Alexandria Herr

An environmental journalist writes about the poems that help her process wildfire and climate change. At a time when so much is being lost, ecopoetry can bear witness, sift through the ruins, reveal the cause of the crisis and restore the spirit.

For decades, communities of color have fought against unequal exposure to oil drilling and other environmental harms. Recent policies to phase out drilling and require buffer zones are victories, but the battle is still ongoing.

Though the Gold Rush ended over a century ago, thousands of abandoned mine sites and mine sediments, which were never properly reclaimed, have continued to leech mercury into California's environment and will continue to do so for the next 10,000 years.