Alastair Bland
Reporter at CalMattersAlastair Bland lives in Sonoma County, California. He writes about water, climate, marine research, agriculture and the environment, and his work has appeared at NPR, Time, East Bay Express, Audubon, Hakai, Slate, Smithsonian and other news outlets. He can be reached at alastair@calmatters.org
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Nitrate contamination of well water has been a decades-long problem in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys — and now stormwater has flushed more fertilizer and manure into aquifers. -
In California, fines are being levied against winemakers who violate environmental laws, but activists say they are a drop in the bucket compared to the damage. -
Many U.S. chefs and retailers prefer intact fillets that constitute a single portion. That demand is driving overfishing for young fish that haven't reproduced. A new campaign aims to change that. -
The food industry is already feeling the effects of climate change, which will likely force expensive adaptations in the future. At least one sector is looking to make energy companies pay. -
Some of the last drift gillnet fishers in the world capture swordfish off the coast of California. But their days may be numbered as lawmakers seek to phase the nets out. -
A scientific paper published this week predicts climate change will send beer prices skyrocketing and drastically reduce the barley crop. It got tons of media attention. But is beer really doomed? -
As the United Nations meets to discuss high-seas biodiversity, scientists and activists say that while a fishing ban could profoundly help protect sea life, it may also be impossible to enforce. -
Some beer-brewing scientists have developed a genetically modified yeast that produces the same hoppy aromas and flavors beer drinkers like, without the hops. But some craft brewers are skeptical. -
Industry trailblazers are trying to reduce the energy and resource costs of aquaculture. Possible solutions include using brewery waste, algae, insects or even carbon dioxide to feed the fish we eat. -
Automated systems have turned the messy, ancient art of brewing into a tidy hobby requiring fairly minimal skill, and of course, a smartphone or tablet. Critics ask: Where's the craft in that?
