Currents

A smarter grid is essential to true conservation, and some forward-thinking energy companies are rewiring the way to this future.

President-elect Barack Obama last week named the members of his administration’s environmental and energy team, signaling his strong commitment to face global warming head on and support alternative forms of energy.

The Bush administration moved to add seven species of penguins to its list of endangered species. But critics worry that the effort amounts to little more than greenwashing.

A new report issued last week by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network found that if current trends regarding emissions of carbon dioxide continue, a majority of the world’s remaining coral reefs could be lost within just four decades.

Environmentalists scored a big victory last week when power utility Luminant agreed to outfit its new 1,600 megawatt Oak Grove coal-fired electric plant with technology that will help reduce emissions by some 90 percent.

Looking for a last-minute present for the animal-lover on your holiday gift list? There is a myriad of "adoption" programs that offer a perfect way of both acknowledging your loved one’s fondness for animals and supporting just about any animal imaginable: from turkeys and cows, to chimps, whales and elephants.

Christmas shoppers beware! According to researchers from the Michigan-based nonprofit Ecology Center, one in three of more than 1,500 popular toys now on store shelves contain unacceptably high levels of potentially toxic chemicals.