Seeds of Doubt
Fighting Monsanto and genetically modified foods has made Vandana Shiva a world famous activist. But as Michael Specter reveals in this wide-reaching profile, many of Shiva’s firmly held beliefs don’t hold up to scientific scrutiny. What follows is not only a probe into the arguments against GMOs, but also an attempt to answer a very pressing question: How are we going to feed Earth’s people—all 7 billion of them (and counting)—without wrecking the Earth in the process? The New Yorker
Should You Fear the Pizzly Bear?
Grizzly bears mating with polar bears (see “Arctic Fever”). Wolves getting freaky with coyotes. Northern minke whales swimming thousands of miles to tango with southern minkes. All across the animal kingdom, hybrids are spawning from closely related species as a consequence of climate change, loss of habitat, and other human interference. Moises Velasquez-Manoff explains what these half-breeds mean for biodiversity. New York Times Magazine
The Evolution of Diet
Everyone’s heard of the “paleo diet” by now, right? Heck, you might even be on it. But “eating like a caveman”—no processed foods nor dairy but lots and lots of meat—is unlikely to be the silver bullet nutritionists keep writing books about. Ann Gibbons explains why eating less meat and more local fruits and vegetables (along with a little exercise, duh) would be healthier for humans and the environments we inhabit. National Geographic
The Case for Going Uncivilized
When award-winning environmental author Barry Lopez writes a story about taking a walk in the woods, it’s almost never just about taking a walk in the woods. Here, he ponders how life has changed since the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964, what it is to grow old, and the glory of finding a quiet trail with a good hiking buddy. Enjoy! Outside
Tired of reading yet? Watch this.
In the mist: Behold this lush laurel forest growing in the belly of a collapsed volcano in the Canary Islands. Scientists say these woods are akin to the landscapes of Europe and North Africa millions of years ago. Nautilus
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