science journalist
Michelle Nijhuis is a science journalist who has written for several organizations and publications, including the Food and Environment Reporting Network and the New Yorker.
PROFILE
Michelle Nijhuis
Guest
FROM Michelle Nijhuis
To the Point
The future of federal public lands under Trump This week Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah introduced a bill calling for the immediate sell-off of 3.3 million acres of public lands spread out over 10 states. The total amount is roughly the size of Connecticut. Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Photo by Barbara Wheeler, USFWS The Wilderness Society is calling the proposal Step Two in a radical Republican plan to offload federal property. Step One was a quiet change over a week ago to a single line in the House rules which redefined the value of federal land and made it easier for the government to dispose of it. Science writer Michelle Nijhuis has been tracking this for the New Yorker's "Elements" blog .
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Could a Vintage Water Planning Project End the Drought? Half a century ago, the engineer Ralph Parsons came up with a plan to bring Southern California all the water it would ever need. This plan was called the North American Water and Power Alliance, or NAWAPA. NAWAPA never got built, but its promise lingers.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Caviar Underground Paddlefish Polyodon spathula (Timothy Knepp - US Fish and Wildlife Service) Consider the paddlefish: It’s prehistoric looking, even ugly. It lives in the Osage River in Missouri. And it’s worth about $40,000 on the black market. We take a look at the seedy world that is the caviar underground.
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Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Trump says goodbye Paris Accord: What does it mean for U.S. and the planet? President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, the landmark international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Trump was to renegotiate a new deal, but will that happen?
Good Food
Shaking up the USDA, 'The Beef Cookbook' and 'Tartine All Day' Peggy Lowe explains why Trump’s pick for USDA Secretary is rattling rural America. Dario Cecchini talks future plans for Chianti ramen, and Richard Turner shares cuts from “PRIME: The Beef Cookbook.” Writer Matthew Sedacca looks at the controversy behind liquid smoke. Jonathan Gold tries Chengdu-style dishes, and Elisabeth Prueitt of Tartine fills us in on the latest. Plus, chef Michael Beckman shares a recipe for cactus confit.