Environment

Michael Pollan's "Cooked": Delicious, If a Bit Rich

Pollan's new book is a great read—but it's unlikely to coax Americans off the couch and into the kitchen.

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| Mon Apr. 29, 2013 10:11 AM PDT
lead mollecule

The Chemical Industry is the Big Tobacco of the 21st Century

Household chemicals like lead and asbestos have turned us all into unwitting test subjects.

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| Mon Apr. 29, 2013 10:13 AM PDT

Obama's Organizing for Action Video Targets Climate Sceptics in Congress

The group says it is time to call out US politicians who deny the science behind climate change.

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| Fri Apr. 26, 2013 10:10 AM PDT

Why Your Supermarket Only Sells 5 Kinds of Apples

And one man's quest to bring hundreds more back.

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| March/April 2013 Issue

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Awesome Vintage Apple Art: 9 Fruits You Won't Find at Your Supermarket

The unusual history of a definitive guide to American apples.

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| Fri Apr. 26, 2013 9:14 AM PDT

VIDEO: What Does the Keystone XL Fight Mean for Environmentalism?

The latest Climate Desk Live asked if pipeline opponents picked the wrong battle—and if that even matters.

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| Wed Apr. 24, 2013 1:55 PM PDT

USDA Ruffles Feathers With New Poultry Inspection Policy

Faster kill lines will save Big Chicken a bundle. But are they safe for workers—or eaters?

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| Wed Apr. 24, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Charts: The Smart Money Is on Renewable Energy

Investments in solar and green power are on track to blow away fossil fuels by 2030.

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| Mon Apr. 22, 2013 3:08 PM PDT
sinus

Here's Why You Shouldn't Take Antibiotics for a Sinus Infection

Not only is it almost always useless—it puts everyone else in jeopardy.

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| Tue Apr. 23, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
arid land

Our Dangerous Mix of Climate Change and Resource Scarcity

Demand for oil, water, and other resources will soon outpace supply.

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| Mon Apr. 22, 2013 2:34 PM PDT
bacteria cartoon burger

Are Happy Gut Bacteria Key to Weight Loss?

Imbalances in the microbial community in your intestines may lead to metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes. What does science say about how to reset our bodies?

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| Mon Apr. 22, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
bacteria map human body

This Is Your Body on Microbes

Meet the complex bacterial ecosystems instrumental to a healthy body.

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| Mon Apr. 22, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
A strain of Lactobacillus plantarum (with false color)

Should You Take a Probiotic?

The popular supplements might be more about marketing than beneficial microbes.

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| Mon Apr. 22, 2013 3:30 AM PDT
a tractor in a field

A Brief History of Our Deadly Addiction to Nitrogen Fertilizer

Explosions, algae blooms, global warming. Why do we need so much ammonium nitrate again?

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| Fri Apr. 19, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Searchers in protective suits walk through the blast zone of the fertilizer plan

Texas Plant May Not Have Been Inspected in Years, Despite Risks

A 2011 report highlighted hazards at the fertilizer plant, including tens of thousands of pounds of anhydrous ammonia.

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| Fri Apr. 19, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
chris mooney climate desk live

Climate Desk Live: The Science, Stakes, and Strategy Behind the Fight Over the Keystone XL [WATCH]

Join us now for our live-streaming Climate Desk event.

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| Tue Apr. 2, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

GOP Goes Hunting For EPA Emails About Turducken

...but misses the big picture of the agency's transparency problems.

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| Fri Apr. 19, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Washington monument with protestors around it

How Science Can Predict Where You Stand on Keystone XL

Want to make sense of the feud between pipeline activists and "hippie-punching" moderates? Talk to the researchers.

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| Wed Apr. 17, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Will Monsanto Ties Influence Nutritionists' Stance on GMOs?

Conflicts of interest at the top dieticians' group could undermine its effort to weigh in on genentically modified food.

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| Sat Apr. 13, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Texas Congressman Cites Noah's Ark As Evidence Against Climate Change

Republican congressman Joe Barton says the flood "certainly wasn't because mankind had overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy."

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| Fri Apr. 12, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Photo Essays + Slideshows

kids smoking

Glamorous Photos of Kids Smoking

Frieke Janssens' images of kids and (fake!) cigarettes capture the ugliness and the not-quite-bygone glamour of smoking.

Slideshow: "Enjoy an Ice Cream Cone Shortly Before Lunch"

10 classic ads from the sugar and cereal industries.

Portraits of Addiction

A Manhattan banker shoots portraits of drug abuse, sex work, and homelessness in the Bronx.

Garry Winogrand, John F. Kennedy, Democratic National Convention, Los Angeles, 1

Never Before Seen Photos From Legendary Street Photographer Garry Winogrand

Fourteen amazing scenes of life in America—and hundreds more where that came from.

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