The big, slow-moving Galapagos tortoise is one of the most endangered animals on Earth, confined to dwindling populations on just five islands. On one of these islands so memorably visited by Charles Darwin, a solitary male tortoise survives. Galapagos tortoises, which can grow to over 500 pounds, live to 100 and take 20 years to […]
The Fight to Save the ESA Wildlife protection is headed for a showdown, but it may not come in the current Congress. The main players are Senator Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID) and Representative George Miller (D-CA); both have sponsored bills which, if passed, would dramatically change the face of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Senate bill […]
A comprehensive endangered species report is impossible in this limited space, so E chose to focus on 10 of the most seriously endangered. This isn’t a scientific selection, but a subjective appraisal of species that, we believe, can still be saved by a concerted global effort. This list has some overlap with the 25 species […]
The Genuine Progress Indicator Could Provide an Environmental Measure of the Planet’s Health On October 17, 1995, Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) asked his colleagues in the Senate to rethink sacred notions of economic progress. “We are told daily that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in America is up, our economy is moving forward and we […]
Planning a Ceremony That Celebrates the Earth Thomas Jackel/Thomas Jackel Studio The “white” in “wedding” has come to mean “expensive.” Indeed, until this modern era of conspicuous consumption, most weddings were simple, at-home affairs attended only by close friends and family. Brides wore dresses they sewed themselves, flowers came from the garden, the good china […]
Eating Your Way to Better Health The medical profession has come a long way since Hippocrates first said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Perhaps it’s time to take a few steps back. A full third of the 563,000 cancer deaths the American Cancer Society predicts for 1999 will be nutrition-related. […]
Proper Landscaping Can Cut Utility Bills in Half Believe it or not, landscaping may be the best long-term investment for reducing home heating and cooling costs. An asset to your yard and community, proper tree, shrub and grass plantings can protect your home from the ravaging onslaught of winter wind and snow, as well as […]
Want to Help Green Causes? Set Up a Family Foundation! Mark Schlesinger and his wife, Christine Russell, a board member of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), have been giving money to support the environment for nearly 20 years. But a few years ago, they decided to formalize their philanthropic impulses by setting up a […]
Adventure Travel vs. Ecotourism: Can the Road Less Traveled Get Trampled Too Often?
Like Georgia state legislator Julian Bond, Minnesota Representative Myron Orfield has an impact that extends far beyond his state’s boundaries. As a national authority on urban sprawl, he advocates what he calls "metropolitics," a regional approach that joins communities together in common interests. Orfield, a member of his state’s unique Democratic – Farmer – Labor Party, is now engaged in a run for Minnesota’s State Senate. He directs the Metropolitan Area Research program, serves on sprawl-related committees of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Planning Association, and is working on his second book about urban-suburban problems for the Brookings Institution Press.
