Latest Articles

Report: We have plenty of water, we’re just dumb with it

We have enough clean water worldwide, we're just not using it well, a new study says. The report, produced by the Challenge Program on Water and Food, looked at 10 river basins, from the Ganges to the Nile to the Andes, and found that, "There is clearly sufficient water to sustain food, energy, industrial and environmental needs during the 21st century."

Critical List: Energy Dept. picks more winners; natural gas boom comes to Ohio

The Department of Energy, always picking winners, you know? The first Quadrennial Technology Review, to be released today, favors technologies that could come into commercial use in 10 years — i.e. consumer goods you can spend money for. This could mean DOE favors EVs over new clean energy technologies.

This company, Renmatix, will probably make it under the wire, though. It says it has the right technology to make commercially viable biofuels from biomass and just opened a plant to forward development of the technique.

The natural gas boom comes to Ohio.

Although Beijing usually gets a bad rap on pollution, Central and South Asia are not great places to live if you like inhaling clean air, either.

Food Studies: reinventing the cheese wheel

Is there a science to how cheese tastes, and if so, can it be used to help artisanal food-producers?

Bombs away: Yarn bombers get out-heisted in Boulder

Clever yarn bombers give Boulder's bike-share program some fuzzy PR-love by wrapping their drab kiosks in colorful hand-knit cozies. But the prank's on them when anonymous thread thieves nick the knitting one day before they're set to come off.

'The Quest' questioned

A read of Daniel Yergin's new book, The Quest, reveals holes in his arguments, mostly centered around his discussion of peak oil.

The myth of the free market

The oil, gas, and nuclear industries have enjoyed huge federal subsidies for a century, all of which have far outpaced investment in renewable energy.

I am the population problem

Population growth tends to get blamed on other people. But actually the population problem is all about me: white, middle-class, American me.

Who’s behind the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance and why it matters

In response to Food Inc., Michael Pollan, and the growing interest Americans are showing in their food system, Big Ag has rolled out an expensive PR campaign designed as a "preemptive strike" against antibiotic and pesticide regulations.

Is my apple farmer shining me on? Ask Umbra on pesticides

A grower minimizes spraying fruit. Is that good enough? Umbra bites in.

Big Food exerts unhealthy influence on America's nutritionists

If their annual conference is any indication, the organization that defines nutrition in this country -- The American Dietetic Association -- works very closely with processed-food titans like Monsanto, Hershey's, Coca-Cola, and Cargill.