Over the past century, we've transformed the arid lands of the American west into year-round, well-irrigated agricultural powerhouses. Today, fruits, nuts, and nearly all of our leafy greens are grown in the desert, using water diverted, stored, and supplied at taxpayer expense. This intense irrigation is having an impact: Reservoir levels are dropping, rive ... Show More
Oct 6
Fibermaxxing FTW: Meet the Neglected Nutrient That's the Key to Health
Move over protein, it's time to fibermaxx! Fiber has always been the neglected stepchild of nutrients: it's never been seen as essential, and some of its earliest enthusiasts were poop-obsessed oddballs. Take the inventor of cornflakes, John Harvey Kellogg. Inspired by the gorill ... Show More
51m 52s
Sep 8
Plant Milk Proliferation: Oat, Soy, Almond, and More, But Which Is Best?
Cow milk is out, and plant milk reigns supreme. At least, that's how it feels in the supermarket these days, where the refrigerated section is full of "milk" made from oats, almonds, peanuts, coconuts, soy, macadamia nuts, pistachios, and even peas, with new plants being milked s ... Show More
48m 52s
Nov 2023
Groundwater Wars
Kingman, Arizona, a small farming town in the desert, is a cautionary tale in the West’s water crisis.
About a decade ago, large corporate farms started moving into the desert of Mohave County, growing thirsty crops like alfalfa and nuts. At the time, there were practically no ru ... Show More
33m 38s
Apr 2023
Saudi Arabia’s Thirst for Arizona’s Water
As Arizona grapples with looming cuts to its allocation of Colorado River water, the arid state is taking a hard look at how its groundwater is used and who has access to it. Dr. Natailie Koch, author of “Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and Arabia,” joins Ray Suarez t ... Show More
26 m