The Biofuel Conundrum
Biofuels—made from crops and used to replace conventional fuel—are not necessarily more environmentally friendly than oil…
By the Numbers: Holiday Waste
According to EPA, Americans produce 25% more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than during the rest of the year…
I Am the Bee
New Bedford, Massachusetts, does not seem a likely home for a new wave of environmental art. In the nineteenth century, this harbor town served as the home port for much of the nation’s whaling fleet. Those bloody hulls, combined with the brownfields and empty quays that litter New Bedford today, have left the place a […]
The Safer Chemicals Movement
Andy Igrejas, national campaign director for Safer Chemicals Healthy Families says the best time to pass a sweeping reform of the nation’s chemical laws was prior to the November 2010 elections, when democrats controlled both houses of Congress. But despite the uphill battle faced by the Safe Chemicals Act to overhaul the outdated Toxic Substances […]
Raising the Bar on Gold
Producing just a third of an ounce of gold for a wedding band can generate 20 tons of mine waste and much of that waste is contaminated with toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide.
The Big Banana Problem
The incurable Panama Disease has wilted & wiped out banana crops in Australia & New Zealand, & there are growing concerns over whether it will spread…
Slice of Life: Losing A Livelihood
Pak Norani of the village Desun Gembira in Sumatra, Indonesia, is a boatmaker who says his livelihood has been destroyed by Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). Without permission or compensation for villagers, APP cleared forests his community relied on for timber to make boats. With the wood running out, Norani says his family is destined […]
How Green Is That … Holiday Light Display?
Celebrating the holidays doesn’t have to mean a serious spike in energy bills. Energy efficient LED holiday lights are now available at many major retailers. The LED lights will illuminate with the same warm glow as your old incandescent bulbs for longer and with 80% less energy. For the full green effect, wrap them around […]
Ski the Sustainable Slopes
This year, ski areas were issued a challenge: Could they reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and help to undo some of the global warming damage that would inevitably be their downfall? They didn’t have to go it alone. The National Ski Area Association’s Sustainable Slopes program teamed up with Clif Bar & Company, the Natural […]
A One-for-One Revolution
Freewaters, Two Degrees and other companies are taking the one-for-one socially conscious business model pioneered by TOMS for a wide range of products…