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Brian J. Barth is a journalist based in the Bay Area. His work appears in publications such as the New Yorker, Slate, Washington PostWalrus, Guardian, National Geographic, Mother Jones, Pacific StandardNautilus and City Lab. He is currently at work on a book for Astra House about the Bay Area's unhoused communities. 

Twitter @brianjbarth.

Instagram @brianbarth2

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Could Trumpism Take Root in Canada?

     Pacific Standard  | The Muslim massacre in Quebec may point to a deeper schism among our neighbors          to the north

The Wall (of Reeds) That the Border Patrol Would like to Tear Down

     New Yorker  | Texas officials release reed-eating Arundo wasps into a thicket of the invasive weed                 Arundo donax, also called carrizo cane, in an effort to weaken or eradicate the plant

Let's Beat It

     Landscape Architecture Magazine  | In southern Louisiana, Evans + Lighter landscape architecture is              helping the people of Isle de Jean Charles move away from a disappearing coast

Farming the Forest Floor

     Modern Farmer  | Colorful characters, seedy motels, and cold, hard cash—welcome to the backwoods            world of the wild mushroom trade

The High Cost of Cheap Labor

     Modern Farmer  | At least half of all farmworkers in the United States are undocumented                    immigrants. There's a crisis brewing in our fields, and it’s about to get much, much worse

Sometimes It's Lonely Being Liberal

     American Prospect  | At an “underground” watering hole in Pocahontas, Iowa—they serve fair-trade               coffee, not homemade whiskey—hope grows for the tiny town’s left-wing minority

An Unlikely Climate Crusade in Trump Country

     Washington Post  | Smithfield Farms is pushing its grain farmers to cut back on fertilizer use and                    reduce greenhouse gas emissions — but will it shrink the pork giant's carbon footprint? 

A Democrat in Farm Country Hopes to Beat One of Congress' Biggest Racists

     Mother Jones  | First-time candidate J.D. Scholten hits the Iowa highways in a retro Winnebago on a             quest to unseat eight-term congressman Steve King

Is LEED Tougn Enough for the Climate Change Era?

      City Lab  | Twenty years ago, the U.S. Green Building Council piloted its LEED certification, which has            reshaped architecture and real estate. But how much does it dent buildings’ energy use? 

The Good Men: Inside the All-Male Group Taking on Modern Masculinity

     The Guardian  | In the hometown of Jordan Peterson, the evangelist of white male resentment, a                   different and thoughtful men’s movement vies to be heard

The Fight Against Google's Smart City

     Washington Post  | These activists are fighting what they see as an Orwellian takeover

Are You Afraid of Google? BlackBerry Cofounder Jim Balsillie Says You Should Be

     The Walrus  | The entrepreneur who made billions putting BlackBerrys into pockets is now sounding the         alarm about Big Tech's creep toward surveillance capitalism

Revealing Pictures Shine a New Light on Inuit Culture

     National Geographic  | Indigenous photographer Brian Adams changes perceptions of Native Alaskans             one portrait at a time

Canada's Most Prominent Black Activist Has a Message for White Liberals

     Pacific Standard  | Desmond Cole says the recent election of Ontario's right-wing premier is Canada's             Trumpian moment

Big Tech's Big Defector

     New Yorker  | Roger McNamee made a fortune as one of Silicon Valley's earliest champions. Now he's             one of its most fervent critics. 

Jody Wilson-Raybould is Justin Trudeau's Worst Nightmare

     Slate  |  As Canadians head to the polls, the Prime Minister's do-gooder image is in shambles. How much         of a threat does the political leader who disabled his political machine pose?

Thou Shalt Not Till

     Mother Jones  | One man is trying to fight climate change by mobilizing an unlikely team: Iowa's                   farmers.

How Millennial Inuit Sparked a Musical Movement

     National Geographic  | Inspired by traditional throat singing and contemporary artists, these musicians           offer a modern take on Inuit life

In the Amazon, Farming the Forest To Save the Forest

     National Geographic  | A groundbreaking Brazilian community demonstrates how to farm sustainably in           the forest -- no cattle necessary

Black Land Matters

     Modern Farmer | An increasingly vocal group of African-American farmers fight to regain food               sovereignty 

The Unique Neurology of the Sports Fan's Brain

     Nautilus  | Why we get off on the game—and are better off for it

Metamorphosis of the Sportsman

     Pacific Standard  | How did we go from rugged players to rabid consumers?

Knock It Off

     Landscape Architecture Magazine | In Light of #MeToo and Time's Up, design firms seek to bolster their         anti-harassment programs and policies. Are the se the right tools for the job? 

What if Unhoused People Designed Their Own Homes?

     Mother Jones  | In Oakland, a poet and her crew of "poverty scholars" are doing just that

Homeless in the Shadow of Apple's $5 Billion Campus

     One Zero | A group of ex-tech workers, gig employees, and locals priced out of the housing market are           fighting for affordable housing in Silicon Valley

What's Eating America's Farmers?

     Modern Farmer  | Debt, drugs, depression, and populist politics: the contours of a new farm crisis take         shape

In the Hunt

     Landscape Architecture Magazine  | A new park in Nunavut is made to protect Indigenous hunting 

       grounds

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