Green belts need modernising - a more ‘multifunctional’ approach can benefit people and planet

The simplicity of green belt policy means these protected countryside spaces have stood the test of time, but they haven’t adapted to changing needs or pressures.

Matthew Kirby, PhD Researcher, Northumbria University, Newcastle • conversation
Aug. 7, 2024 ~8 min

Rural counties increasingly rely on prisons to provide firefighters and EMTs who work for free, but the inmates have little protection or future job prospects

Georgia’s inmate fire crews respond to hundreds of calls in surrounding counties every year. Without them, there might not be a responder, but they aren’t universally loved – and they don’t get paid.

J. Carlee Purdum, Research Assistant Professor, Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Texas A&M University • conversation
April 15, 2024 ~9 min


How meth became an epidemic in America, and what’s happening now that it’s faded from the headlines

An anthropologist who wrote a book exploring meth’s impact on rural communities explains what drove the epidemic and how it’s changed.

Bryan Keogh, Managing Editor • conversation
March 15, 2024 ~8 min

Why your perception of climate change threats might depend on where you live – new research

People living in rural areas perceive the threat of climate change to be lower than people in cities.

Thora Tenbrink, Professor of Linguistics, Bangor University • conversation
Sept. 11, 2023 ~6 min

Lack of affordable child care is hurting young farm families' ability to grow their businesses – the US farm bill may finally offer some help

Access to affordable child care affects farm productivity, safety and ultimately the nation’s food supply. Farm families across the U.S. are struggling without it.

Florence Becot, Associate Research Scientist in Rural Sociology, Adjunct Faculty - National Farm Medicine Center, The Ohio State University • conversation
May 17, 2023 ~9 min

Lack of affordable childcare is hurting young farm families' ability to grow their businesses – the US farm bill may finally offer some help

Access to affordable child care affects farm productivity, safety and ultimately the nation’s food supply. Farm families across the U.S. are struggling without it.

Florence Becot, Associate Research Scientist in Rural Sociology, Adjunct Faculty - National Farm Medicine Center, The Ohio State University • conversation
May 17, 2023 ~9 min

Farm families are struggling to grow their businesses in child care deserts – the US farm bill may finally offer some help

Access to affordable child care affects farm productivity, safety and ultimately the nation’s food supply. Farm families across the U.S. are struggling without it.

Florence Becot, Associate Research Scientist in Rural Sociology, Adjunct Faculty - National Farm Medicine Center, The Ohio State University • conversation
May 17, 2023 ~9 min

Arctic sea ice loss and fierce storms leave Kivalina Search and Rescue fighting to protect their island from climate disasters

Ten years after Kivalina’s lawsuit against Exxon over climate change damage was dismissed, the Indigenous community’s volunteer search and rescue team is facing frequent crises.

P. Joshua Griffin, Assistant Professor of Marine and Environmental Affairs and American Indian Studies, University of Washington • conversation
April 26, 2023 ~13 min


In rural America, right-to-repair laws are the leading edge of a pushback against growing corporate power

Corporations restrict what farmers can do with their own seeds, as well as their farm equipment when it breaks down.

Leland Glenna, Professor of Rural Sociology and Science, Technology, and Society, Penn State • conversation
Feb. 22, 2023 ~10 min

For some people, religious leaders might be most effective at communicating the importance of COVID-19 vaccination

Two political scientists in their study in South Dakota found people trusted medical professionals the least when it came to public health messages.

David Wiltse, Associate Professor of Political Science, South Dakota State University • conversation
May 12, 2022 ~6 min

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