Agriculture Archives - Public Seminar

Local small farms offer an ideal of food production, but only industrial agriculture can meet modern needs

When I think about farming, I imagine the simple farming my Filipino great-grandfather did, and that students at my alma mater, Amherst College, still do at the Book & Plow Farm, an organic operation that employs students part time and supplies the college dining hall. Many consider this an ideal form ...

Climate & Ecology

Beneath the Surface

An excerpt from The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late

April 9, 2026 • by Judith Enck and Adam Mahoney

Beneath the tranquil surface of the water, a slow-moving crisis is unfolding—one that is quietly, yet relentlessly, reshaping life on Earth. Each year, millions of tons of plastic make their way into the oceans, hitching a ride from the land through streams and rivers. This plastic doesn’t disappear; instead, it ...