52 articles by Chelsea Graham


Food

How to Compost No Matter Where You Live: Transforming Food Waste into Gardening Gold

Sep 6th, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

Composting is a great way to turn food scraps into a soil-enriching amendment that’s great for your garden and the planet.
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Fuel

All About Ethanol: Pros and Cons of the United States’ Favorite Biofuel

Jul 31st, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

Despite the promise of corn ethanol’s sustainability, increasing evidence suggests that it may not be the best approach for the environment.
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Food

The current state of animal agriculture poses a ton of risks….how can we do meat and dairy farming differently?

Jul 22nd, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations pose a range of public health and environmental risks, and tend to be hotbeds of mistreatment for animals and workers alike.
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Food Systems

How to Use Up the Food in your Fridge: Old Lettuce, Sour Milk, and Everything In Between

Jun 7th, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

All too often people are too quick to toss foods that could still be eaten - these tips and recipes will help you keep sub-par produce and old dairy out of the trash.
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Transportation

Traffic calming makes streets safer and more enjoyable in Milwaukee and beyond

May 17th, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

Speed humps, traffic circles, narrowed roadways, and more can reduce cars’ speeds, prevent collisions, and make cities more attractive and walkable.
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Food system

Companion Planting for More Fruitful and Sustainable At-Home Food Production

May 1st, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

Companion plants can make your veggie garden more sustainable and your food more plentiful by attracting beneficial insects, preventing pests, and more.
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Food Systems

Find a Food Rescue to Help Feed Hungry People while Preventing Food Waste

Mar 28th, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

Use the Food Rescue Locator to find places that help keep food from going to the garbage and get it to people in need.
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Food Systems

Planting Zones are Changing - Here’s What it Means for What Food to Grow this Season

Feb 23rd, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

The USDA new plant hardiness zone map shows increasing temperatures in much of the country, with impacts for what food can best be grown where.
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Food Systems

Foods of the Future: Legumes, Pulses, and Beans

Jan 17th, 2024 | By Chelsea Graham

Pulses are an affordable nutrition powerhouse, and can be produced using far less water and with fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other protein sources.
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Eco-living, Food, Fuel

2024 New Year’s Resolutions for Building a Better Food & Fuel Future

Dec 22nd, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

As we look to make positive changes in ourselves and our communities in 2024, here are a few starting points for impactful, sustainable resolutions.
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Eco-Living

Eco-Conscious Food and Fuel Gifts for the Whole Family

Dec 8th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Buying second-hand, giving items that will last, and gifting things they really need are all great options.
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Food

What is Agroecology and Can It Transform Our Food Systems?

Dec 6th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Agroecology aims to produce healthy, culturally-relevant food with sustainable techniques, benefiting people and the planet.
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Transportation

Building Better Bike and Scooter Share Programs for the U.S.

Nov 16th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

As micro-mobility sharing programs evolve, they are gaining strength through stronger community integration and public ownership.
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Food System

Foods of the Future: Seaweed and Micro-Algae

Oct 23rd, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Algae has fed people around the world for centuries, and is now being transformed into everything from bacon substitutes to pasta.
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Food System

Fall-Time Farmers’ Market Finds

Oct 2nd, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Don’t miss out on the autumn bounty at your local farmers’ market!
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Food System, Transportation

Building Circular Economies for Less Wasteful Food and Transportation

Sep 29th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

The circular economy model encourages repair, maintenance, and reuse to reduce waste and preserve our limited natural resources.
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Transportation

What is Micro-Mobility? A Quick Guide to What it Means and Why it Matters for Sustainable Transit

Sep 21st, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Personal transportation devices like bikes and scooters aren’t new, but share schemes and new technologies are helping to boost their popularity.
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Food Systems

Cover Cropping for the Home Gardener

Sep 5th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Planting cover crops in your off season can help improve soil health, manage pests, and keep weeds out of your garden.
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Food Systems

How to Organize your Freezer to Reduce Food Waste and Save Money

Aug 23rd, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

An effective freezer storage system is a safe and easy way to keep food from going bad and feed your family on a budget.
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Transportation

The Future of Public Transit

Aug 14th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Reliable, efficient, and accessible transportation could have huge benefits for communities’ wellbeing, boost economies, and help fight climate change.
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Food Systems

Food Pyramid, Compass, or Plate? Food Guides can Help Improve Health and Address Climate Change

Aug 7th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Food guides are always evolving in an effort to help make healthy eating easier, and increasingly, they’re focusing on sustainability as well.
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Transportation

U.S. Cities with the Best Public Transportation

Jul 31st, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

From mega-cities to small towns, there are plenty of parts of the U.S. where public transportation is green, accessible, and convenient.
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Food System

The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Buy at your Farmers’ Market this Summer

Jul 20th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

With market stands full of tasty summer treats, here’s how to pick and preserve the best of the season’s bounty.
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Food System

School Meals, SNAP, WIC, and More: Understanding Food Assistance and Hunger in the United States

Jul 13th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

With a quarter of Americans affected by food insecurity, addressing the root causes of hunger is more important than ever.
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Transportation

Should Public Transportation be Free?

Jun 28th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Free public transit is intended to support low-income riders and reduce car usage, but some worry that it negatively impacts the quality of services, with the opposite of the intended effect.
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Food, Eco-living

How to Get Expert Advice for your Garden from Agricultural Extension

Jun 15th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

This network of universities provides free location-specific support to beginning gardeners and expert farmers alike.
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Eco-living

What is Right to Repair: New State Legislation to Reduce Waste

May 18th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Right to repair laws aim to make it easier to fix our possessions and shift us from throwaway culture to a circular economy.
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Food

What to Buy at the Farmers’ Market this Spring

May 17th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Tart rhubarb and spring greens are just some of the local foods that await early season shoppers.
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Food

Eating Insects Could Add More Sustainable Protein to U.S. Diets

May 8th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Insects are hailed as a shiny solution to climate-change-inducing diets, but what chance do they have of really shifting our food consumption habits for the better?
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Fuel, Transportation

Why Doesn’t the U.S. Have Better Public Transportation?

Apr 30th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Quality public transit could improve lives and clean up the environment, but efforts to make it better are hamstrung by poor design, car-centric planning, and negative public perception.
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Eco-living

Get Gardening with Your Spring Planting Checklist

Apr 10th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Get a jump start on spring planting by preparing all your materials, and getting seedlings ready to grow.
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Fuel

Renewable, Sustainable, Clean? An Overview of Carbon-Free Energy

Mar 29th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

As the US works to shift to more renewable energy sources, what options do we have for sustainable, clean, and safe energy?
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Food System

How to Honor Indigenous Foodways in your Garden and Kitchen

Mar 21st, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Learn from indigenous knowledge to make your planting and food preparation more sustainable.
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Transportation, Eco-Living

Tips for Planning an Eco-Friendly Slow Vacation

Mar 7th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Slow travel is a great way to settle in and get to know a new place, while making less of an impact on the environment.
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Food Systems

Tips for Building Incredible Edible Landscapes

Feb 16th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Take food production beyond the vegetable garden with plants that look good and taste great.
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Food Systems

Refugee Food Cultures Enrich Us Food Systems

Feb 13th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Refugees bring their unique food cultures with them to the US. As they feed their communities, they also make the food system stronger and more diverse.
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Transportation

Why Doesn’t the US Have High Speed Rail?

Jan 12th, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

High-speed rail is a comfortable, convenient and climate-friendly way of traveling in many countries, but faces logistical and political hurdles in the United States.
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Eco-living, Food systems, Transportation

5 Resolutions for a More Sustainable New Year

Jan 3rd, 2023 | By Chelsea Graham

Smart, structured goal-setting for the year can help you live more sustainably and appreciate your progress over time.
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Eco-living

Last Minute Gifts that Give Back Instead of Going into Landfills

Dec 15th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

A gift doesn’t necessarily have to be an object! With these ideas, you can give a gift that is both thoughtful and personal, as well as good for the planet and your community.
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Food systems

Is the Future of Meat Production Really in the Lab?

Dec 14th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

Lab-made meat hasn’t yet hit the shelves, but proponents see it as a solution to feed the world more sustainably. Skeptics highlight key questions around how successful it might be at scale.
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Transportation

Want to See More People Cycling to Work? Safe Infrastructure is Key

Dec 7th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

Increasing the use of bicycles for transportation can help decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Research shows that safe, suitable infrastructure can help get more bikes on the road.
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Transportation

Shipping innovations to make online shopping more sustainable

Nov 23rd, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

As we do more and more of our purchasing online, it’s more important than ever for companies to invest in innovative technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their supply chains.
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Food System

Level-Up Your Thanksgiving Leftovers with These Creative Recipes and Tips

Nov 14th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

Thanksgiving is one of America’s biggest food waste days. Do your part to keep your leftovers out of the trash by turning them into dishes so tasty you’ll look forward to them year after year.
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Eco-living, Food systems

Fall Preserves for a Colorful Table: Tips for Canning Creatively

Oct 26th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

Canning fall fruit is a great way to avoid food waste, save food without needing refrigeration, and to keep your winter bright and tasty.
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Food systems

Extend Your Growing Season with Tips for Fall & Winter Gardening

Oct 14th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

If you just can’t get enough gardening, learn how to keep your vegetable garden growing under cover or indoors once the weather gets colder.
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Food System

Home-Grown School Meals for Healthy Kids and Happy Farmers

Aug 25th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

Sourcing school meals locally can strengthen food systems, help farmers grow their businesses, and teach kids about eating healthy fresh foods.
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Transportation

Vehicle Start/Stop Technology: A Small Change with Big Potential

Jul 25th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

As start/stop technology becomes more widespread, it has the potential to make huge benefits on the whole, but only if we embrace its incremental vehicle-by-vehicle impact.
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Food Systems

A Quick Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home

Jul 11th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

Mushrooms are a surprisingly easy crop for home gardeners, and can even be grown year round in your basement.
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Eco Living

Make Your Garden More Resilient with a Rain Barrel

Jun 20th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

Harvesting rain to water your garden is an easy way to save resources and money while making your garden more sustainable.
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Food Systems

Foraging: Inside the Modern Resurgence of an Ancient Art

Jun 6th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

Foraging nourished early humans for millions of years, and today is growing in popularity as a way to reconnect with nature, be more self-sufficient, and supplement food sources.
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Transportation

Debating the Future of Urban Transportation

Mar 25th, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

A survey by LSE Cities highlights key challenges and potential directions for urban transportation in the context of climate change, COVID-19, and rising inequalities.
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Eco-Living

How Native Plants Can Benefit Your Garden

Mar 3rd, 2022 | By Chelsea Graham

These low maintenance plants can attract pollinators, provide natural pest control, fight erosion, and turn your yard into a site for conservation.
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