Shannon Osaka

Washington, D.C.

Climate zeitgeist reporter

Education: Princeton University, BA in environmental science and environmental studies; University of Oxford, MPhil in geography

Shannon Osaka is a climate reporter covering policy, culture, and science for The Washington Post. She came to The Post after two and a half years at the nonprofit environment journalism outlet Grist, where she analyzed federal climate policy, the energy transition and ideas about climate change. Before becoming a journalist, she received a master’s degree in human geography and published academic papers on climate change perception and modeling.
Latest from Shannon Osaka
  • Analysis

Which electric vehicle is right for you? Check out our guide.

A guide for comparing price, battery range and estimated environmental impact of the nation’s top-selling electric vehicles.

April 18, 2023

The unlikely center of America’s EV battery revolution

Georgia is gaining thousands of jobs from electric vehicle manufacturing as part of the growing "battery belt." But lawmakers are hesitant to fully embrace EVs.

April 17, 2023

Here’s the biggest hurdle facing America’s EV revolution

The United States is finally ready to take the plunge when it comes to electric vehicles. But our flawed EV charging system is standing in the way.

April 13, 2023

College gymnastics is booming. So is criticism of its scoring.

In the past decade, the number of perfect 10s awarded has ballooned.

April 12, 2023

Why climate ‘doomers’ are replacing climate ‘deniers’

How U.N. reports and confusing headlines created a generation of people who believe climate change can’t be stopped.

March 24, 2023

The Willow oil project debate comes down to this key climate change question

The Alaskan oil project is a symbol of a larger argument: What matters more, curbing demand or keeping fossil fuels in the ground?

March 17, 2023

Apple’s ‘Extrapolations’ shows how hard it is to make climate must-watch TV

The new drama’s enthusiasm for moralizing distracts from its most unsettling moments.

March 17, 2023

Pork without a pig? A New Jersey factory says it has found a way.

A company in New Jersey has created the first ever lab-grown pork, hoping to provide a lower-carbon food staple for billions of people around the world. But can it scale up? Here's what one factory is doing to get cell-based meat off the ground — and what it means for the planet.

March 14, 2023

U.S. home heating is fractured in surprising ways: Look up your neighborhood

The split shows that much of the South, and rural America, could ditch fossil fuels easier than big cities and the coasts.

March 6, 2023

How energy from Earth’s crust could pull carbon from the sky

A geothermal company announced today it will design and engineer the first purpose-built geothermal and direct air capture plant.

February 23, 2023