April 20, 2016 4:25 PM EDT
For me, the thought of Earth Day at first conjures up visions of the great outdoors: teeming rainforests, rushing waterways, golden valleys, golden eagles, great pandas, and so on. As a child of the 80s, while the special day was just in its early teens, I listened avidly to conversations about planting trees, saving water, turning out lights, recycling, protecting parks, and not being a litterbug. Read more >
March 30, 2016 2:23 PM EDT
Following both Women’s History and Black History Months, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the current role of women in agriculture and related scientific fields. While there may be a lot to celebrate, there is still a long way to go to improve the influence that women of all racial backgrounds have in these arenas. Read more >
January 11, 2016 9:59 AM EDT
There is welcome news in the new year for agricultural scientists: new opportunities for research funding. I have previously noted areas of research that are in urgent need of greater investment. Investments in these areas promise to pay off—even if you’re not a scientist, farmer, or rancher. Read more >
November 25, 2015 11:52 AM EDT
As the world’s political leaders come to Paris for the international climate negotiations (COP21), how do things look with respect to the land sector (agriculture and forests), which is responsible for nearly ¼ of global greenhouse gas emissions? Over the past year, the Union of Concerned Scientists has been analyzing how countries included the land sector in their “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions” (INDCs). What are their plans and how could they be made better?
November 10, 2015 3:03 PM EDT
In recent days, with massive fires in Southeast Asia again creating the dangerous haze that endangers the health and lives of millions, we’ve seen the recurrence of the claim that fires and deforestation are caused by small farmers, not big companies and their plantations. Read more >
