Explainer
‘Climate Smart’ Policies Might Not Actually Be Helping the Climate
A closer look reveals a lack of transparency, and potentially negative effects.
Climate•8 min read
Seth Millstein's Posts
Explainer
Why Methane Is Bad for Climate Change, and What the Government Is Doing About It
Biden has addressed methane emissions. Here’s what we might expect from Trump.
Climate•10 min read
Explainer
Why Dairy Is Hiding in So Many Foods, Explained
The U.S. government has a lot to do with it.
Food•11 min read
Explainer
Measure J & Other Ballot Measures to Ban Slaughterhouses, Explained
A look inside activists’ new strategy to ban factory farming.
Election 2024•14 min read
Explainer
Trump’s Climate Change & Factory Farming Policies: What to Expect From His Win
His second term is bad news for combating climate change.
Election 2024•10 min read
Explainer
Do Government Subsidies Make Meat Cheaper? Yes, but With Some Important Caveats
A relatively simple question doesn’t have a simple answer.
Meat Lobby•10 min read
Explainer
Where JD Vance Stands on Factory Farming and Meat
His policy record holds a few clues.
Election 2024•7 min read
Explainer
Trump & RFK’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Slogan, Examined
Unfortunately, Trump’s policies as president often had the opposite result.
Election 2024•9 min read
Perspective
Selective Outrage About Animals Is Having a Political Moment
What this election cycle reveals about America’s current relationship to eating animals.
Election 2024•12 min read
Explainer
Debunking the ‘Soy Boy’ Myth, With Science
What the research actually says about the effects of soy on men.
Mythbusting•9 min read
Explainer
How Milk Became a Core Food for Kids, Even Though It’s Hard for Many to Digest
Why dairy milk became so entrenched in American children's diets.
Health•9 min read
Explainer
Getting People to Eat Plant-Based Foods Is Hard — but Why, Exactly?
The socioeconomic and psychological barriers preventing a more sustainable food system.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
Why Are Alternative Milks More Expensive Than Dairy?
The economics of that oat milk cappuccino surcharge.
Diet•9 min read
Explainer
Where Trump Stands on Animal Welfare and Factory Farming
We know he loves meat — but what does his policy history reveal?
Election 2024•10 min read
Explainer
Walz, Meat and Masculinity, Maybe Not-So-Redefined
The VP candidate is said to represent a new kind of American masculinity — but meat remains an old stronghold.
Election 2024•11 min read
Explainer
Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on Meat and Factory Farming? Her Record Holds Clues
A brief look into the Democratic presidential candidate’s history and personal habits.
Election 2024•8 min read
Explainer
How Bezos, Zuckerberg, Gates and Musk Are Trying — or Not Trying — to Make Meat Sustainable
Who’s putting the most money into making food systems more sustainable?
Climate•9 min read
Explainer
Current U.S. Dietary Guidelines Ignore Climate, and That’s a Problem
Why the U.S. is behind when it comes to connecting environmental and personal health.
Food•8 min read
Explainer
The Top U.S. Cities with Climate-Friendly Food Policies
These cities are on the progressive edge of food policies that protect the climate and residents’ health.
Climate•9 min read
Explainer
The Word ‘Vegan’ Is Still More Reviled Than ‘Plant-Based’ But…Why?
Why the word ‘vegan’ – and all it represents – turns consumers off.
Food•9 min read
Explainer
Is Cheese Addictive? No, Not Exactly
An oft thrown-around claim, examined honestly.
Diet•7 min read
Explainer
Animals Can Work Together, and Here Are a Few Notable Examples
What animal cooperation can teach us about our similarities and differences as species.
Research•8 min read
Explainer
The Best & Worst Countries for Animal Welfare Are Difficult to Measure
An imperfect but important ranking system, explained.
Law & Justice•7 min read
Explainer
Why Cattle Farming Is Bad for the Environment, Explained
Beef and dairy production are particularly damaging.
Climate•8 min read
Explainer
Organic Farming: What It Is — and Isn’t — Explained
‘Organic’ is better for animals — but not necessarily more environmentally friendly or healthy.
Food•7 min read
Explainer
How Many Animals Are Killed for Food Every Day?
An astronomical number to comprehend, broken down.
Food•7 min read
Explainer
How Livestock Farming Affects Climate Change, Explained
The environmental impact of raising animals for food.
Climate•7 min read
Explainer
The Causes and Effects of Deforestation, Explained
A big aspect of climate change, summarized briefly.
Climate•8 min read
Explainer
How the Meat Industry Shapes U.S. Politics (and Vice-Versa)
A big question, answered briefly.
Law & Justice•11 min read
Explainer
Humans Destroying Ecosystems: How to Measure Our Impact on the Environment
You might have heard the claim humans are “destroying” the planet — but how do you actually measure that?
Climate•7 min read
Explainer
Reproductive Exploitation of Male Livestock Is an Overlooked Cornerstone of Factory Farming
The invasive practice of electroejaculation, revealed.
Food•6 min read
Explainer
New Research on Animal Communication Reveals How Much We Still Don’t Understand
Recent studies on how animals ‘talk’ demonstrates their complexity.
Science•7 min read
Explainer
Are Organized Animal Rebellions Really a Thing?
How the recent ‘orca uprisings’ discourse anthropomorphizes animals.
Animal Behavior•6 min read
Explainer
Is Global Veganism Even Possible, From a Nutritional and Agricultural Standpoint?
A revealing thought experiment, investigated.
Diet•10 min read
Explainer
Humans Can Get Bird Flu, and Here’s What You Need to Know
A brief explainer of the risks of avian flu for humans.
Health•8 min read
Explainer
What Do New Organic Rules for Livestock Mean, and How Do They Compare With Other Welfare Labels?
The answer is more complicated than you might think.
Future of Food•12 min read
Explainer
Why Eating Organic Isn’t a Climate Solution
Unfortunately, many organic foods are actually less climate-friendly.
Climate•8 min read
Explainer
7 Animal Father-Child Bonds That Prove Humans Don’t Have a Monopoly on Doting Dads
These species show that engaged fatherhood can be perfectly natural.
Animal Behavior•7 min read
Explainer
13 Animals Going Extinct — in Large Part Thanks To Humans
Deforestation, commercial fishing and climate change threaten these endangered animals.
Climate•8 min read
Explainer
How Slaughterhouses Work: The Harsh Reality of Meat Production
A brief primer on the harsh conditions animals and workers endure.
Food•8 min read
Explainer
Why Is Chick Culling Still a Thing When Other Technologies Exist?
It’s more profitable to grind up billions of baby chicks than it is to raise them for meat.
Food•9 min read
Explainer
Which States Are Banning Lab Meat, and Why?
The political backlash to lab-grown meat in the U.S., explained.
Future of Food•7 min read
Explainer
Democratic vs. Republican Farm Bill Proposals: a Comparison
How they differ — and what’s at stake — explained.
Law & Justice•8 min read
Explainer
What Farm Animals’ Personalities Are Like When They’re Free
In a world filled with factory farms, it’s a rare scenario, but one worth examining.
Science•7 min read
Explainer
Why Eating Meat Is Bad for the Environment and Climate Change, Explained
It’s becoming a well-known fact that beef is bad for the climate – but it’s important to understand the reasons why.
Climate•7 min read
Explainer
Ag-Gag Laws, and the Fight Over Them, Explained
What you need to know about how these laws seek to censure whistleblowers.
Law & Justice•11 min read
Explainer
Is Veganism Really Growing? Using Data to Track the Trend
Why it’s so hard to pin down the number of vegans.
Diet•6 min read
Explainer
Is Sustainable Palm Oil Ethical – or Just Greenwashing?
Unfortunately, the answer isn’t simple.
Food•7 min read
Explainer
Agriculture Affects Deforestation Much More Than Most People Realize
Cattle farming accounts for 80 percent of all deforested land across the Amazon, and 41 percent of all tropical deforestation worldwide.
Climate•7 min read
Explainer
How Factory Farming Exploits Female Reproductive Systems, Explained
How the meat and dairy industries rely on the labor and suffering of mothers.
Food•9 min read
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