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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More than a dozen of America's most popular craft breweries have been bought by global beverage companies in recent years. Craft beer brewers say they're under attack by what they call "Big Beer."
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The tart, funky-tasting "sidra natural" can taste a bit off to first-timers. but as America's craft hard-cider market grows, and sour beer becomes more popular, people are warming up to the drink.
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Climate change, dams and agriculture are threatening Chinook salmon, the iconic fish at the core of the state's fishing industry, a report predicts. And 23 other fish species are also at risk.
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East Coast brewers have been making unfiltered, unpasteurized, hazy IPAs for about a decade. Their customers love the aromas and murky look of the beers. Now, the hazy beer craze has gone national.
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Kernza is a kind of grassy wheat that traps more carbon in the soil than crops like wheat and rice. Now, a West Coast brewery is using the grain in its new beer called Long Root Ale.
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The growing demand in South American restaurants for the rodent's crispy skin and fatty flesh is helping improve the lives of small farmers in Peru.
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Fisherman Kirk Lombard's new book teaches people to fish and forage along the northern California coast, while urging them to harvest in moderation, follow regulations and respect sea creatures.
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Environmental groups have asked the U.S. to give the prized fish protection under the Endangered Species Act. Some scientists and activists say the chances are slim but the action is long overdue.
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Demand for sardines and other small species has exploded, with many being used as feed for livestock and fish farming. New rules aim to protect these species from overfishing off the U.S. West Coast.
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Global warming has made conditions historically associated with great wines more frequent in Bordeaux and Burgundy, a study finds. But things look less bright for California vineyards.