46 articles by Chelsea Graham


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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!
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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?
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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?
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


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.
Continue Reading


Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get regular stories, tips and solutions from Sustainable America and opt-in to receive roundups of the latest food and fuel news.
Also subscribe me to:
Subscribe to our Newsletter