On Wildfires and Pollution

By Jason Leppig / On August 22nd, 2017
A new study from the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres suggests that naturally caused forest fires emit three times as much pollution as previously estimated. The pollution is in the form of particulate matter, which is one of the most dangerous forms of pollution. These measurements were compared to controlled forest fires intentionally set, and the findings showed that controlled fires produced less particulates.  

100% Renewables—for a Healthier California

By Richard Allen Williams, Mary Pittman / On August 21st, 2017
Switching to clean, safe, renewable energy is one of the most important things we can do for the climate, for the health of our communities now, and for the health of future generations.

Let the National Monuments Hear How Much You Love Them

By Jason Mark / On August 16th, 2017
About half of all the all of the Sequoiadendron giganteum that exist on Earth reside in California’s Giant Sequoia National Monument. At Bear’s Ears National Monument in Utah, pre-Columbian petroglyphs and potsherds can be found tucked amid the high desert buttes. Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is a testament to how a forest battered by logging can regrow into a wet and wild home for moose, bear, and lynx. Wonderful places, all—and each of them under threat.   

Natural Defenses Could Fix Our Growing Antibiotic Resistance Problem

By Emily Monosson / On August 3rd, 2017
Untreatable gonorrhea is now a reality—and a sign of a growing threat to public health. Last month, the World Health Organization reported that some strains of the sexually transmitted disease are completely resistant to antibiotics. That means that unless something changes, when the inevitable college student ends up at Student Health with that burning sensation, there may be no respite.  
Island Press

Thank You, Lizzie

By Katharine Sucher / On July 31st, 2017
Island Press is deeply saddened by the loss of Elizabeth Grossman, Island Press author, environmental reporter, and friend. Thank you, Lizzie, for your invaluable contributions to Island Press and to the environmental community as a whole. We join Civil Eats and others in mourning her loss and honoring her memory. From Civil Eats:

#ForewordFriday: Farm and Food Sweepstakes Edition

By Katharine Sucher / On July 28th, 2017
For food lovers and supporters of sustainable agriculture, you can't beat Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This oft-overlooked Midwesten gem is memorable for more than just its cheese—it also boasts 177 community gardens, 30 farms, and 26 farmers' markets (more per capita than any other American city!) In the last decade, a half-dozen "farm-to-table" restaurants have sprung up in the city, creating a vibrant food culture that is constantly reinventing itself with fresh, nutritious, locally grown food.

Sizzling, Crispy Zucchini: Michael Carolan Talks Food and Language

By Michael S. Carolan / On July 26th, 2017
On the heels of nutritional literacy campaigns, restaurants, grocery stores, and health officials are busy promoting the benefits of nutritious foods to encourage people to choose them. There is a significant problem with that strategy, however: it risks turning people away from these foods, as eaters tend to rate foods they perceive as healthier as less tasty. So why not draw upon some of the same language used to describe, say, sizzling crispy bacon to talk about a zucchini dish? Sizzling crispy zucchini anyone? 

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