Latest Articles

Great veggies — and a model for city farming — thrive at Boggy Creek Farm models.

In “Mad Flavor,” the author describes his occasional forays from the farm in search of exceptional culinary experiences from small artisanal producers. Mad Flavor is currently reporting from location in Austin, the author’s hometown. The first thing to say about Austin’s Boggy Creek Farm is that its vegetables have mad flavor. Russian-red kale so bursting […]

Slow Food event in Italy

Slow Food recently wrapped up its biennial event, Terra Madre, in Turin, Italy. The conference gathers food producers from around the world to share information, stories, and food. Slow Food had a running blog of the event, with pictures and audio.

We are the voices of Terra Madre. We believe in good, clean and fair food. These are our stories, our pictures, our questions and answers, our problems, concerns, fears, failures and successes.

So mangiati il fegato (eat your heart out).

Signs of hope in the elephant party

In a week's time, the political climate in America will change -- or so the experts tell us. Pollster Charlie Cook, the "Oracle of Washington," calls this a "wave" election, compares it to 1994, and predicts Republicans will lose "at least 20 to 35 seats, possibly more." In the L.A. Times, conservative historian Niall Ferguson compares this election to 1958. That year, a two-term Republican president found himself stuck with an unpopular war and a sluggish economy. The GOP lost 48 seats, setting the stage for a dynamic new Democratic president in 1960, and Democratic domination of the Congress for the next 20 years.

If the election goes as these pollsters predict, November 7th will be "the end of George W. Bush's presidency as he has known it," reported the Washington Post.

Will prospects improve for environmental protection? Probably. But much will still depend on the Republican Party.

The Texas Supply-chain Massacre

Federal agency says cost-cutting a factor in fatal BP refinery explosion Ooh, what a little belt-tightening can do: a new federal review says cost-cutting by BP contributed to the 2005 refinery explosion in Texas City, Texas, that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. Carolyn Merritt, chair of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, says the […]

Spite of the Living Dead

Interior Department official disparages endangered-species recommendations If Julie MacDonald had a farm (e-i-e-i-o), all the animals would die. At least six times since 2004, MacDonald — deputy assistant secretary of the Interior Department — has rejected staff recommendations to protect susceptible flora and fauna under the Endangered Species Act, documents show. The Interior Department’s inspector […]

Hauntingly Familiar

Groundbreaking climate report inspires predictable political responses World reaction to yesterday’s U.K. report linking climate change with possible economic ruin has been swift — and painfully predictable. While British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his likely successor Gordon Brown hailed the findings, Kyoto-resisters Australia and the U.S. offered more lukewarm responses. Australian Prime Minister John […]

There are many

As y'all are no doubt aware, the mid-term elections are rapidly approaching. For the big-picture state of the election, I refer you to insider's insider Charlie Cook:

With the election just eight days away, there are no signs that this wave is abating. Barring a dramatic event, we are looking at the prospect of GOP losses in the House of at least 20 to 35 seats, possibly more, and at least four in the Senate, with five or six most likely.

Also, don't miss our own Amanda's articles on the elections here, here, and here.

Of particular interest to us green types is the unusual prominence of eco-issues in a variety of campaigns, from the obvious (Calif. gubernatorial) to the not-so-obvious (Nevada senate).

Celebs stump for progressives in Calif.

The Pombo race is coming down to the wire. The national party has sent Laura "The Republican People Still Like" Bush out to pull Pombo's fat out of the fire.

The Dems are pulling out their big guns too -- their big Hollywood Elite Liberal Latte-Sipping Homo Heathen guns, that is. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner -- Bennifer II, proud parents of a beautiful 11-month-old girl -- are out in California and will appear Saturday at a Defenders of Wildlife event on behalf of Jerry "Not Pombo" McNerney. Can victory be far behind?

In other news, damn Garner's looking good for a new mother, is all I'm saying.

It’s a poor indicator of progress on global warming

A recent news article about the Stern Report contained the following gem from a Bush administration spokeswoman:

The statement from spokeswoman Kristen Hellmer said the United States is "well on track to meet the president's goal to reduce greenhouse gas intensity of our economy 18 percent by 2012."

This statement makes it sound like the Bush administration is taking on the problem of climate change head-on, with an aggressive program to reduce emissions.

But it ain't so.

A question re: fire lines and wild fires

The recent wild fires in Calif. make me wonder why fire lines (areas of land cleared of vegetation) aren't actively maintained around areas where there is housing, and even in different areas of the forest. Does it require that too much land be cleared? The labor involved has got to be less than the labor needed to fight a fire, and perhaps it could prevent firefighters from losing their lives protecting property. Does anybody know why this isn't done?