Chelsea Green Blog
Nature & Environment
The Power of the Mesquite Tree
The miraculous abundance provided by the mesquite tree continues to astound us. It offers a plethora of culinary possibilities. It has the power to cure, to shelter, to elicit profound emotions, and to connect us to our environment and our neighbors in a way we may not have thought about before. The following excerpt is…
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The Man Who Planted Trees Before His Time
Though nature can be a mighty force, it takes great care and a gentle hand to support the growth of the environment–especially trees. Trees are essential for life; they create oxygen and are home to thousands of species, yet we’re experiencing rapid deforestation. It only takes one person to plant one tree in their community…
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Earth Day Reading: 13 Essential Books
This year, people all around the world are celebrating a milestone—the 50th anniversary of this international day of action for our environment. Why not celebrate Earth Day by reading about our great planet? We’ve compiled 13 books to get you started! In Courting the Wild Twin, Dr. Martin Shaw invites us to seek out our wild…
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Seeing the Trees for the Forest
In the opening chapter of Trees of Power, author Akiva Silver sings the praises of tree identification. He first describes the skill as being “as useful to me as reading,” and later promises readers that in learning to discern trees by their bark, twigs, leaves, and silhouettes, “you will be able to read stories in…
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A Dictionary for Our Times
How would you define the word “Empowered”? Before you run to the dictionary, we’re not talking about the straight definition; what we mean is, what does it mean to be empowered in today’s society. Read on for short extracts from Lean Logic that speak to these times of crisis. The following is an excerpt from…
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Poplar – The Homemaker
Poplars are some of the fastest-growing trees in the world. They can tolerate the worst conditions and are heavily favored by wildlife. In places where land has been degraded or is falling apart, the poplars can rebuild. They produce tremendous amounts of biomass, feed unbelievable numbers of insects, birds, and mammals, and suck tons of…
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The Secret Life of Fungi
Fungi have intricate lives, behaviors, and uses most people are unaware of. Mychorrizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with the root systems of other plants. The crucial, symbiotic role that fungi play in everything from healthy plants to healthy soils to a healthy planet. The following is an excerpt from Mycorrhizal Planet: How Symbiotic Fungi Work with Roots…
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The Condition of Wondering
What is the condition of wondering? For as long as humans have been alive, we have been asking questions. It is a part of us. It is what makes us unquestionably human. The following is an excerpt from Courting the Wild Twin by Martin Shaw. It has been adapted for the web. Prefer Audio? Listen…
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Fermentation 101: Just Add Salt
Fermentation isn’t just for highly skilled experts, at its core, fermentation is actually pretty simple. Once you’ve mastered the basics of fermentation, you’ll be on your way to creating delicious and unique dishes in no time! The following is an excerpt from Wildcrafted Fermentation by Pascal Baudar. It has been adapted for the web. For…
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Who Is the Wild Twin?
All of us have a wild twin––a part of ourselves that we generally shun or ignore to conform to societal norms. Inviting the wild twin back into our consciousness is crucial, for they have something important to tell us. The following is an excerpt from Courting the Wild Twin by Martin Shaw. It has been…
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Vermicomposting: Why Venture Into It?
If you’re at all in tune to the agricultural news of late, you’re well aware that soil health is in decline all over the world – an issue that is having a disastrous impact on our food systems. The answer to this international problem? Worms. Lots of them. But how, you ask? Well, vermicomposting, of…
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On Foraging and Picking Wild Plants
Foraging for your own food limits your carbon footprint and helps to maintain the natural landscape. Done correctly, it reconnects us to nature while limiting our impact on our natural surroundings. Humans need to be an active part of changing the environment—even on this small scale. The following is an excerpt from Wildcrafted Fermentation by…
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Trees: The Fountains of Life
Trees. They are all around us. They come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and colors. They each have a unique scent, a unique feel, a unique purpose. But have you ever really thought about what immense life forces they are? How much power they hold and how much they give to us? The…
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The Birth of Electricity
Electricity has shaped the modern world. But how has it affected our health and environment? Scientist and journalist Arthur Firstenberg tells the story of electricity in a way it has never been told before—from an environmental point of view—by detailing the effects that this fundamental societal building block has had on our health and our…
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The Science Behind Food Preferences: More Than a Matter of Taste
You might remember being a little kid and refusing to eat the broccoli that was put on your plate. But now you can’t get enough of the delicious green veggies. Why is it that your food preferences change over time? Why do you love some foods and despise others? What causes one person to love…
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Conscious Eating: What Our Bodies Are Trying to Tell Us
When our stomachs growl, we eat. When we feel like we’re about to burst, we stop eating. These are just two examples of our bodies’ incredible ability to recognize and adjust to changes within our environment and ourselves. Sometimes our bodies even know what’s best for us before we do. The following is an excerpt…
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Speaking for the Bees
“Having a relationship with the rest of nature is knowing that we can, if we wish, rekindle our lost connections, because somewhere deep inside us all, there lives a little spark of ‘wild’ just waiting to be ignited.” —Brigit Strawbridge Howard Our planet is home to at least 20,000 species of bees—a statistic most of…
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Adding Our Voices to the Global Climate Strike
By Jill Kiedaisch, Content and Brand Manager “If I have to face up to the reality of climate change as an 11-year-old, then so do you.” The words of one of the countless youth speakers who shouted into microphones at “5,800 events in 163 countries” around the world last Friday, September 20, 2019. Millions of…
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A Nest of One’s Own
Bees are commonly thought to live together by the thousands. Many people picture a buzzing hive filled with bees, all working together to take care of the young, collect pollen, and promote the overall health of the colony. However, there are thousands of species of bees that aren’t part of a colony. These solitary bees…
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Hope for a Thirsty World
Judith D. Schwartz is a journalist whose recent work looks at soil as a hub for multiple environmental, economic, and social challenges and solutions. She writes on this theme for numerous publications and speaks at venues around the world. Her 2013 book Cows Save the Planet was awarded a Nautilus Book Award Silver Prize for…
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Cool It Down: Using Fire to Cool the Earth
Albert Bates is one of the founders of the intentional community and ecovillage movements. A lawyer, scientist, and teacher, he has taught village design, appropriate technology, and permaculture to students from more than sixty countries. Kathleen Draper routinely collaborates with biochar experts from around the globe as a board member of the International Biochar Initiative…
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Minerals in Your Farm’s Water
Minerals from soil and outside water sources find themselves in irrigation systems. When you water your land, these minerals infiltrate the soil and change its composition. Your plants are more impacted by their presence than meets the eye, but what exactly is the relationship? The following is an excerpt from Water in Plain Sight by…
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Water Connects Us All
Water is always changing and impacting the environment around it; storms form, droughts occur, and floods damage. It seems that the level of water on Earth is bouncing between extremes. These shifts are tied to the state of our climate. In the past, climate change seemed like a far-off concept; now it’s becoming more present…
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How to Make Biochar
For something that looks like a lump of charcoal, biochar certainly has a great press agent. The subject of books, articles, blog posts, research papers, workshop presentations, conference talks, and various top-ten-ideas-that-will-change-the-world lists. Its potential ability to address a variety of global challenges is indisputably large. So, how exactly do you make this strange material?…
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Depressed about Climate Change? Here’s How to Take Action
The facts about climate change are settled. Mostly. In fact, the news seems to get worse, and more urgent, every day. Yet, the more the facts stack up, the less resolve many people seem to have about getting behind solutions that will stem, or turn, the tide. What gives? Economist and psychologist Per Espen Stoknes…
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