Oliver Milman
Oliver Milman covers the climate crisis through the lens of political power, economic cost and daily experience, showing how decisions in Washington translate into real-world damage and disruption.
He is an environment reporter and correspondent for the Guardian’s US operation, focused on climate change, pollution and the policies that shape them.
His reporting connects scientific findings, financial analysis and public opinion to explain the stakes of environmental decisions in clear, concrete terms.
US climate politics and public opinion
Milman’s core beat is US climate politics, with ongoing coverage of how federal administrations use regulation to either constrain or enable fossil fuel interests.
He has reported on fossil fuel companies securing a direct email channel to the Trump administration for exemption requests from environmental rules, exposing the mechanics of industry influence over policy.
In coverage of regulatory rollbacks, he has detailed warnings that the US could see a return of acid rain because of weakened protections, drawing on the scientist who first documented the phenomenon.
His work tracks shifts in US international climate commitments, including reporting on the country rejoining the Paris agreement and framing those talks as a “last, best hope” to limit warming.
He also reports on public opinion and political behavior around climate, showing that Americans continue to favor action on climate change even amid efforts to accelerate fossil fuel development.
Economic impacts of the climate crisis
A distinguishing feature of Milman’s coverage is the consistent use of economic data to quantify climate damage and reveal who pays the costs.
He has reported on research estimating that US activities have caused around $10tn in climate damage since 1990, using those figures to illustrate the scale of harm tied to national emissions.
In separate work he has covered findings that the economic damage from climate change may be six times worse than previously thought, bringing complex modeling into accessible reporting.
Milman follows how financial institutions and companies anticipate and respond to these risks, including coverage of US banks predicting that climate goals will fail while air conditioning firms stand to profit from hotter conditions.
He has also linked climate impacts to consumer goods, reporting on cookies and candy as “latest victims” of the crisis as sugar prices surge, using everyday products to show how warming reshapes markets.
Cities, transport and infrastructure
Beyond national policy, Milman frequently examines how the climate crisis interacts with urban design, transport systems and infrastructure investment.
In a series on cars versus public transport, he explored the US context, detailing how car dominance and underfunded transit networks leave cities exposed and outlining estimates of trillions of dollars needed to upgrade systems.
He has reported on efforts to make denser cities a “climate boon,” while noting that local opposition and development politics often block the kind of housing and transit changes needed to cut emissions.
His work includes coverage of NASA-led initiatives for electric planes as a next frontier in reducing aviation emissions, showing how technology and policy intersect in the push to decarbonize transport.
He has also highlighted smaller-scale interventions, such as plans for climate warning stickers at gas stations, using them to illustrate messaging strategies aimed at shifting public behavior.
Climate science, energy and ecological threats
Milman regularly translates climate science into clear reporting that emphasizes thresholds, timelines and risks.
He has covered research suggesting that global heating could stabilize if countries reach net-zero emissions, explaining how that pathway affects projections for future warming.
His reporting includes work on how a third of Americans are already experiencing above-average warming, turning abstract global trends into specific regional realities.
On energy, he has co-reported stories on fossil fuel companies and their critics, including coverage of public anger after executives sought to shift blame for climate failures onto consumers.
Milman is also an author on ecological decline, writing about the collapse of insect populations and the threat this poses to food systems and biodiversity, extending his climate beat into wider environmental disruption.
Across these strands, his work blends reported news, explanatory pieces and interviews with scientists and policymakers, keeping focus on how climate change reshapes economies, cities and everyday life.
4 more environment journalists.
Alan Halaly
Alan Halaly is a water reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal who treats the Colorado River as a working system, not a backdrop, making its governance, infrastructure and risks central to his beat. He covers how policy decisions and infrastructure projects shape the region’s water future, linking high-level choices on the Colorado River, dams, mining and data centers to everyday consequences under mounting heat and growth pressures. He reports deeply on new laws, lawsuits and regulatory shifts, focusing on on-the-ground impacts. His coverage spans Colorado River cuts, Hoover Dam operations, extreme weather, heat and parks, septic system rules, workplace and public health risks, lithium and gold mines, protected landscapes, data centers, AI infrastructure and public funding. Previously he reported for metropolitan dailies, digital outlets and public media, including the Miami Herald, WUFT, The Daily Beast and Miami New Times, with work recognized by Hearst, ONA and the Society of Environmental Journalists.
Alejandra Borunda
Alejandra Borunda reports on how climate change affects human health for NPR. Her work treats global warming as a direct cause of physical and mental health risks. She covers extreme heat, including undercounted deaths, lost sleep and local efforts to track heat-related fatalities. She also reports on wildfire smoke, hurricanes, disease spread such as dengue fever, trauma, stress and unequal health impacts. Her stories examine how communities protect themselves and recover, as well as practical solutions involving climate-resilient crops, agriculture and diet. Before NPR, she wrote about climate science and environmental issues for National Geographic, including glacier retreat, shade and heat inequity, and shrinking ice-fishing seasons. A former climate scientist, she combines field reporting with scientific data to connect atmospheric research to everyday risks, choices and people’s lived experiences.
Alex Lubben
Alex Lubben is an environment reporter at The Times-Picayune/The Advocate who connects climate risk to policy, industry and community change. He covers Gulf warming, flood protection, coastal restoration, wetlands litigation, industrial projects such as SpaceX’s possible expansion, invasive species and local ecosystems. His reporting tracks how law, politics and corporate decisions shape levees, drainage, marshes and long-term resilience. He also examines climate relocation, housing and labor, showing how hurricanes, floods and wildfires displace vulnerable communities and expose gaps in government systems. He works on a small environment team and brings an investigative background to document work, data analysis, legal and policy research, and field reporting. His work has appeared in VICE News, The Center for Public Integrity, The Nation, Jewish Currents and NBC News.
Alex Wigglesworth
Alex Wigglesworth reports on how climate, land use and public policy shape California communities. She covers the Inland Empire and Mojave Desert for the Los Angeles Times and is part of its environment team. Her beat includes wildfires, megadrought, extreme weather, desert development, conservation, wildlife, industrial hazards, aging infrastructure and regulatory enforcement. She has covered Western Joshua trees, desert tortoises, beaver-led restoration, toxic lead pipes, air-quality concerns after industrial fires and the effects of nuclear war on food systems. Earlier, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. She combines breaking news with detailed reporting grounded in scientific studies, modeling and expert interviews. Her work connects fires, drought and other hazards to climate change, while examining how agencies, companies and land-use decisions affect people and ecosystems.