Recent Posts
Think you could hack it as a farmer? Read this first
Before you go buying a farm, there are a few things you need to consider.
SeaWorld Barbie quits her job
Barbie and Jane Goodall can agree on one thing: SeaWorld is the worst.
Climate change could drive 1-in-6 species to extinction
Cranking up the planetary heat is going to ratchet down the planet’s biodiversity.
Elon Musk unveils fancy new Tesla battery — ’cause existing batteries “suck”
The billionaire inventor and entrepreneur wants to bring solar power to the masses.
Nightmare school district serves students old-ass meat
The six-year-old pork roast could've served a term on the Senate. Grossed out yet?
In Baltimore and Cleveland, a unique approach to reviving the inner city
These cities are building businesses around "anchor institutions" like hospitals and universities -- and providing much-needed jobs for local residents.
Say g’day to Australia’s awesome new solar plant
Australia combines two of our favorite things: Solar power and wastewater treatment facilities.
California wildfire conditions are a “recipe for disaster”
It's already looking bad, and it's going to get worse.
The latest in GMO panic: Human engineering
We have some good and some bad reasons for worrying about GMOs — especially when they’re us.
Why Baltimore is fighting for its life, again
A longtime local reflects on the raggedy pleasures of life in Charm City, aka Mobtown, and the tenacity of the people who live there.
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This activist is bringing Kentucky’s hot food scene to a tray near you
Sarah Fritschner is leading a farm-to-cafeteria movement in Kentucky.
This is why we’re still talking about sexism in science
Upon submitting a paper for acceptance to PLOS (Public Library of Science), two female scientists were essentially told: "Needs more dudes."
Mopey English singer Morrissey picks a fight with Al Gore
The former Smiths frontman wrote an open letter to the former veep demanding that Live Earth go vegan.
Bernie Sanders swoops into presidential race with high climate-hawk ranking
A new ranking of U.S. senators based on their climate activism puts presidential candidate Bernie Sanders among the top "climate hawks."
When I eat honey, do I hurt bees?
A reader wonders if she should avoid using beeswax, royal jelly, and honey. Umbra's answer is sweet.
Break-up of the century: U.S. emissions and economic growth are really, finally separating
As the U.S. embraces energy efficiency and renewables, economic growth is now rising much faster than greenhouse gas emissions.
The most (and least) polluted cities in America
The American Lung Association ranked cities according to their air pollution. Here’s the good news, and the bad.
Watch this Kansas farm beat the market with the honor system (and a llama)
JaKo Farm avoids the farmers market by selling their products through an on-farm store -- and it's paying off.
Climate change is melting Arctic archaeological sites
The Canadian Arctic is losing centuries-old, perfectly preserved Inuit villages as permafrost melts and coast erodes.
Baltimore riots flared up in a toxic environment
A local youth activists says the enraged protesters’ “behavior is a result, or correlates with the environment that they live in.”
California sets fancy new climate goal, makes other states look bad
Gov. Jerry Brown declares his state will cut emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Even Europe can't beat that.
Emma Thompson, an ant biologist, and a bodega documentarian: It’s Woman Crush Wednesday!
Need a bit more pep in that step? Giving yourself a little break and check out our weekly roundup of badass women.
Your wildest, tiniest house dreams could come true
SustainaFest is hosting an essay contest with a very pretty, very tiny house as the prize.
Watch Mark Ruffalo get in touch with his feminine side
In film promotion, female stars get a lot of interview questions that can only be described as "truly useless."
Wake-up call from Baltimore: We can no longer ignore our inner cities
Watching the city blow up, we’re forced to recon with decades of racism and neglect. Now it’s time to get serious about solutions.
Tyson says: No more antibiotics for our chickens
The largest American chicken producer says it will stop using human antibiotics by 2017. Today the U.S., tomorrow the world?
Can Obama fix Japan’s broken climate plan?
The Fukushima disaster screwed up Japan's climate strategy.
Can zippy startup ideas and code speed local food to urban plates?
San Francisco's Good Eggs is taking another run at the dream of using apps and the internet to change the way we buy food for the better.
Hillary can’t believe we’re still fighting over this whole reproductive rights thing, either
It's 2015, some morons are still conflating reproductive healthcare with baby-killing sprees, and Hillary Clinton's fed up -- as are we all.
John Kerry knows cities hold the key to fighting climate change
As world leaders prepare for climate talks in Paris, the secretary of state says the real leadership is coming from the local level.
The EPA has a plan to protect vulnerable communities. Will it work?
The agency spent years cooking up its environmental justice master plan. Now it's time for action.
This is why you’re seeing Mason jars everywhere
If only down-home images could make food healthier and more sustainable, all our food system's problems would vanish.
Bees are addicted to pesticide-laden junk food, too
It turns out bees may prefer nectar when it's laced with common pesticides, says a new study.
Right-wing think tank wants to convince the pope he’s wrong about climate change
The notorious climate-denying Heartland Institute is sending a team of climate "scientists" to Rome to show Pope Francis the errors of his ways.
How the Bay Area’s last slaughterhouse dodged the axe
You want local meat? You're gonna need a local slaughterhouse. It took a tanking economy and a massive beef recall to save the last such outfit in the Bay Area.
California’s drought isn’t doomsday, but yes, it will change the state
The most nightmarish scenarios of California's dry future are unlikely to happen. Still, the state must use the crisis as a wakeup call to use water more smartly.
Is climate change killing my California dream?
A reader wonders if Cali is going to dry up and blow away. Umbra sprinkles a little wisdom on the subject.
Watch Obama get really angry — and really funny — when he rants about climate change
In a joke-packed speech to the White House Correspondents' Association, Obama got so "angry" at climate deniers that he scared off his "anger translator."
Hubble just turned 25. Here’s what it was like to grow up with it.
The Hubble Space Telescope shows us the far reaches of our universe -- and that tells us a lot about us, too.
Congratulations, Yellowstone! You’re having giant magma twins
A pocket of magma larger than the one we already knew about has appeared unannounced, like a surprise birthday dessert at Chili's.
What happened to America’s black farmers?
In 1920, black farmers represented 14 percent of U.S. farmers; today, they make up less than 2 percent.
We are so good at causing earthquakes that the government is starting to forecast them
Thanks, oil and gas industry.
Pope Francis forces the issue on climate change
Here's what Catholics think about the pope's big climate push.
Louis C.K. admits his generation is the worst
Louie comes face-to-face with a Young Person who -- surprise, surprise! -- hates baby boomers because of the mess they've left for everyone.
Emma Thompson wrote an Oscar-worthy open letter to save the Arctic
Like everything Emma Thompson touches, the letter will leave you either laugh-crying or slow-clapping.
Who should profit from solar energy?
More and more utilities are competing for solar power dollars -- but what will that mean for smaller companies and consumers?
New rules cutting farm emissions are kind of a big deal
The Department of Agriculture's new voluntary plan to cut U.S. carbon emissions shouldn't cause a ruckus -- and that just might make it work.
Finally, a climate change game you’d actually want to play
Climate change is not a game -- but this game is way more fun than just wringing your hands about it.
Of course YouTube started with a silly video about elephants
Ten years ago, the internet was forever changed. It's been pretty much all downhill since.
Are marijuana regulations weeding out family farmers?
As marijuana becomes a legitimate business, safety regulations and bureaucracy could make life tough for small "craft" growers.
Should I kill my weeds by peeing on them?
A reader wonders if urine will get rid of unwanted weeds. Umbra says, sadly, it's piss poor.
Should climate hawks push Elizabeth Warren to run for president?
Warren aggressively opposes Keystone XL, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and corporate power. That’s quite a contrast with Clinton’s views.
This is exactly why we need more women in tech
Who run the world? Girls ... who make reproductive healthcare video games.
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