News & Commentary

Help Bats. Save the Environment. Drink Mezcal.

May 29, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

A bat scientist fights to make the tequila industry more bat-friendly.

Getting Schooled in the Lunch Room

May 19, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesClara Chaisson

The cafeteria tray gets a sustainable (and homey) makeover.

The Dirt on Dirt

May 13, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, InternationalBrian Palmer

The world’s soil helps us grow food and store carbon. So why are we letting it waste away?

When civil war broke out in Syria, scientists scrambled to save a seed bank

May 12, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

A weekly roundup of the best in science journalism, doodled.

Demand for Sustainable Seafood—Gone Overboard?

April 30, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Consumers want more than fisheries can supply, and certification standards are falling.

Supersize Bee

April 22, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study shows that bees prefer pesticide-laced junk food that hastens their death.

The Pork in the Road

April 21, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesBarry Estabrook

Two paths are before us—but only one leads to a sustainable future of healthful, humane food production. Which one to take? (Hint: Follow the pig with the spring in its step.)

Weeknight Dinner 2.0

April 21, 2015 PerspectivesUnited StatesKiera Butler

A slew of new dinner kits promise gourmet meals with a fraction of the effort. But will all that ease be good for the planet (and our waistlines)?

A Master of His Craft

April 21, 2015 PerspectivesUnited StatesErik Hoffner

"Top Chef" judge Tom Colicchio has issued his verdict: We need safer, healthier food right now—and everyone deserves a place at the table.

Food Fetish

April 17, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesTracie McMillan

On our farms, in our stores, and at our dining tables, aesthetics and efficiency are at war. Everybody loses.

Beauty and the Best

April 17, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Don't be fooled by superficial good looks: If you truly love food, you’ll accept it as-is, blemishes and all.

Bathroom Bandits

April 13, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaKatherine Ellen Foley

Law-breaking urinals? California's water rules will force new fixtures to toe the water line.

Pesticide Patrol

April 2, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

A new report says the most widely used weed killer probably causes cancer.

There Goes the Neighborhood

April 2, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

How humans use land is dramatically decreasing biodiversity worldwide.

Let's Get Wasted!

March 30, 2015 DispatchNew York CityClara Chaisson

A pop-up restaurant gives trash-bound food a place at the table.

Old Cow, New Tricks

March 10, 2015 DispatchWestAlisa Opar

Desert-friendly cattle that came over with Columbus might be better bovines for the drought-plagued West.

12-Piece McNuggets, Hold the Antibiotics

March 4, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

McDonald’s just promised to serve us antibiotic-free chicken. Is its commitment credible?

Back from the Dead Zone

February 23, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

Doing just a little to curb fertilizer pollution in the Mississippi could go a long way to breathing life back into the Gulf.

Give Peas a Chance?

February 10, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

As lunchroom fights rage in Congress, some school officials are offering both carrots and sticks.

Sea to Table

February 5, 2015 DispatchWestAlisa Opar

Consumers are increasingly getting to know their local fish—and fishermen—through companies that cut out the middleman.