Latest Articles

Short-rib tacos for the occasional meat eater

I'm just back from Mexico -- and here is my tribute to the cooking of that country's great food markets.

Is Amy Chua's parenting style going to help China save the environment?

Does Amy Chua's essay "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior" apply to green energy? China outstrips the U.S. on wind power and high speed rail.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of fatness

When did a diet of processed, sugary junk foods become what "real Americans" eat? Messaging by Big Food -- echoed by a cynical GOP -- has taken many people hostage in what I call American Fast Food Syndrome. And it's killing us.

Why are gays more eco-friendly?

A recent poll says gays and lesbians are more likely to support the environment. So why are the gays greener?

Millennials not looking for McMansions (unless they have to move back in with the parents)

Will Generation Y choose to live in smaller spaces and more walkable communities than their parents did?

A Lapel Pin With a Purpose

After 9/11, every politician in America quickly donned an American flag lapel pin. Even nine years later, the patriotism of public officials who fail to wear the pin is called into question, while others are called hypocritical if they wear the pin while opposing things like legislation to give health benefits to 9/11 first responders. […]

Climate change helped end the Roman empire, says study

If you thought the fall of the Roman Empire was caused by lead poisoning or that old standby, the gays, you're terribly mistaken! It turns out that agricultural societies are (surprise!) highly dependent on a cooperative climate.

It’s Time for EPA to Step In

This post was co-written by Jen Powis, Sierra Club Senior Regional Representative in Texas. It isn’t old news around here that when it comes to air pollution, Texas has a big problem. And it seems like the rest of the nation is finally catching on. Today in Downtown Dallas, hundreds of Texans will gather at […]

Think composting stinks? Here's a fresher idea

Brooklyn company Vokashi is a composting service for people who don't want to harbor rotting vegetable matter in their kitchens.

Why the banana crisis doesn't make me stop worrying and love GMOs

The banana export market is dominated by a single variety that's being stalked by a ruinous blight, as a recent New Yorker article chronicles -- and even some sustainable-food folks think maybe a little genetic engineering is OK in this case. I take a look.