Richard Conniff

Environmental journalist

Richard Conniff is a 2007 Guggenheim Fellow and a National Magazine Award-winning writer whose articles have appeared in Time, Smithsonian, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic. His latest book is "Swimming With Piranhas at Feeding Time: My Life Doing Dumb Things With Animals." He is the author of six other books, including "The Natural History of the Rich: A Field Guide" and "Spineless Wonders: Strange Tales of the Invertebrate World." Conniff has written for Yale Environment 360 about carbon offsets and the pursuit of carbon-neutral buildings.

Why putting solar canopies on parking lots is a smart move

January 5, 2022

by Richard Conniff

Solar farms are proliferating on undeveloped land, often harming ecosystems. But placing solar canopies on large parking lots offers a host of advantages — making use of land that is already cleared, producing electricity close to those who need it, and even shading cars.
- Renewable Energy
- Solar
Could abandoned agricultural lands help save the planet?

January 14, 2020

by Richard Conniff

Some researchers contend there is an opportunity for ecological restoration that could help fight climate change and stem the loss of biodiversity.
How sustainable forest certification has failed

March 13, 2018

by Richard Conniff

Critics say it's too easy for the timber industry to exploit loopholes. Plus, the process isn't reaching a major contributor to tropical deforestation: agricultural organizations.
How satellite imagery is transforming conservation science

September 27, 2017

by Richard Conniff

Now ecologists can better account for wildlife populations, deforestation and illegal mining.
- Information Technology
- Data
Creating a truly green building may be harder than rocket science

September 11, 2017

by Richard Conniff

Promised energy savings in buildings don't deliver. The problem is inept modeling systems that fail to capture how buildings really work.
- Buildings
- Energy Efficiency
How food waste confuses wildlife

February 1, 2016

by Richard Conniff

There's increasing evidence that piles of food waste in landfills are contributing to the decline of various animal species, as the animals eat garbage.
Wildlife in the city: Urban biodiversity takes flight

January 28, 2014

by Richard Conniff

A movement is afoot to help cosmopolitan species thrive, with help from surveys and tools like i-Tree and eBird.
- Forestry
- Cities
How 'Energy Sleuths' Pursue the Ideal Green Building

May 26, 2010

by Richard Conniff

The practice of commissioning, in which an engineer monitors the efficiency of a structure from its design through its initial operation, may be the most effective strategy for reducing long-term energy usage, costs and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. So why is it so seldom used?
- Buildings
Pursuing the Elusive Goal of a Carbon-Neutral Building

March 11, 2009

by Richard Conniff

Early this year, a new building opened on the Yale University campus that set out to achieve the architectural Holy Grail in the age of global warming -- getting to carbon neutral. Yale’s new Kroon Hall promises to change the lives of the people who have begun to inhabit it, and perhaps also beyond, as a model for where the green building movement needs to go next. Reprinted with permission from Yale Environment 360.
- Built Environment
- Energy & Climate