Earth • Food • Life
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A genetically engineered chestnut tree may be the first to spread into forests, setting dangerous global precedents.
We can no longer rely on simple solutions like recycling to solve our plastic waste problem.
Known by its brand name Roundup, glyphosate is a clear and present danger to human health.
When global leaders won’t save our food system, cities take the lead.
When it comes to maintaining energy flows, there is a closing window to avert both climate catastrophe and economic peril.
Americans discard 100 billion plastic bags annually, the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil.
The United Arab Emirates is destroying the biodiversity of a Yemeni archipelago.
A nationally protected wildlife reserve in Indonesia is under attack by popular, big-name brands.
The destruction of nature might one day become a criminal offense adjudicated by the International Criminal Court.
Chemicals commonly found in consumer products have been proven to harm human health, yet they still remain legal stateside.
The eco-footprint of the wine industry is significant, and some wineries are taking steps to reduce their impact. For conscious consumers, it’s about knowing what to look for.
Not only does hydroelectric power fail to prevent catastrophic climate change, but it also renders countries more vulnerable to climate change while emitting significant amounts of methane, one of the worst greenhouse gases.
As the European Union phases out animal research, the United States just wants more.
The average American believes the false narrative that natural gas is a “clean fuel.”
Veganic agriculture is the food revolution for the modern world.
If it wasn’t shade-grown, your coffee most likely destroyed forest cover and wildlife habitat.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to the world’s new pollution problem.
Middle school student activists write to their elected representatives to urge climate action.
The “lungs of North America,” the Tongass National Forest is the Earth’s largest intact temperate rainforest. Protecting it means protecting the entire planet.
Time-proven acequia irrigation systems already in use in New Mexico make it possible for people to thrive in arid regions.
The industrialized food system is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, but it is not a major topic at climate talks.
Higher carbon dioxide levels and warmer temperatures are causing plants to increase their pollen production.
The U.S. beef industry is destroying the American Wild West and worsening the climate crisis.
Cataclysmic wildfires have been increasing in intensity and frequency due to human-caused climate change.
Water pressures like droughts are intensifying due to global warming and population growth. Treating wastewater is a powerful solution, finally gaining more public support.
It is clear that plastic is choking the planetary environment. What is less clear is the impact of plastic on human bodies.
We can empower children to be a part of the solution.
Most plastic is tossed after minutes of use, but its impact on wildlife and the environment can last for centuries.
A city in the middle of the desert with less rainfall than any other in the nation was bound to have a water problem.
Despite industry rhetoric, hydropower is high-cost and high-risk. There are better options for a renewable energy future.
By Darryl Knudsen, Deborah Moore, Michael Simon in Environment | Earth • Food • Life, International Rivers | English
Several EU nations have embraced biomass electricity, which speeds up carbon emissions, pollution and forest destruction.
In its illogical support of Big Dairy, the U.S. government is misleading the public and padding the pockets of one industry over another.
By Jennifer Barckley in Animal Rights | Earth • Food • Life, The Humane League | English | March 2022
People are growing less tolerant to violence against animals, and lawmakers are responding. But more needs to be done.
Electromagnetic radiation from Wi-Fi and cell towers may pose a “credible risk” to birds, mammals, insects, and even plants.
Direct sales and the organic label are not enough to keep family-scale farms viable.
Are our dietary choices are linked to brain function? Brain scans and social media may offer clues.
Bioenergy is often seen as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to other forms of energy generation. But the truth is that it can actually be quite harmful to the environment.
Animal whisperer Sy Montgomery argues that we share greater similarities than differences with our fellow animals, and that fact should make us reexamine our relationships with them.
By Leslie Crawford, Sy Montgomery in Animal Rights | Earth • Food • Life, Stone Pier Press | English
A thought experiment tells us a lot about man’s best friend—and ourselves.
A product of entrenched, historic racism, “sacrifice zones”—designed to site pollution hot spots within communities of color—are a frontline in a largely silent, often deadly, and steadily growing health crisis across the United States.
Experts warn that continued world population growth will make things worse.
America’s highest court has limited the EPA’s authority to regulate power plant emissions.
Factory farms are harmful to animals, the environment, local communities, and public health. We need a more logical and just food system.
Society’s addiction to palm oil—the world’s most widely consumed vegetable oil—is killing critically endangered Sumatran elephants.
Despite centuries of domestication, the call of the wild has always been in the chicken’s heart.
The Bureau of Land Management is misleading the American people about the nation’s wild horses and burros.
Lack of governmental oversight of factory farms has created a public health crisis of antibiotic-resistance diseases in people.
Milk made from plants is entering the public consciousness (and stomachs) in coffee shops across the globe.
Endangered animals may get more attention from the public, but without plants, humans won’t survive.
We have a new major environmental problem on our hands.
As a rapidly warming world strains at the shortcomings in industrial farming, key lessons can be taken from Indigenous practices.
It’s a harsh reality for the climate: What’s already been emitted must be sucked out of the air, too.
Using the same land for the production of both agriculture and solar energy is a win-win for the climate and farmers.
Women are more supportive of pro-environmental policies, but they’re generally not in a position to make such decisions.
As the world burns—and as kids sound the alarm—the original environmental scientist is worth revisiting.
We wouldn’t say “it” or “that” when referring to humans, so why would we for other sentient individuals?
By Alicia Graef, Carrie P. Freeman, Debra Merskin in Animal Rights | Earth • Food • Life, In Defense of Animals | English
Smaller, more sustainable families would create massive long-term savings and catalyze sustainable development.
Progress is being undone by growth, especially as the climate crisis deepens.
Palm oil is found in 50 percent of all consumer goods. And it’s killing the environment.
Countless dairy cows experience a shocking level of cruelty every day at factory farms.
Major U.S. brands are ignoring the enormous environmental destruction caused by their meat suppliers.
The climate crisis is a form of oppression by a wealthy few.
Biodiversity is plummeting, but restoring rivers could quickly reverse this disastrous trend.
Americans eat more meat per capita than any other country, even though meat consumption is linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Many nonprofits have accepted family planning policies that are harmful to women, children, and the environment.
Renewable energy isn’t replacing fossil fuel energy—it’s adding to it.
COVID-19, SARS, and Ebola were transmitted to humans from wild animals living in tropical forests. Destroying their habitats is killing us.
Workers were documented killing piglets by smashing their heads against the ground.
Eating locally reduces your ecological footprint, but studies show what you eat may be even more important.
Under the cover of greenwashing, global insurers are fueling climate change.
Managing solar radiation through technology is possible, but there are ethical and political concerns.
Livestock waste can contain dangerous pathogens, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
A key to fighting climate change could be right under our feet.
A changing climate and population growth are fueling water-based conflicts across the African continent.
By focusing the climate fight on what we emit, not what we consume, we are destined to fail.
No food should be worth the amount of suffering experienced by sentient animals trapped in our food system.
Fossil fuel stakeholders have been seeking new revenue in the petrochemical industry in general, and plastics in particular.
Seventy-five percent of new or emerging diseases that harm humans start in non-human animals.
Wet markets are perfect breeding grounds for pathogens that can jump from animals to humans.
Modern sustainability evolved from forest management of the 18th century, and its ancient roots go back even further. Could it help with today’s climate crisis and lumber shortage?
To prevent the worst climate scenarios, carbon emissions must be slashed to net-zero by 2050.
Here are five surprising ways to reconsider your backyard so it can promote native plants while also protecting wildlife.
Less than 10 percent of the plastic used in the United States is recycled.
No version of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS), part of the Clean Water Act, adequately protects the nation’s natural areas.
By turning wastewater into drinking water, our existing water supplies could go further.
It’s time to rethink our broken and unfair family planning systems.
Plastic is in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. How does it get there—and what does it mean for human health?
It is possible to ‘grow’ leather without raising and killing animals.
Edited by Reynard Loki, Earth • Food • Life explores the critical and often interconnected issues facing the climate/environment, food/agriculture, and nature/animal rights, and champions action—specifically, how responsible citizens, voters, and consumers can help put society on an ethical path of sustainability that respects the rights of all species who call this planet home.
Earth • Food • Life emphasizes the idea that everything is connected, so every decision matters.
Associated Authors
Danna Smith is the founder of Dogwood Alliance.
Matthew Ponsford is a London-based journalist and producer who has written for Thomson Reuters, CNN International, Financial Times, the Guardian, the Independent and Vice. Follow him on Twitter @mjponsford.
Doug Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and co-founder of Homegrown National Park.
Daniel Klem Jr. is the Sarkis Acopian Professor of Ornithology and Conservation Biology and director of the Acopian Center for Ornithology at Muhlenberg College.
Josh Klemm is co-director of International Rivers.
Ginger Fedak is the wild horse and burro campaign director at In Defense of Animals. A lifelong animal welfare advocate and horse professional, Fedak has spent decades teaching about and advocating for domestic and wild horses.
Erica Cirino is a writer, artist, and author who explores the intersection of the human and more-than-human worlds.
Jim Cubie, J.D., is a consultant to the Muhlenberg College Center for Ornithology where he advises on bird safety and native plants.
Anne Petermann is the executive director of Global Justice Ecology Project.
Irikefe V. Dafe has advocated for river protections in Nigeria and throughout Africa for three decades. Much of his work has focused on protecting the River Ethiope and the rights of communities who rely upon the river for food, water and their livelihoods. He is a lead organizer of the First National Dialogue on Rights of Nature in Nigeria. He is also the founder and CEO of River Ethiope Trust Foundation and an expert member of the UN Harmony with Nature Initiative.
Karen Davis, PhD, is the president and founder of United Poultry Concerns, an award-winning animal rights activist and the author of numerous books.
Leslie Crawford is the author of Sprig the Rescue Pig and Gwen the Rescue Hen, both published by Stone Pier Press. She lives in San Francisco with her two children, six hens, and four foster pigeons. No partridges. Follow her on Twitter @lesliemcrawford.
Reynard Loki is a co-founder of the Observatory, where he is the environment and animal rights editor. He is also a writing fellow at the Independent Media Institute, where he serves as the editor and chief correspondent for Earth | Food | Life.
Richard Heinberg is a senior fellow at the Post Carbon Institute and the author of Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival.
Tia Schwab is a former news fellow for Stone Pier Press, a San Francisco-based environmental publishing company with a food focus. She is a graduate of Stanford University, where she studied human biology with a concentration in food systems and public health. Tia was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and she is passionate about using storytelling to create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system.
Sam Davis is a staff scientist at the Partnership for Policy Integrity (PFPI), a nonprofit that uses science, litigation, policy analysis and strategic communications to promote policies that protect climate, ecosystems, and people.
Elizabeth Henderson is an organic farmer. She is the co-chair of the Interstate Council policy committee of the Northeast Organic Farming Association and represents the Interstate Council on the Board of the Agricultural Justice Project.
Sy Montgomery is a naturalist, documentary scriptwriter, and author of 31 books of nonfiction for adults and children. She is the recipient of lifetime achievement awards from the Humane Society and the New England Booksellers Association.
Lorraine Chow is a freelance environmental journalist based in South Carolina, United States. Her work has appeared in Truthout, EcoWatch, Nation of Change, Salon, AlterNet and Common Dreams.
Laura Lee Cascada is the campaigns director for the Better Food Foundation and the founder of the Every Animal Project, a collection of true tales reshaping our relationship with animals.
Robin Scher is a writer based in South Africa. He is a graduate of the Cultural Reporting and Criticism program at New York University. Find him on Twitter @RobScherHimself.
Eugene Simonov is the international coordinator of the Rivers without Boundaries Coalition.
Carter Dillard is the policy adviser for the Fair Start Movement. He served as an Honors Program attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and also served with a national security law agency before developing a comprehensive account of reforming family planning for the Yale Human Rights and Development Law Journal.
Brittany Michelson is an animal rights activist, writer and former teacher.
Jennifer Barckley is the vice president of communications at The Humane League.
Anita Krajnc is executive director of the Animal Save Movement and global coordinator of the Plant Based Treaty initiative.
Frederick Clayton is an investigative journalist with the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism focusing on environmental themes, specifically water and sanitation issues worldwide.
Mikhala Kaseweter, MSc, advances right relationships with nonhuman animals through her work at the Better Food Foundation.
Alicia Graef is a guardian and dog meat campaigner at In Defense of Animals. A lifelong animal lover and freelance writer with a Bachelor’s degree in animal and veterinary science, Alicia has covered issues relating to animals for more than a decade.
Nina Jackel is the founder of Lady Freethinker, a nonprofit media organization dedicated to exposing and stopping the suffering of animals, humans, and the planet. Find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Lucy Goodchild van Hilten is a writing fellow at Earth • Food • Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute. She has served as assistant editor of Microbiology Today and senior marketing communications manager for Life Sciences at Elsevier. She holds an MSc degree in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology from Imperial College London.
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writing fellow at Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, AlterNet, Architectural Digest, Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, and other publications.
Laurel Sutherlin is the senior communications strategist for Rainforest Action Network. He is a lifelong environmental and human rights campaigner as well as a naturalist and outdoor educator with a passion for birds and wild places. Follow him on Twitter @laurelsutherlin.
Nital Jethalal is a policy analyst and economist. He currently serves as strategist and policy advisor for the Plant Based Treaty and also oversees economics and policy research for Plant Based Data. Nital is also the president of VegTO and a director at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank.
Carrie P. Freeman, PhD, is a professor of communication at Georgia State University and is a co-founder of Animals and Media.
Tina Casey has been writing about sustainability, the global energy transition, and related matters since 2009. She is a regular contributor to CleanTechnica and TriplePundit, where she also focuses on corporate social responsibility and social issues.
Caroline Cox is a retired pesticide scientist. She was a staff scientist at the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides from 1990 to 2006 and a research director and senior scientist at the Center for Environmental Health from 2006 to 2020.
Jimmy Videle is an author, farmer, activist, researcher and naturalist. He has been a consultant, researcher, and volunteer with A.U.M. Films, Humane Party, and the Animal Protection Party of Canada.
For more than two decades, Darryl Knudsen has channeled the power of civil society movements to create enduring, positive change toward social and environmental justice for the underrepresented. Darryl holds a master’s degree from Columbia University and a BA from Dartmouth College. He served as the executive director of International Rivers.
Lydia Chodosh is a writer, designer, and fine artist based in Providence, Rhode Island.
Erika Schelby is the author of Liberating the Future from the Past? Liberating the Past from the Future? (2013) and Looking for Humboldt and Searching for German Footprints in New Mexico and Beyond (2017). Schelby lives in New Mexico.
Debra Merskin, PhD, is a professor of media studies in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon and is a co-founder of Animals and Media.
Katherine Dolan is a writer, editor, and researcher at the Independent Media Institute from Dunedin, New Zealand. Katherine has held previous posts as a senior writer for Fairfax Media Custom Publishing in New Zealand and Lifestyle Magazine in Moscow, and as a copy editor for the U.S. news site NSFWCORP.
Mary Mazzoni is the senior editor of TriplePundit and director of TriplePundit’s Brand Studio.
Alessandra Korap Munduruku is a Munduruku Indigenous woman leader from Indigenous Reserve Praia do Índio in the Brazilian Amazon. She is a member of Pariri, a local Munduruku association, as well as the Munduruku Wakoborûn Women’s Association. In 2020, Alessandra won the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for her work defending the culture, livelihoods and rights of Indigenous peoples in Brazil.
