10 Hopeful Things That Happened in 2013 to Get You Inspired for What’s to Come
Beyond the headlines of conflict and catastrophe, this year’s top stories offered us some powerful proof that the world can still change—for the better.
Environment
What I Learned About Living Well In My Mother’s Puerto Rican Kitchen
When I was growing up, the conveniences of modern life took over my mother’s kitchen, and our health declined as a result. Here’s what happened when we went back to the way our ancestors dined.
This Guy Turned a 2,000-Page Report on Climate Change into 19 Stunning Haikus
By stripping a technical report of its jargon and unfathomably large numbers, Gregory C. Johnson's haikus offer an arresting and informative entry point into climate science.
Meet the Texas Farmer Challenging the Keystone Pipeline from the Courtroom to the Plains
Julia Trigg-Crawford claims that the state of Texas has no process to determine whether projects that seize landowners' property are really in the public benefit.
6 Reasons to Eat Fermented Foods
Live-culture revivalist Sandor Katz explains why letting some foods go bad makes them even better—increasing both flavor and nutrition.
The Education of Bill McKibben: How the Unlikely Activist Learned to Break the Rules
“Sometime in the course of the past decade I figured out that I needed to do more than write—if this fight was about power, then we who wanted change had to assemble some.”
John Fullerton: What If We Thought About Fossil Fuels the Way We Thought About Slavery?
The student-led movement to divest from fossil fuels is helping us think about the issue in a very different way.
Boulder Votes to Break With Xcel and Start Its Own Power Utility
Why moving utilities from corporate to public control puts energy, dollars, and decisions into the hands of local communities.
Measuring Fukushima’s Impact: How Geeks and Hackers Got Geiger Counters to the Masses
Thousands of ordinary people have contributed to a crowd-sourced effort to measure Fukushima's impact.
The Surprising Healing Qualities … of Dirt
A doctor discovers exposure to healthy farm soil holds keys to healthy bodies.
The King of Portland’s Deli Scene Cured His Diabetes Through Diet
After I was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, I figured out how to get healthy without giving up my favorite foods.
Facing Ourselves: The Climate Challenge Needs a New Kind of Bravery
Before fighting climate change, we must first confront our emotions about it.
Delicious Food Is Not an Indulgence—It’s a Way to Solve Our Ecological Crises
Food became my teacher, and I aligned my taste buds with what the people and planet need.
What Occupy Oakland Taught Me About Healthy Eating
We came to Occupy because of America’s dangerous gap between rich and poor. But equally distressing was how many of us suffered from diseases created by a food system that makes healthy food inaccessible to the poor.
Environmentalists Use Drones to Conserve–Not Destroy
Lian Pin Koh shows us how drones can be used for animal conservation, and keep an eye on poachers in the process.
Why the UN Climate Negotiations Give Me Hope (In Spite of Everything)
It's possible to find hope for action in the new generation's determination and clarity—even after 19 years of stalled negotiations.
“Beauty Feeds a Different Kind of Hunger”: An Interview with Terry Tempest Williams
"I used to ask the question, 'Am I an activist or a writer?' I don't ask that anymore. I am simply a human being engaged."
Follow the Warsaw Climate Talks Live with Democracy Now!
Live coverage of the United Nations climate talks in Warsaw from Democracy Now!
How To Eat Like Our Lives Depend On It: Rediscovering the Many Joys of Food
It's time to reclaim the well-being and exuberance that is part of healthy food culture.
World Governments: If You Won’t Take the Lead on Climate Change, Then the People Will
If governments fail to listen to mounting protests demanding clean energy, people's movements will put their futures in question.
Why Vandana Shiva Says Saving Seeds Is a Political Act
‘‘A seed sown in the soil makes us one with the Earth. It makes us realize that we are the Earth.”
Two Years After the Eviction of OWS, Here’s 5 People Keeping the Movement Alive
Two years ago today, when Occupy Wall Street was evicted from Zuccotti Park, many wondered what was next for the movement. Two years later, we profile five projects that got their starts in the encampments and are still making change today.
Will the Tropical Island of Kauai Be the Next Front in GMO Fight?
Local lawmakers will vote today on whether to overturn the mayor's veto of a bill to regulate the use of pesticides on the Hawaiian island.
In the Wake of Haiyan, We Must Divest from Fossil Fuels
The devastation in the Philippines reminds us of our responsibility to stop profiting from the wreckage caused by companies whose business plan includes destroying the planet.
Typhoon Haiyan: A Wake-Up Call for Warsaw Climate Talks?
Right before the latest round of climate talks began, the massive superstorm killed tens of thousands and displaced millions in the Philippines. What will it take to drive the message home?
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