Benji Jones
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Environmental correspondent @voxdotcom. @pulitzercenter grantee. past: @BusinessInsider Reach out: benji.jones@vox.com.
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Articles by Benji Jones
Why scientists are using cheap picnic coolers to protect some of the world’s most endangered animals
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Why scientists are using cheap picnic coolers to protect some of the world’s most endangered animals Original
PALAU, Micronesia — The ride out to sea was, in a word, unpleasant. The coastal waters of Palau, an island nation in the western Pacific, are typically calm and electric blue, like what you might see on a screensaver or postcard. The country has put in place some of the world’s most rigorous protections to keep its marine environment pristine. But on this particular morning in July, a super typhoon named Bavi was churning north of us in the Philippine Sea.
We think we just discovered some new species living in New York City
Earlier this summer, Vox set up two big bug traps in New York City — like, literal traps that catch bugs. Our goal was to try to discover a new insect species right in the middle of the city because the bulk of them are still unknown to science. We now have some exciting, albeit preliminary, results to share.
We think we just discovered some new species living in New York City
Earlier this summer, Vox set up two big bug traps in New York City — like, literal traps that catch bugs. Our goal was to try to discover a new insect species right in the middle of the city because the bulk of them are still unknown to science. We now have some exciting, albeit preliminary, results to share.
It’s no longer illegal to destroy the one thing endangered species need most to survive Original
The greatest threat to animals in the US and globally is the destruction of their habitat — replacing grasslands with farms, cutting forests for timber, building suburbs atop wetlands. It’s the main reason why hundreds of species have been listed under the Endangered Species Act, which gives federal protection to species that are currently at risk of extinction or are about to be.
Alabama (Yes, Alabama!) Is an Epic Biodiversity Hotspot
This story was originally published by Vox and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. On a sweltering June afternoon, I stood in what was essentially a roadside ditch. Sandwiched between a four-lane highway and the parking lot of a faith-based recreation center near Birmingham, Alabama, the ditch was filled with cool, flowing water, a bit of trash, and, apparently, some highly endangered fish.
This US state has become an unexpected epicenter of the global extinction crisis
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — On a sweltering afternoon in June, I stood in what was essentially a roadside ditch. Sandwiched between a four-lane highway and the parking lot of a faith-based recreation center near Birmingham, the ditch was filled with cool, flowing water, a bit of trash, and, apparently, some highly endangered fish. Jeffrey Drummond, a biologist at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, stretched out a sheet of netting held between two poles, while his colleague kicked water into it.
This US state has become an unexpected epicenter of the global extinction crisis
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — On a sweltering afternoon in June, I stood in what was essentially a roadside ditch. Sandwiched between a four-lane highway and the parking lot of a faith-based recreation center near Birmingham, the ditch was filled with cool, flowing water, a bit of trash, and, apparently, some highly endangered fish. Jeffrey Drummond, a biologist at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, stretched out a sheet of netting held between two poles, while his colleague kicked water into it.
Why Trump is losing his war against algae
In addition to Iran, inflation, and the courts, President Donald Trump has been fighting a losing war against another opponent these past weeks: pond scum. As part of his broader effort to “beautify” Washington, DC, ahead of the nation’s rapidly approaching 250th birthday, President Trump wanted to clean up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and turn it “American Flag blue.” The 6.5-million gallon pool was drained, lined with a blue coating, and refilled — at a cost of more than $16 million.
Why Trump is losing his war against algae
In addition to Iran, inflation, and the courts, President Donald Trump has been fighting a losing war against another opponent these past weeks: pond scum. As part of his broader effort to "beautify" Washington, DC, ahead of the nation's rapidly approaching 250th birthday, President Trump wanted to clean up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and turn it "American Flag blue." The 6.5-million gallon pool was drained, lined with a blue coating, and refilled — at a cost of more than $16 million.
The “clean energy” mine that could put one of America’s most pristine wilderness areas at risk
There’s no such thing as a truly pristine landscape — humans have, over millennia, shaped every environment on Earth — but the Boundary Waters wilderness of northeastern Minnesota comes pretty darn close. Stretching across more than a million acres near the Canadian border, about four hours north of Minneapolis, the Boundary Waters is a messy patchwork of lakes, streams, and islands with hardly any human infrastructure.
The “clean energy” mine that could put one of America’s most pristine wilderness areas at risk Original
There’s no such a thing as a truly pristine landscape — humans have, over millennia, shaped every environment on Earth — but the Boundary Waters wilderness of northeastern Minnesota comes pretty darn close. Stretching across more than a million acres near the Canadian border, about four hours north of Minneapolis, the Boundary Waters is a messy patchwork of lakes, streams, and islands with hardly any human infrastructure.
The “clean energy” mine that could put one of America’s most pristine wilderness areas at risk
I Took My Son Camping in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness—the Same Trip I Took When I Was His Age My teenage son, Santiago, and I pushed our canoe from the landing. The boat slid downstream, the water creating a lane lined with lily pads and gently bowing water grass. Both current and breeze eased us down the Moose River in northeastern Minnesota. I steered from the back; my son paddled in …
I Asked a Mining Billionaire About His Environmental Philanthropy. It Didn’t Go Well.
This story was originally published by Vox and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Earlier this year, a billionaire investor and philanthropist named Tom Kaplan auctioned off a small Rembrandt drawing of a lion at Sotheby’s in New York City. It sold for nearly $18 million.
Our quest for a new species Original
Vox is setting out to discover a new animal species in the heart of New York City. In collaboration with several research and nonprofit groups — including the Central Park Conservancy and Prospect Park Alliance in NYC, NTNU University Museum in Norway, and the Center for Biodiversity Genomics in Canada — we’re sampling flying insects in Central Park and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park this summer. The goal is to find something that’s never been documented before. Questions about the project?
NYC is full of undiscovered species — and we’ve hatched a plan to find one Original
New York City is one of the most well-explored places on Earth. Established nearly four centuries ago by an influential Dutchman, the city has since grown into the largest and most densely populated metropolis in the country, with no fewer than 28,000 people per square mile, or about one person per 1,000 square feet. People are everywhere.
I asked a billionaire about his environmental philanthropy. It didn’t go well.
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I asked a billionaire about his environmental philanthropy. It didn’t go well. Original
Earlier this year, a billionaire investor and philanthropist named Tom Kaplan auctioned off a small Rembrandt drawing of a lion at Sotheby’s in New York City. It sold for nearly $18 million. A press release prior to the auction noted that Kaplan would donate the proceeds of the sale to an environmental organization that he co-founded, called Panthera, which conserves wild cats like lions and jaguars. At face value, Kaplan’s gift is extraordinarily generous.
These Photos Reveal Strange Sea Creatures Scientists Have Never Seen Before
This story was originally published by Vox and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. It lives in a glass castle deep under the sea. It’s not a character from The Little Mermaid but a very real, very mysterious marine worm. Known as Dalhousiella yabukii, the worm resides inside a glass sea sponge—a simple marine animal that forms a glass-like skeleton—in the cold, dark waters off the coast of Japan.
Photos reveal strange sea creatures that scientists have never seen before Original
It lives in a glass castle deep under the sea. It’s not a character from The Little Mermaid but a very real, very mysterious marine worm. Known as Dalhousiella yabukii, the worm resides inside a glass sea sponge — a simple marine animal that forms a glass-like skeleton — in the cold, dark waters off the coast of Japan. And it’s just one of a massive trove of marine animal species that scientists say they recently discovered.
These tropical forests are critically important. Why is this religious sect cutting them down?
This story was originally published by Vox and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration Over the last few decades, wildfires, farmers and cattle ranchers have razed millions of acres of tropical forests across the planet. Much of that deforestation has occurred in three countries: Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Indonesia. But in the last few years, another, smaller nation has risen in the ranks of those with the most severe forest loss — Bolivia.
These tropical forests are critically important. Why is this religious sect cutting them down? Original
Over the last few decades, wildfires, farmers, and cattle ranchers have razed millions of acres of tropical forests across the planet. Much of that deforestation has occurred in three countries: Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia. But in the last few years, another, smaller nation has risen in the ranks of nations with the most severe forest loss — Bolivia.
The surprising reason why buying guns helps endangered species Original
Here’s a weird fact: Every time someone buys an assault weapon in the US, such as an AR-15, they’re funding wildlife conservation. The same is true if they purchase a handgun, a shotgun, or any other kind of gun or ammunition. That’s thanks to a law most people have never heard of: the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson Act.
Can you profit off nature without destroying it? These venture capitalists are betting on it. Original
If you’ve ever wanted to buy sandals made with leather from invasive lionfish, I’ve got some good news — you can! A clothing and gear company called Grundéns is now selling flip-flops with a “panel” of scaly lionfish leather.
Can you profit off nature without destroying it? These venture capitalists are betting on it.
1 hour ago A new SEC filing reveals that Uber Technologies has become a major shareholder of Lucid Group, holding 37.7 million shares of Class A common stock — an 11.5% ownership stake that makes the ride-hailing giant one of Lucid’s largest investors outside the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The filing, a …
The surprising truth about logging Original
The value of forest ecosystems is hard to overstate. Blanketing roughly a third of the US, they supply clean water and air, absorb planet-warming carbon dioxide, and provide homes for imperiled wildlife and a tranquil place for Americans to hunt and fish. It’s for this reason that environmental advocates widely opposed a plan announced by the Trump administration last spring.
If these whales go extinct, we'll know who to blame
Benji Jones In the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico lives one of the world's rarest and most elusive marine mammals: Rice's whale. There are just 51 of them left, according to the most recent scientific estimates , meaning they are quite literally on the knife's edge of extinction. That's why, in 2019, the federal government — then under President Donald Trump's first term — gave these sleek marine mammals a lifeline.
If these whales go extinct, we’ll know who to blame
In the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico lives one of the world’s rarest and most elusive marine mammals: Rice’s whale. There are just 51 of them left, according to the most recent scientific estimates, meaning they are quite literally on the knife’s edge of extinction. That’s why, in 2019, the federal government — then under President Donald Trump’s first term — gave these sleek marine mammals a lifeline.
If these whales go extinct, we’ll know who to blame
A Rice's whale is visible from onboard the NOAA Twin Otter aircraft off the coast of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. | Paul Nagelkirk/NOAA Fisheries (Permit #21938) via The Associated Press In the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico lives one of the world’s rarest and most elusive marine mammals: Rice’s whale. There are just 51 of them left, according to the most recent scientific estimates, meaning they are quite literally on the knife’s edge of extinction.
If these whales go extinct, we’ll know who to blame
9 hours ago When President Trump spoke at the Saudi Future Investment Initiative on Friday, he offered a pristine example of what he calls “the weave.” What detractors take for incontinent verbal rambling is, in his own telling, genius-level embroidery of a rhetorical mosaic. While spinning his tapestry of …
These animals can cause big trouble. Why are states unleashing them by the millions? Original
When animals that aren’t native to an area harm the environment, we usually label them as invasive and consider them bad. State wildlife agencies spend tens of millions of dollars a year trying to eliminate them. That makes this fact peculiar: Those same agencies also regularly and purposefully release nonnative fish into the environment that, in many cases, damage local ecosystems. The reason for this apparent contradiction is that anglers everywhere want something nice to catch.
Scientists finally have something hopeful to tell us about monarch butterflies
For the past quarter century, the future of monarch butterflies has looked dire, with these iconic American insects flitting toward extinction. Now, however, there is at least a small reason for hope: New data from WWF Mexico, a large conservation group, offers further evidence that the decline of eastern monarchs — the world’s largest population — has stopped, even as the insects face worsening threats across their range.
Scientists finally have something hopeful to tell us about monarch butterflies
Monarchs stop to drink nectar from flowers in Austin, Texas, on their migration down to Mexico. | Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images For the past quarter century, the future of monarch butterflies has looked dire, with these iconic American insects flitting toward extinction.
The strange reason why bears are attacking people in Japan
A sign warning hikers of bears along the Fujiyoshida Trail on Mount Fuji. | Yiming Chen/Getty Images It’s a scene from a nightmare: You’re shopping at the supermarket on a normal fall evening, and suddenly a hungry bear walks in and starts smashing things. This scene has become a reality in parts of Japan.
The strange reason why bears are attacking people in Japan
It’s a scene from a nightmare: You’re shopping at the supermarket on a normal fall evening, and suddenly a hungry bear walks in and starts smashing things. This scene has become a reality in parts of Japan. Last year, in a city north of Tokyo, an adult bear entered an open grocery store, “rampaged” through the sushi section, and, according to a store employee, knocked over and smashed a pile of avocados. The animal became agitated and injured two people, local officials said.
The 15 foods destroying rainforests, in one simple chart
Benji Jones It's pretty much impossible to live a life free of environmental harm. The cleanest energy relies on mining. Critical medical supplies produce plastic waste. Even organic foods are typically grown with pesticides. But there is one thing you could do immediately that would help the planet a heck of a lot: eat less beef. I know, I know; for most omnivores, beef is hard to give up.
The 15 foods destroying rainforests, in one simple chart
5 hours ago Even while being hammered by rapid climate change, the Arctic has long managed to keep its balance. “For decades the Arctic was a rare, low-tension region where international cooperation prevailed,” Canada’s Governor General, Mary Simon, said at the Arctic Frontiers conference held at the start of …
The world’s rainforests are vanishing. In this one country, they’re growing back.
A view of Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. | Sergi Reboredo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images For several decades now, the story of the world’s rainforests has been the same tragic one: These iconic, animal-filled ecosystems are getting cut down to make way for farms and ranches, roads and mines. And it doesn’t appear to be changing.
The world’s rainforests are vanishing. In this one country, they’re growing back.
For several decades now, the story of the world’s rainforests has been the same tragic one: These iconic, animal-filled ecosystems are getting cut down to make way for farms and ranches, roads and mines. And it doesn’t appear to be changing. In 2024, the most recent year of global forest data, the tropics lost a record 16.6 million acres of primary fores , largely to fires and agriculture. More than half of that recent loss was in Brazil and Bolivia.
The Adorable Patients of This Special Bat Hospital Will Warm Your Heart
This story was originally published by Vox and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Australia is famously a place with some of the world’s most dangerous and frightening animals. Venomous spiders. Deadly snakes. Jellyfish with fatal stings. But it is also home to one of the world’s cutest: the flying fox, also known as the giant fruit bat. I mean, look at this animal. This is a baby bat taking a bubble bath. If it doesn’t melt your heart, nothing will.
One-Of-A-Kind Hospital Saves Hundreds Of Lives A Year Caring for Most Adorable Babies
This story was originally published at Vox.com and is reproduced here with permission. Australia is famously a place with some of the world’s most dangerous and frightening animals. Venomous spiders. Deadly snakes. Jellyfish with fatal stings. But it is also home to one of the world’s cutest: the flying fox, also known as the giant fruit bat. In northeastern Australia, not far from the coastal city of Cairns, is a place called Tolga Bat Hospital.
Meet the unbearably cute patients at this one-of-a-kind hospital for bats
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND, Australia — Australia is famously a place with some of the world’s most dangerous and frightening animals. Venomous spiders. Deadly snakes. Jellyfish with fatal stings. But it is also home to one of the world’s cutest: the flying fox, also known as the giant fruit bat. I mean, look at this animal. This is a baby bat taking a bubble bath. If it doesn’t melt your heart, nothing will.
Meet the unbearably cute patients at this one-of-a-kind hospital for bats
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND, Australia — Australia is famously a place with some of the world’s most dangerous and frightening animals. Venomous spiders. Deadly snakes. Jellyfish with fatal stings. But it is also home to one of the world’s cutest: the flying fox, also known as the giant fruit bat. I mean, look at this animal. 1/4Harriet Spark for Vox This is a baby bat taking a bubble bath. If it doesn’t melt your heart, nothing will.
Inside the historic effort to keep the Great Barrier Reef alive
This story was originally published by Vox and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. “I just got a whiff,” said Peter Harrison, a marine scientist, as he leaned over the edge of the boat and pointed his flashlight into the dark water. “It’s really coming through now.” It was shortly after 10 p.m. on a cloudy December night, and Harrison, a coral researcher at Australia’s Southern Cross University, was about 25 miles off the coast of northern Queensland.
Inside the historic effort to keep the Great Barrier Reef alive
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Mother Jones: ‘Something Unexpected Is Happening With Norway’s Polar Bears’ - ‘The effects of climate change, at least locally, may be making them healthier’ - Researcher: ‘I was surprised’ - Climate Depot
Something Unexpected Is Happening With Norway’s Polar Bears By BENJI JONES Excerpt: Polar bears became the poster child for the peril of climate change for obvious reasons: They hunt seals from the ice, and as fossil fuels warm the planet, the ice where these bears live is melting. For more than three decades, scientists have been warning that climate change could drive polar bear populations extinct.
Something unexpected is happening with Norway’s polar bears
This story was originally published by Vox and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Polar bears became the poster child for the peril of climate change for obvious reasons: They hunt seals from the ice, and as fossil fuels warm the planet, the ice where these bears live is melting. For more than three decades, scientists have been warning that climate change could drive polar bear populations extinct.
Polar bears and climate change: New research in Norway has scientists baffled
Polar bears became the poster child for the peril of climate change for obvious reasons: They hunt seals from the ice, and as fossil fuels warm the planet, the ice where these bears live is melting. For more than three decades, scientists have been warning that climate change could drive polar bear populations extinct. That message infiltrated the public psyche, perhaps more than any other about the scourge of global warming.
Something very unexpected is happening to Norway’s polar bears
Polar bear researcher Magnus Andersen, one of the study’s coauthors, stands in front of a female bear and her cubs in Svalbard. The adult bear was stunned so researchers could take research measurements and samples. | Jon Aars/Norwegian Polar Institute Polar bears became the poster child for the peril of climate change for obvious reasons: They hunt seals from the ice, and as fossil fuels warm the planet, the ice where these bears live is melting.
An exclusive look inside the largest effort ever mounted to keep the Great Barrier Reef alive
Australia is doing absolutely everything to protect its most iconic ecosystem — except, perhaps, the one thing that really matters. CAIRNS, Australia — “I just got a whiff,” said Peter Harrison, a marine scientist, as he leaned over the edge of the boat and pointed his flashlight into the dark water.
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