Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Art of the Day- Vincent Van Gogh


Farmhouse in Wheat Field, 1888; Below,  Evening (after Millet) 1889 and St. Paul's Hospital 1889




Grist- Environmental News

Recent Posts

FOOD

This Mark Bittman cooking video will give you an easy goal to shoot for in the new year

A gentle suggestion: Maybe you should learn how to cook in 2015.
LIVING

7 species that moved closer to extinction in 2014

From northern white rhinos to Bangladesh's sloth bears to the Christmas Island forest skink: These animals had a worse year than you.
LIVING

10 New Year’s resolutions for a guilt-free 2015

Here at Grist, we've decided to take our resolutions and our commitment to easing the burden of humanity on our planet seriously. Join us!
LIVING

From Emma Watson to Interstellar, here’s where the planet had a cameo in 2014

Here are some of our favorite green highlights from this year in the culture at large, from the cinema to the symphony halls.
POLITICS

How environmental justice fared in 2014 — and the outlook for 2015

We reached out to get the thoughts of those on the battlefield fighting for justice to take its rightful, central place in our lives.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

Is 2015 the year Pope Francis defeats climate change?

The Holy Father will publish an edict on human ecology and address the U.N. in the run-up to Paris 2015 negotiations.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

Can a commercial development be used to block Big Oil?

Environmental groups are pushing for the rapid development of a $1.3 billion real estate project. Why?
ALMOND OY

In the battle of almonds vs. salmon, everyone is a loser

A state law in California requires that in dry times, surfacewater be diverted to save salmon habitats. Almond farmers are not really into that.
CITIES

How a weirdo city became just like everywhere else

Asheville, N.C., was once the freak capital of the U.S. Panhandling gutter punks were pushed out for pomeranians in handbags.
GRIST'S LIST

14 for ’14: The most popular Grist stories this year

Grist's most popular stories, captured in a hoary list. Enjoy!
CLIMATE & ENERGY

Watch the year’s biggest climate stories in 2 minutes

A year of extreme weather, climate denial, and some hope.
FOOD

How do I fend off freezer burn without using plastic?

A reader says she can't keep it out -- heaven knows she's tried. Umbra says the cold never bothered those berries anyway.
FOOD

What to do with all those sweet potatoes — no marshmallows necessary

Here are a couple dozen recipes to get you through an excess of sweet potatoes without an excess of sweet, from savory fritters to soups.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

The climate in 2015: Everything’s coming together while everything falls apart

The planet’s changing climate demands that we summon the energy to leave behind the Age of Fossil Fuel (and maybe some of the Age of Capitalism as well).
HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES

How to use up your holiday cookie surplus by baking a pie

I tried turning leftover cookies into a pie. Here's what happened next. (Spoiler: I ate it)
LIVING

Christmas is over — it’s time to throw your tree to the goats

A Christmas tree recycling program in California is feeding pines to goats to prevent brush fires in landfills.
FOOD

What’s in a name? These farmers know

Blazing Pitchforks Ranch, Fruit Loop Acres, Second Cloud On The Left Farm — these spreads have the most fantastic names.
LIVING

Pro-life equals pro-planet for this green evangelical leader

Five revelations from Ben Lowe, a religious greenie who's sparking a young evangelical movement.
HOMEGROWN HUGS AND HARMONY

If you forgot a gift, you can always hug it out

If you forgot to buy a present for that special someone, unfold those arms and get to hugging.
LIVING

6 things to laugh about from 2014, a real trash can of a year

These are the six best laugh-worthy moments that came out of some remarkably terrible news for the environment.
FOOD

Please save my favorite Christmas cookies, reader begs

A reader is hard pressed to find a sustainable cookie maker. Umbra excels at pizzelles.
LIVING

Love and long-distance travel in the time of climate change

It's very strange to be in a position where you weigh spending the holidays with people you love against the climate crisis.
CITIES

Lessons from 2014: If you care about green cities, you must care about justice too

Cities may hold the solutions to our global climate crisis -- but only if we address deep-seated inequities.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

These fantastic maps showed us different worlds in 2014

From rising sea levels and acidifying oceans to rural roads and dollar buses, these exercises in eco-cartography will open your eyes.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

A bit of good green energy news for your holidays, courtesy of New England

In Northeastern power markets, renewable energy is increasingly cheaper than fossil fuel energy.
CITIES

Violent cops suffocate the street life they claim to protect

Police unions have blamed protesters for sparking violence against cops. Clearly, they've missed the point.
OLD IS THE NEW BLACK

How to win at last-minute holiday shopping (hint: buy vintage)

Head to the local vintage store for that last-second holiday shopping. Your loved one (and the planet) will appreciate it.
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

Have people of color been locked out of the green economy?

Black entrepreneurs want to see themselves reflected in the green economy before they join the army to defend it.
LIVING

Life in the bike lane was pretty good in 2014

We spent some time this week pedaling through our bike coverage from 2014, and here are our favorite stories of the year.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

Bad news for wheat and eaters everywhere

Production of wheat -- one of the world’s most important staple crops -- is set to fall by 6 percent for every 1 degree C rise in temperature.
FOOD

2014 was stuffed with good food news that you never heard about

While high-profile issues aroused inflexible rhetoric, the food movement made real progress this year in a handful of important but less prominent areas.
TASTES GREAT, LESS TRASH-CAN-FILLING

How to make sure none of your holiday cookies go to waste, according to this food guru

The EPA's Ashley Zanolli dishes up the best ways to curb your food-waste footprint during the holidaze.
LIVING

Redeem this story for one last-minute, totally green gift idea

On the 12th day of DIY Christmas, it is getting down to the wire ... but it's still not too late to make some coupons for favors redeemable at a later date.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

Protest too much? 2014 was a big year for rabblerousing

From Keystone to Ferguson, the climate march to New York's fracking ban, here are the highs and lows of a pivotal year for the planet.
WEAK ASS ON COAL ASH

Obama blows a chance to crack down on coal

With weak rules for coal ash, Obama has rewarded his enemies, screwed over his friends, and squandered an opportunity to move toward clean energy.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

Could flooding finally wake Americans up to the climate crisis?

Several big U.S. cities could be seeing 30 days of flooding a year by 2020, a new study says.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

This was an epic year for droughts, floods, and extreme weather

Extreme heat, record-breaking floods, and a terrifying tornado in oil country -- all in all, a year we can't afford to forget.
CLIMATE & ENERGY

From Trump to Hobby Lobby, the worst anti-science stories of 2014

A catalogue of shame.