Food and Farming
Less Beer, More Can
Anyone who says that America has lost its innovative edge in technology and manufacturing hasn't chugged a can of Bud recently. The buzz is back, baby! Well, actually, Budweiser is no longer American. It's now part of a Belgian outfit called Anheuser-Busch InBev, the...
Those Uninvited Guests at Your Barbecue
Planning a Memorial Day barbecue? When you buy meat for that festive meal, watch out for some uninvited guests. An alarming amount of American meat harbors not just pathogens, but "superbugs" — antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For now, you'd better cook your meat well...
Superbugs at the Supermarket
Fighting the Foodopoly
My new book is called Foodopoly. It's about the corporate control of every aspect of our food system, from how what we eat is labeled to the pesticides we're exposed to. We, the people, must reclaim our democracy. We must reestablish strong antitrust laws to begin the...
Hollow Bee Hives May Threaten Our Lives Too
You may think that your most significant interaction with bees is trying not to get stung. But, in fact, you have bees to thank for nearly one-third of all food crops: almonds, apples, peaches, honey, and watermelons, to name a few. If our bees are in trouble, then...
Big Ag Chokes on Its Own Scam
Amy Meyer was curious. Then she was appalled. Then she was charged with the "crime" of using a cell phone to video what appalled her. Welcome to the Brave New World of "ag-gag" laws being pushed by agribusiness corporations to stop reporters, workers, animal rights...
A Parenting Priority
Any kid can easily rattle off a list of their parents' biggest sins. When I was younger, my gripes included my mom and dad stealing my Halloween candy and not letting me watch R-rated movies. Later on, I was ticked that my parents made me go to school on Senior Ditch...
A Reasonable Food Fight
President Barack Obama wants to revamp Washington's global food aid system. His 2014 budget request would transfer much of the program from the Department of Agriculture to the Agency for International Development and make other changes that the White House predicts...
The Price of Our Fertilizer Addiction
My heart aches for the people of West, Texas, the tiny town where a fertilizer plant recently blew up. Many of the folks who perished in the blast were heroic volunteer firefighters who ran into danger instead of away from it. With 14 dead and 200 injured, and a...
How to Send Less Trash to the Landfill
My new neighbor knocked on my door and introduced herself as the vice president of the local homeowner's association. "How friendly!" I thought. "She's welcoming me to the neighborhood." Then she wrinkled her nose and motioned toward an enclosed bin on my porch,...
