Food | Grist

Is this thing on?

Lester Brown and I, diavlogging 5
Posted 2 weeks, 5 days ago By David Roberts I recently recorded my first BloggingHeads TV ... episode? diavlog? not sure what they're called ... with Lester Brown, focused on the latest edition of his book: Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. My main takeaway from the experience is that I need a much better microphone on my laptop. The sound is pretty awful on my end. Also I'm long overdue for some beard maintenance. And media training. There's some chit-chat and technical glitches toward the beginning, but we get rolling about 5 minutes in.
survey says!

Feed the world sustainably by 2050? Yes, we can! 5
Posted 2 weeks, 5 days ago By Tom Laskawy Adding a bit more data to food system reformers' arguments, a new study led by Germany's prestigious Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research takes on the question of whether we can "feed the world" while preserving the planet come 2050.
The Copenhagen Conference on food security 7
Posted 2 weeks, 6 days ago By Lester Brown For the 193 national delegations gathering in Copenhagen for the U.N. Climate Change Conference, the reasons for concern about climate change vary widely. For delegations from low-lying island countries, the principal concern is rising sea level. For countries of East Asia and the Caribbean, more powerful storms and storm surges are a growing worry. This climate change conference is about all these things, and many more, but in a very fundamental sense, it is a conference about food security.
Slow food, fast trains

Random Monday thoughts inspired by a throwaway line from Mark Bittman 5
Posted 3 weeks ago By Tom Philpott Perhaps feeling punchy because it's Monday, Tom Philpott jots down some random thoughts after reading an interview with home-cooking authority Mark Bittman.
the empire strikes back

Soda lobby gets its game on 4
Posted 3 weeks, 4 days ago By Tom Laskawy The sugar lobby has kept their work against the soda tax off their paperwork and thus out of public sight. But its invisibility doesn't lessen its ferocity or, so far, its effectiveness.
ISI isn't so popular

New allies in fight against Obama’s pesticide lobbyist nominee 1
Posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago By Tom Laskawy I'm sure many of you have seen the various petitions zipping around the Internet encouraging opposition to President Obama's nomination of pesticide lobbyist Islam "Isi" Siddiqui to the Office of the United State's Trade Representative. The argument against him goes something like this:
Drinking problems

I drink raw milk (sold illegally on the underground market) 49
Posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago By Joel Salatin Isn't it curious that at this juncture in our culture's evolution, we collectively believe Twinkies, Lucky Charms, and Coca-Cola are safe foods, but compost-grown tomatoes and raw milk are not? With legislation moving through Congress demanding that all agricultural practices be "science-based," Joel Salatin believes our food system is at Wounded Knee.
weasel in sheep's clothing

If you can’t beat ‘em, cheat ‘em 2
Posted 4 weeks ago By Tom Laskawy Issue 2, on Ohio's ballot, is the livestock industry’s attempt to head off restrictions on their worst practices, such as tail docking, battery cages, and gestation crates
N.Y. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand answers Grist’s questions on the Kerry-Boxer bill 1
Posted 1 month ago By David Roberts New York's new senator is a strong proponent of climate change legislation and has a unique set of concerns about it, reflecting the interests of her state. She answers our questions by video.
things that go pumpkin the night

The most frightening story this Halloween is ... pumpkintop removal 1
Posted 1 month ago By Ashley Braun I want to draw attention to one of the gravest -- but least publicized -- environmental crimes of our times. It is one of brutal violence, utter waste, and total disregard for the earth's resources. Yes, I'm referring to ... pumpkintop removal.