Climate Food and Agriculture

All Stories

  • Do Not Giggle

    Livestock sector spews a fifth of human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions, says U.N. The U.N. has issued fresh content on a vital cause of global warming: cow farts. It seems that 18 percent of human-caused greenhouse gases stem from farm animals and the livestock industry, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Besides poots, agriculture-related deforestation […]

    Grist staff Climate & Energy

  • Umbra on sustainable sushi

    Dear Umbra, My wife and I love sushi, but we’re increasingly concerned about sustainable harvesting. Although we treat ourselves to sushi only once or twice a month, it adds up, and we can’t help but wonder about the impact. There’s no sensation in the world like letting a slab of sashimi salmon dissolve in your […]

    Ask Umbra® Ask Umbra

  • Locally grown food shouldn’t be just for those with cash to spare

    As a critic of the globalized industrial food system, I often face charges of elitism — in part, likely, because I neglect to acknowledge the system’s clear achievements. So here goes. In the mood for good food? Look no further than your backyard. Photo: iStockphoto In human history, few pampered Roman emperors or African kings […]

    Tom Philpott Food

  • But it could be organic

    It's a good question, really:

    When is a fish really organic?

    Kate Sheppard Food

  • Winter veggies served with a labor shortage and a side of rocket fuel

    Last summer, plenty of drama emanated from California's Salinas Valley, epicenter of industrial vegetable production (organic and otherwise) and self-proclaimed "nation's salad bowl."

    The season began amid grumbles among growers about a labor shortage. To paraphrase their complaint: Not enough Mexican workers are sneaking across the border, and ones who are are drawn into higher-paying construction jobs.

    The season ended in an ignominious nationwide E. coli outbreak that killed three people and sickened hundreds of others.

    About this time each year, industrial vegetable production shifts to Arizona's Yuma County, source of 90 percent of winter vegetables in the U.S. and (gasp) 98 percent of its iceberg lettuce. Let the drama begin.

    Tom Philpott Food

  • The pop star shares his holiday plans

    Ever wonder what celebrities do for the holidays? Are they sipping Cristal and nibbling foie gras, or throwing back eggnog and turkey giblets like the rest of us?

    During a phone chat with pop star Moby this week, I got the chance to ask that very question. A strict vegan, Moby hasn't touched anything close to eggnog for 20 years, so what is he chowing on this weekend? You might be surprised by what's on -- or off -- his menu.

    The following is a snippet from a longer discussion about Moby's new release Go, a two-disc "best of" album, and his work with various political and social causes. Consider it an appetizer, a holiday-themed taste of what's to come. Stay tuned for the full interview -- or main course, as it were -- in the illustrious pages of Grist next week.

    Grist staff Food

  • America’s national feast has seen better days, but remains well worth preserving

    In every era the attempt must be made anew to wrest tradition away from a conformism that is about to overpower it. — Walter Benjamin, “Theses on the Philosophy of History” Eat, drink, and be mindful. Photo: iStockphoto Does Thanksgiving suck? There’s certainly a potent case to be made. In a land where communal eating […]

    Grist staff Food

  • How to pick wines that don’t taste computer-programmed

    How to choose wine for the Thanksgiving table?

    There will either be pressure, financial and otherwise, to grab big bottles of cheap plonk off the supermarket shelf, or conversely, pressure to consult Wine Spectator or some other "expert" source and find bottles receiving high scores. Resist both impulses. Here's why -- and how.

    Tom Philpott Food

  • Umbra on eating locally in winter

    Dear Umbra, I live in New Hampshire, and I am getting ready for the long, cold winter. I try to eat locally, but with no year-round growing season here and such a dense population, most of the food comes from elsewhere. I was wondering what I could do to reduce my impact during the winter […]

    Ask Umbra® Ask Umbra

  • No need to serve gussied-up Coors with so many real craft beers available

    First bit of Thanksgiving advice: Prepare to be bombarded by bits of Thanksgiving advice.

    Second bit: When you're choosing beer for the holiday table, don't get hoodwinked into buying tarted-up swill from a corporate brewer.

    Tom Philpott Food