Since launching in 2013, Falling Fruit has mapped over 4,000 different species of edible mushrooms and plants across almost 2 million publicly accessible foraging spots in cities around the world. @gracehussain.bsky.social reports:

We’re joining other newsrooms in the Climate News Task Force to offer a shared place to sign up for all our newsletters. It’s a new way to make climate coverage easier to find — and to support the reporting that holds powerful industries accountable. buff.ly/IrWLrrX

A new article in The Lancet on ultra-processed foods summarizes the main thesis and evidence regarding effects on health. The definition of UPFs is 736 words long. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

The concept of "ultra-processed foods" (UPFs) was supposed to IMPROVE conversations about food systems, nutrition, & the environment. I wrote about why that has NOT been the case -- for the 25th anniversary issue of @gastronomica. 1/ online.ucpress.edu/gastronomica...

"At no other point in human history could someone opt for the meat of their choice for three meals every day, without getting any blood on their own hands, and then post about it on social media to claim they are living like their ancestors."

The concept of "ultra-processed foods" (UPFs) was supposed to IMPROVE conversations about food systems, nutrition, & the environment. I wrote about why that has NOT been the case -- for the 25th anniversary issue of @gastronomica. 1/ online.ucpress.edu/gastronomica...

Prediction markets have Sherrill at around 85% to win NJ governor, but I gotta say it feels much more like a toss-up/lean Ciattarelli based on my unscientific observational drives through South Jersey. Absolutely no enthusiasm for Sherrill...

A useful rejoinder to the Consumer Reports study on lead in protein powders...

You may have read that your protein supplements are giving you lead poisoning. That's not the case. If you want to have protein shakes, that's fine. But whether you need to and whether they're safely regulated is a different story. My latest for @vox.com. www.vox.com/future-perfe...

Also, they don't report the primary registered outcome (sperm DNA methylation, which they say they will report in a future paper), and they don't say why. And it doesn't seem to occur to them that sat fat, sugar, and fiber, rather than processing, might be the issue. HT @garrettbroad.bsky.social

tldr on the latest ultraprocessed foods experiment -- turns out a diet with "elevated levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, refined grains, added sugars, & dairy products & lower amounts of fiber" can lead to bad outcomes. Sorry but this is not a shocking finding about the harms of food processing!

Another RCT on ultra-processed vs minimally processed foods came out! The headline from this one -- despite matching diets for calories, the UPF diet impaired cardiometabolic and male reproductive health, independent of caloric intake! But let's read closer... 1/ www.cell.com/cell-metabol...

One of our reporters had a source back out, worried they might lose their federal funding depending on the coverage. The story was about a rewilding project (the benefits are not controversial!) but it didn't matter. @gracehussain.bsky.social wrote about it here: sentientmedia.org/journalism-h...

I recently had a chance to ask EPA's Region 2 Administrator about the drastic cuts to his agency, which he brushed off as mostly eliminating programs that were not aligned with their core mission. He came across as a talented and effective bullshitter, which seems to be the main job requirement.

Crazy idea -- what if we decided not to base our farm economy on growing soybeans for the global animal feed market, and instead focused on growing FOOD FOR PEOPLE.

RFK Jr's right-hand man Calley Means asks the ominous rhetorical question -- why is the Amish cancer rate so low? Meanwhile, the answer is LITERALLY THE NEXT LINE OF THE PAPER'S ABSTRACT -- it's mostly a product of tobacco abstinence.

Honestly this should just be the new HHS motto: "The saddest display of a lack of evidence, rumors, recycling old myths, lousy advice, outright lies and dangerous advice we have ever witnessed by anyone in authority in the world claiming to know anything about science."

Oh wow Casey Means is making a shitload of wellness industry money and not just doing it out of the kindness of her pure heart who knew www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...

🚨 NEW: Climate change is already causing 30,000 deaths per year - a global annual economic loss of $100-350B USD - but the true damage is probably 10x higher. Out TODAY in Nature Climate Change: the first systematic look at the science of "health impact attribution" 🔓 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Unpopular opinion: Hate crime laws are bad, too.

Would be great if my public transit system didn't have to get bailed out by a freaking gambling company instead of getting properly funded by the state and local government.

Another success story as the president works to make America covered in pig shit again.

A tremendous amount of science and societal progress is going out the window fast, *AI included.* Another daily tragedy. ➡️ We need you to spread the word outside of our science bubble. "NSF terminates funding for its main meteorology focused AI institute" open.substack.com/pub/balanced...

There’s a persistent myth that new solar farms don’t really help tackle climate change because panels are “made with coal” and “never pay back” their carbon debt. This is simply false. - UN: solar ~8x cleaner than gas, ~19x than coal per kWh - panels repay CO2 in 4 months; save 57x over life

So much of the UPF debate is about finding some secret ingredient that makes them inherently bad -- emulsifiers? something about the food matrix? additives? But I really think it's much simpler -- the food industry has worked hard to make packaged foods tasty, appealing and convenient. It works!

Ultra-processed foods are THE debate in nutrition right now, so you'd figure a new randomized control trial on UPFs would get lots of attention. But this study in Nature Medicine has only gotten modest coverage -- probably because it's findings are not so scary. THREAD www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ultra-processed foods are THE debate in nutrition right now, so you'd figure a new randomized control trial on UPFs would get lots of attention. But this study in Nature Medicine has only gotten modest coverage -- probably because it's findings are not so scary. THREAD www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Friday afternoon personal news dump — I'm switching from being an editor to a writer, so I'll be writing a lot more often, and you can apply to replace me as editor (and also be my editor!) at our amazing little vertical ☺️ job-boards.greenhouse.io/voxmedia/job...

Bad news for the leaders of MAHA...

If you've ever wondered who owns the media, this Media Capitulation Index is a must read. Free Press rates the independence of 35 Big Tech companies then analyzes their ability to defend democracy at a time of domestic and international authoritarianism. https://www.freepress.net/who-owns-media

It's journalistic malpractice to cover superficial efforts by RFK/MAHA/Trump to make food healthier without mentioning the important ways they are making food systems much worse - cuts to SNAP/local food purchasing, slashing food and nutrition research, food safety layoffs, etc. Bad job by NYT here.

Ahhh that's why it's hazy and my throat is sore...

Heard from #AHRQ that the entire grants staff has been let go! They are unable to issue funds for grants already funded, let alone fund new grants. This is outrageous and will make Americans poorer and sicker. Why? A brief thread about just some recent AHRQ-funded research: #MedSky #HealthPolicy

Mark Hyman warns his followers - BEWARE, do not fall for a fake AI-generated ad that uses his likeness to sell shady supplements! Instead, make sure you only buy your shady supplements directly from Dr Hyman on his website!

Absolute clown shit.

The EPA has eliminated its research division, which for decades has provided the science behind regulations on clean air, clean water, and toxic chemicals. The US can afford to monitor, research, and regulate the impacts of industries on human and environmental health. We are just choosing not to.

I continue to be amazed by how many folks in the food and nutrition world see "opportunities" in the MAHA agenda, even as they bemoan its negative impacts thus far. RFK and his acolytes are not good faith actors! They can't be trusted! Good rundown here on the receipts 6 months in.

I continue to be amazed by how many folks in the food and nutrition world see "opportunities" in the MAHA agenda, even as they bemoan its negative impacts thus far. RFK and his acolytes are not good faith actors! They can't be trusted! Good rundown here on the receipts 6 months in.

Decided to listen to the recent "Maintenance Phase" podcast on "ultra-processed foods." I know he's one of the most popular people on this website but Michael Hobbes is simply not a reliable narrator. And I say that as someone very critical of the UPF concept! 1/ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...

RIP to a real one, Bill Moyers, public television GOAT.

Mamdani absolutely crushing gentrified parts of Brooklyn.

I continue to explore whether the degrowth literature has any plausible plans for agriculture but keep coming up empty. Just finished "The Future is Degrowth" and found references to food production are scant and/or often completely contradictory.

Is agroecology the "solution" to our food systems crises? The latest episode of the Feed podcast discusses the traps of "solutionism" and simple fixes in the food system with @garrettbroad.bsky.social‬ and @envirofood.bsky.social‬. Listen to the discussion here: buff.ly/c1ETrHS

“There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.” ― Thomas Sowell He didn't know it, but he was writing about agriculture.

Continuing my fight against all forms of food system solutionism -- from high-tech hype to agroecological romanticization -- I had a chance to speak with the good folks at @tabledebates.bsky.social. And it all started with a thread on @bsky.app! www.tabledebates.org/podcast/epis...

Continuing my fight against all forms of food system solutionism -- from high-tech hype to agroecological romanticization -- I had a chance to speak with the good folks at @tabledebates.bsky.social. And it all started with a thread on @bsky.app! www.tabledebates.org/podcast/epis...

We feed you. They hunt us.

RFK Jr's "MAHA" report came out last week. It misinterpreted data, had broken links to some citations, and cited 7 articles that don't exist. That last one is a hallmark of AI hallucinations. How much of the MAHA report was AI generated? 🤔 www.notus.org/health-scien...