NPR

'On The Backs Of Tortoises' Challenges Us To Consider How Much Of Life Is Intertwined

Nominally an environmental and social history of the Galápagos Islands, it lays bare the entangled issues confronting us as we attempt conservation efforts while facing a sweeping ecological crisis.
A giant tortoise on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands.

One of the longest-running jokes in The Good Place is about almond milk.

After the big twist in the show's first season, moral philosopher Chidi Anagonye agonized about being condemned to The Bad Place, and decided early on what had tipped the scales: "I used almond milk in my coffee, even though I knew about the negative environmental impact." For ages, it's a running joke that such a particular infraction could be

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Apple Shows Its Steepest Quarterly Decline In IPhone Sales Since Pandemic's Outset
The 10% drop in year-over-year iPhone sales for the January-March period is latest sign of weakness in a product that generates most of Apple's revenue.
NPR5 min readAmerican Government
Six Months Out From The Election, Wisconsin Students Weigh Voting For Biden
Wisconsin's young voters — who have turned out in big numbers in recent elections — are key for either candidate to win the state. But Biden is facing some skepticism on the state's college campuses.
NPR4 min readInternational Relations
Senior UN Official Says Northern Gaza Is Now In 'Full-blown Famine'
Cindy McCain, the American director of the U.N. World Food Program, became the most prominent official so far to declare that trapped civilians in northern Gaza had gone over the brink into famine.

Related Books & Audiobooks