Cleaner, Greener U. Students are driving the campus climate movement, fighting Big Coal and putting legislators on notice
Today’s environmentally aware students are organizing effectively, passing campus climate initiatives, fighting Big Coal and putting legislators on notice.
The Green Nitty Gritty Whittling Down the College List
Students create their own sustainable solutions.
Going With the Flow Colleges Get Serious About Saving Water
Colleges have a big thirst, and they’re just beginning to get serious about saving water.
Sustainability on the Menu College Cafeterias are Buying Local and Going Organic
On-campus organic gardens, local food in the cafeterias and composting initiatives.
Big Ideas College Students Create their own Sustainable Solutions
Students create their own sustainable solutions.
Green U
I wasn’t nearly as enlightened on environmental issues as today’s college students seem to be.
The New Super Foods Higher Energy Organics Hit the Shelves
The organics market is jumping into the power foods game with antioxidant-rich Goji berries, yerba mate drinks and hemp protein products.
Lost in the Amazon Project Baggage Pioneers "Community-Based Tourism" in Brazil
Sleeping on a little boat, eating fresh acai and listening to locals is all part of the "community-based tourism" offered by Project Baggage in the Brazilian Amazon.
Happy Feet The Green Revolution in Kids Shoes
Companies are developing the first wave of kids’ eco-shoes, from major retailers like Patagonia and Timberland to smaller online retail outlets specializing in vegan shoes.
Our Mutual Friends Separating the True Green Funds from the Pack
Major fund managers are adding green funds to their prospectuses, raising the stakes for the true green pioneers.
A Leafy Retreat Treehouses Provide Communion with Nature
Living in the trees is no longer just a childhood dream—organizations like Forever Young Treehouses and Out "n" About Outfitters make it possible to build a treehouse that’s designed with adults in mind.
Before They’re Ready Toxins and TV Could Be Leading Kids To Early Puberty
The age of puberty is falling, and researchers are looking at more sedentary lifestyles and more exposure to toxins, to understand why.
The Slaughter Continues
Animal activists have fought hard to eliminate horse slaughter in the U.S. (see “The Killing Floor” feature, May/June 2006). Under H.R. 2744, funding was removed for U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) inspectors at slaughterhouses. The Bush USDA countered by allowing inspectors to be paid with private funds. But state laws were later passed banning remaining slaughterhouses in Texas and Illinois.
The Plug-ins Are Coming
The Detroit Auto Show last January confirmed that plug-in hybrids (with extended all-electric range up to about 40 miles) will soon be on American roads (see "The Hot Hybrids," Consumer News, November/December 2005). The biggest news was that Toyota confirmed it will have a commercial plug-in hybrid on the road by 2010, a date that coincides with General Motors" already announced target. Felix Kramer, founder of the California Cars Initiative, called Toyota’s announcement "stunning and very welcome." The Japanese automaker has early versions of its plug-in, based on the existing Prius, under test at two California universities.
Green Olympic Dreams
China is giving itself a green makeover for the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing…
Curing Congestion Variable Toll Pricing Gets Cars off the Road
As cities like London and Stockholm have shown, congestion pricing works—but New Yorkers are putting up a fierce fight to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan.
Debunking Desalination The "Miracle Process" That Can't Cure the World's Water Woes
Desalination has been touted as an affordable clean water fix. But costs to convert salt or brackish water to fresh remain too high to provide the drinking and irrigation water the world needs.
Iceland’s Abundance of Energy Can Iceland Build a Future on Hydrogen and Geothermal?
Iceland has made huge strides in geothermal energy and hydroelectric power. They’re adding hydrogen vehicles and fuel cell boats, but some locals say that more hydroelectric plants will mar the frigid landscape.
Artificial Turf Wars
While artificial turf playing fields are considered a good, green alternative to grass, some groups have declared a moratorium until it’s known whether they can leach harmful chemicals when exposed to sun and rain.
Burning Down the House (and Trees) Fire Spending Overwhelms Forest Service Budget
As the Forest Service digs deeper into its own pockets to fight forest fires, it’s had to cut into critical programs including habitat restoration and invasive species control.
The ABC’s of Unrelenting Waste Americans trash 1.4 billion pounds of aluminum can per year.
Americans are recycling less aluminum cans than ever, wasting some 650,000 tons a year as a result of changing market conditions and consumer whims.
Great Lakes Invaders Invasive species challenge Great Lakes native species
Foreign freighters on the Great Lakes are bringing unwanted cargo: invasive species that are wreaking havoc on fisheries, boats and ports.
The High Cost of Coal-to-Liquids John W. Rich, Jr. hopes to bring a coal-to-liquids plant to Pennsylvania
Green groups say this “clean coal” — derived from mountainous scraps left behind by mining companies — technology is anything but.