HEATED (US)

This July 4 weekend has the potential to be soul-crushing. On the East Coast, a brutal heat wave is reminding everyone that the climate crisis is not some future abstraction, but an extremely scary present-tense physical condition. In Europe, another heat wave has already killed more than 1,300 people.

By now, you have probably heard that microplastics are everywhere. You may have even heard it at this newsletter. That basic idea is still true: plastic pollution is in a lot of places. But lately, some scientists have raised serious questions about some of the more viral studies claiming that large quantities of tiny plastic particles have been found in nearly every part of the human body.

As a science teacher, Helen is trained in practicing skepticism. So perhaps it was only natural that, at this year’s Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers Conference, she detected the distinct odor of B.S. She was attending a presentation by the Switch Energy Alliance, a group that provides free energy and environment lesson plans to teachers and students across North America.

People say all the time, metaphorically, that the country is on fire. Right now, the country is also actually, literally on fire. There are currently 27 uncontained large wildfires currently burning across the United States. Three near the Florida Everglades have torched an area the size of Manhattan. Another in Washington state has destroyed at least 15 homes and burned an area roughly the size of Miami.

Source: MetLife Stadium via Marc Atkins/Getty Images, Debbie Downer via Wikimedia Commons This year’s World Cup has something no other World Cup has had before: commercial breaks. This means that each match now contains two three-ish-minute opportunities to absolutely demolish the vibe of the party by talking about things that nobody wants to hear about, but probably should. Here are three of my suggestions. HEATED is a reader-supported publication.

On May 20, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) strolled to the Senate floor with a resolution asking his colleagues to agree on a “simple truth:” that climate change is real. It wasn’t the first time he’d done this. Whitehouse first introduced the resolution in December 2025 and tried to get it passed last January. Nearly every week since, the Senator has taken the resolution to the floor, asking, “Climate change is real. Can we agree on that simple truth?” Apparently not.

How can Patagonia, the brand, own the name of a geographical region? That’s the most common question I keep seeing asked about Patagonia™’s controversial lawsuit against Pattie Gonia, the environmental activist and drag queen. I’m interested in that question myself—not just legally, but morally.

Bill Nye, Dr. Kate Marvel and John Iadarola on April 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage) Kate Marvel spent more than a decade at NASA studying the future of life on Earth. Then the Trump administration made that job feel impossible. “Instead of saying, we value your science and here’s how we’re going to protect it, we were being told things like, ‘Make sure you take your pronouns out of your email signature,’” she told HEATED.

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -42:14 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Happy Thursday! On this week’s podcast episode, Tracy and I go deep about Shein’s purchase of Everlane, fashion industry greenwashing, and what true sustainable fashion looks like. You can watch the video on YouTube, listen on your preferred podcast app, or just click the sound bar at the top of this newsletter. ICYMI: I wrote about Shein’s acquisition of Everlane earlier this week.

HEATED is 100 percent funded by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ Big news on the “green capitalism” front: Everlane, the much-beloved clothing brand built on a promise to make fashion climate-friendly, is being purchased by Shein, the most-polluting fast fashion brand on Earth. The prevailing public reaction to this sale (valued at $100 million, first reported by Puck News) has been shock and disappointment that such an ethical, sustainable brand would sell out to such a massive planetary ghoul.