Latest Articles

California 'superstorms' could make quakes look tame, and Brisbane look dry

California could be at risk for Old Testament-level storms that could do four to five times the damage of a major earthquake.

Walmart, KFC, and others fight over Africa’s new middle class

Despite widespread poverty, Africa's middle class is now bigger than India's ... which hasn't escaped the likes of Walmart, KFC, and Nestle.

Reading the tea leaves for the future of the global food trade

Does your tea habit promote deforestation, soil erosion, gushers of pesticides, and poverty wages? Probably -- even if it's Fair Trade, I'm sorry to say. But it doesn't have to.

Beware the water cowboys

The water wars are usually about supply and demand. But across the country, financially challenged communities are being aggressively courted -- including by Goldman Sachs! -- to sell or lease their drinking water and wastewater utilities to private companies.

Time to ruggedize: We should talk more about preparing for climate change

It used to be conventional wisdom among greenies that it's best not to talk much about adapting to climate change. But adaptation may be the most approach to climate change.

Global warming work ahead on heels of presidential summit

Chinese President Hu Jintao is in D.C. for a state dinner with President Obama and for a series of meetings over the next three days. They have a lot on their plate (both literally and figuratively), so climate change won’t be the only thing that they discuss. But you can sure bet that it will come up.

American states can learn much from Ontario's 'buy local' clean energy strategy

The Canadian province of Ontario has launched a clean energy strategy to maximize economic development while reducing pollution.

Starbucks’ 31-ounce 'Trenta' size won’t fit in your stomach

Starbucks' new 31-ounce "Trenta" size, essentially the Big Gulp of joe, is disturbingly larger than the average human stomach.

Obama's example of crazy regulation missed the mark

President Obama's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal touted the EPA's deregulation of an artificial sweetener. Here's the back story.

Ask Umbra on movies to see from the Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Wild and scenic films abounded this past weekend at Nevada City's Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Ask Umbra shares her top films.