to protect vulnerable residents from dangerous temperatures. His work for the Los Angeles Times’ Boiling Point climate newsletter adds a regular lens on policy moves, local programs and the politics of climate resilience. In coverage of why the Forest Service is encouraging people to cut Christmas trees on public lands with permits, he explains the environmental logic and practical guidance behind a seemingly small seasonal choice. These stories show him treating climate not only as disasters and contamination, but as a thread running through public offices, budgets and everyday life.
Format and Range
Across the environment beat, Haggerty’s reporting mixes deeply sourced features, explanatory pieces and fast-turn coverage.
His wildfire and contamination stories often run as long-form narratives built on field reporting, public records and scientific research, while his policy and heat coverage leans on clear, concise explanations of bureaucratic decisions. He occasionally contributes general assignment news, including breaking coverage of events such as a shooting at an In-N-Out in Idaho and a political watch party anchored around a reality television personality, showing he can switch into quick, ground-level reporting when needed.
He joined the Los Angeles Times in 2024 and his work since then has consistently returned to a small set of themes: the full lifecycle of wildfires, the toxins they leave behind, and the ways communities, governments and ecosystems try to adapt.
4 more environment journalists.
Adam Kovac
Adam Kovac is a breaking news reporter at Scientific American who explains fast-moving stories where science, climate and public policy intersect. His beat spans climate-driven extremes, El Niño, energy, infrastructure, space, mathematics and public health. He has written about super El Niño, extreme weather, ozone recovery, diesel prices, electric rain, peeling paint, wine chemistry, lunar craters, space missions, NASA telescopes, vaccines, IVF treatments, TikTok remedies and AI-created viruses. He also covers regulation, political campaigns and pressures on scientific institutions. His stories are fast-turn news features and explainers. He uses expert quotes and clear descriptions of underlying mechanisms to show why developments matter. He connects technical details to practical stakes, including risks to ecosystems, economies, patients, public safety, technology and long-term scientific work.
Angela Capobianco
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Arrthy Thayaparan
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Bianca McKeown
Bianca McKeown stands out for reporting the everyday consequences of climate change, infrastructure decisions, social policy and Indigenous governance in northern communities. She reports for CBC North across television, radio and digital. Her work focuses on how weather shifts, wildlife changes and development projects affect daily life, travel, safety and local economies. She covers large infrastructure and energy proposals, foster parent payments, cost of living, vulnerable families and Indigenous leadership. She also reports on national reconciliation efforts and the role of Inuit voices in decision-making. Her stories rely on practical details, community voices, interviews and clear descriptions of what residents, officials and advocates face on the ground. Her coverage is direct and descriptive, and it connects policy decisions to lived reality.