Articles by Tom Philpott

Tom Philpott was previously Grist's food writer. He now writes for Mother Jones.

All Articles

  • USDA sustainable-ag czar Merrigan hits youtube

    Way back in August 2006, I wrote a column arguing that farmers in northern areas could grow a lot more vegetables in the winter, if the USDA would invest in research and infrastructure for it. I wrote: If we wanted to make that vision come true for the nation’s northern climes, all it would take […]

    Tom Philpott Politics

  • Amid Monsanto’s antitrust troubles, another study questions the health effects of GMOs

    Better living through biotechnology? Pity executives at genetically modified seed giant Monsanto. Not only are they having to knock heads with Department of Justice lawyers over the company’s business practices, but some of their most-cherished PR talking points are being obliterated by researchers. In the past few months, we’ve learned that its much-vaunted technologies don’t […]

    Tom Philpott Food

  • Seed behemoth Monsanto stumbles into antitrust trouble

    Even as it bombards the airwaves and magazine ad pages to tout its commitment to “sustainable agriculture,” GMO seed giant Monsanto has been having a rough go on the PR front of late. First came a report (PDF) from the Organic Center showing that the company’s core Round Up Ready products have sparked a veritable […]

    Tom Philpott Food

  • Cellulosic ethanol: time to ‘party like it’s 2014’?

    Cellulosic ethanol, after 30 years of R&D (much of it on the public dime), is ready to deliver on its promises. No longer perpetually five years away from commercial viability, the technology has come into its own. Unlike pretender energy sources like wind and solar, cellulosic is the “‘shovel-ready,’ ‘fire when ready’ technology for short-term […]

    Tom Philpott Technology