> But plenty of scientists remain unimpressed. Many of the trees, planted in places they don’t grow naturally, eventually die. The survivors soak up precious groundwater that native grasses and shrubs need, causing more soil degradation. Meanwhile, thousands of farmers and herders are forced off their lands to make way for the trees. China may be winning its war against nature for now, but at what cost?

I was a STEM major, but my first reaction to this is still: so what the hell is the takeaway? Science news coverage is all like this: “some scientists do X; other scientists say Y; I’m a journalist so f--k if I know who is right.” Science gets turned from something that offers clarity to something that underscores humans’ inability to understand the world around them.