Latest Articles

What’s in the air along the Louisiana coast?

Working to clean up the Gulf oil spill Cross-posted from NRDC’s Simple Steps blog. Venice, La. – “You shoulda been out here last evening” said Carey, the shrimp boat captain who took me out to South Pass today. He saw that I was taking air samples with a hand-held monitoring device, and recounted the strong […]

Did Elena Kagan really flunk a food-policy litmus test?

Former Gourmet contributing editor Barry Estabrook, now writing for The Atlantic‘s online food section, has raised concerns that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan may be too sympathetic to biotech giant Monsanto: It’s a good thing for Elena Kagan that there’s no non-GMO litmus test for Supreme Court nominees. She’d flunk. As solicitor general, […]

American PRIDE – alternative to the Lieberman-Kerry Disaster

The leading U.S. bill in tackling the climate crisis is so flawed and weak and full of concessions to major polluters that even centrist environmental groups like Greenpeace have noticed that it is worse than nothing. It fails to take advantage of the many opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ways that strengthen our […]

Farmers don’t get vacation

The old granary on our Nebraska property (Steph Larsen)Farmers know that their chosen profession is not an occupation, but a lifestyle. If you believe the Hollywood version, farming is all about waking up at sunrise, frolicking with cute lambs and chicks, and driving a tractor through a field of waving golden grain. And when the […]

Birth-control opponents greenwash their message

Even opponents of birth control are “going green” these days.  The uber-right-wing American Life League, founded by Catholic activists in 1979, launched a “The Pill Kills” campaign in 2008, and this year shifted its message to “The Pill Kills the Environment.” “Study after study has shown how the chemicals from the pill discharge into our […]

Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Local or organic?

Dearest readers, Great discussion yesterday in the comments section and on Grist’s Facebook page about meat-eating environmentalists and gross corporate greenwashing campaigns (apparently, kids who are hopped up on sugary cereals in the morning do better in school than kids who have no breakfast at all!). Here’s another batch of questions inspired by Anna Lappé’s […]

Eco-bricks made from pee take number one

This kid is pissing all over a good idea.Clav via Creative CommonsSometimes it feels like climate change has us all up against a brick wall. Then some innovator pisses all over those fears by cooking up a formula for eco-bricks that don’t need cooking — thus, saving millions of tons of CO2 each year. And […]

How green is the U.K.’s new government?

Prime Minister David Cameron (right) and deputy Nick Clegg, BFFsPrime Minister’s OfficeBritain’s got a new prime minister, Conservative David Cameron; a new deputy prime minister, Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg; and an odd new governing coalition kludged together with both of their parties.  The new government has released its platform, saying “The parties agree to implement […]

Obama, vets, and military experts praise Kerry-Lieberman climate and energy bill

President Obama has released a statement on the Kerry-Lieberman American Power Act. So have a number of veterans and retired military experts. Let’s start with the Commander-in-Chief: I applaud Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman for their tireless work in drafting this important legislation. This legislation will put America on the path to a clean […]

A quick look back at BP’s pre-spill greenwashing

The BP oil spill in the Gulf is heartbreaking, so is the “It wasn’t our fault” denial. A little walk down memory lane (and not too long of one) should give us good reason to be skeptical of oil giant, BP. In my new book, I talk about the power of skilled corporate greenwashing to […]