Climate change, ecology, nature, environment, eco-friendly politics, non-profit projects, human rights, preservation, wildlife... all that we care about.
Oceans cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface. They contain the greatest diversity and abundance of life on this planet and absorb 80% of climate change heat. So, it’s really a wonder to learn that less than 1% of that great blue ecosystem is protected.
Conservation International is doing something about that. This awesome group has [...]
We disinfect everything all the time and not always wisely.
While many of us are naturally immune against these invisible enemies, aka bacteria, others are born with a deficient immune system that does not allow them to live outside of a sterile room. For them, the battle against germs is a daily struggle as they are [...]
INRAN (Italian Nation Institute for Water Researches) the pangasius , an emerging fish species
About three weeks ago, Pakistan was hit by a natural catastrophe whose magnitude dwarfs the devastating 2005 earthquake in the country’s northern areas. In fact the number of people affected by these floods is estimated to be more than the number of people impacted by both the tsunami and the Haiti earthquake.
Floods are a part [...]
The diet of the West, high in animal products, fat, salt and sugar, is increasingly associated with wealth and development.
The growing middle and upper classes in China are causing meat consumption to skyrocket in that country. Those with more disposable income in characteristically poor places buy more imported, packaged and processed foods, which all tend [...]
We’ve all got to worry about our environment, even refugees. Actually, especially refugees: they often live in squalid conditions with poor sanitation and lack basic resources.
Environmental engineers at the University of Weimar in Germany are working on a solution to sewage problems at refugee camps by converting it into something else they need: fuel.
No shit? [...]
This summer has been pretty crazy for the south, dealing with the oil spill clean up, the seafood industry, and threatening storms in the area. Sounds like a great way to spend a summer vacation, right?
Fortunately, the end to the whole fiasco is drawing nearer (hopefully), but before I go into that, let’s check [...]
I enjoy growing plants, especially indoors. Practically all my window space (and then some) is taken up by plants–herbs, cacti, flowers, you name it.
If you’re an avid lover of plants or have plants of your own, then you’re probably aware of all the care they require and how easy it can be to make mistakes–especially [...]
This summer has been practically unbearable, as far as temperature goes. The sun is blazing, wildfires are sprouting up all over the place, and this past June had some of the hottest temperatures on record. Sure, you could turn on the air conditioner or a bunch of fans, but they use electricity and waste energy—especially [...]
The worst flooding in decades hit northwestern Pakistan recently, killing over 800 people and forcing the evacuation of thousands. The total number of people affected by the flooding so far has surpassed 1 million, including those missing or infected with waterborne diseases. All it took was a few days of heavy, torrential rains and it [...]
By now many of you have probably heard of ‘greenwashing’, the practice by which businesses or organizations present an environmentally friendly image without backing it up with concrete green credentials. BP’s green flower logo and ‘Beyond Petroleum’ slogan are blatant examples of greenwashing. Perhaps even more bewildering and maddening is the fact that the production [...]
Two rather informative articles from Mother Jones go over the environmental benefits/drawbacks of a vegetarian diet vs. one that includes lots of meat.
Kiera Butler’s ‘Steak or Veggie Burger: Which is Greener?’ – aka ‘Get Behind Me Seitan’ – may tread some familiar ground for those well versed on the relationship between diet and the environment, [...]
During the last few days the British press has run some relatively prominent articles once again highlighting the correlation between meat eating and climate change, also resulting in a few additional commentary pieces and the usual backlash.
Perhaps biggest of all is the Observer Food Monthly magazine’s OFM vegetarian recipe special edited by none other than [...]
A recent piece for The Ecologist, entitled ‘Biomass Britain: do fields of energy crops spell an end to grazing livestock’, explores the possibility of a revolution in the UK’s land use.
70-80% of land in the UK is used by the British livestock industry. The possibility of a near-complete shift from livestock farming to the growing [...]
Did you know that the Peace Lily is actually toxic; that corn was responsible for a nasty illness which affected 3 million Americans in the early 20th century; and that although beautiful, the Water Hyacinth is actually the world’s worst aquatic weed?
If not, then there’s a book you should definitely check out. Last week, I [...]
I’ve assumed that transport via boat, whether shipping goods or people, is less polluting and has a lower carbon footprint than flying or road freight, for example. Not so, according to both scientific research and inside information from the maritime shipping industry.
While diesel cars – once known as smelly, noisy polluters – have relatively cleaned [...]
A few nights ago, I was watching Larry King on CNN. During that particular episode, he was interviewing some of the Sea Shepherd crew and former game-show host and animal rights activist, Bob Barker (who also has a Sea Shepherd vessel named after him). Of course, they talked about the crew and Whale Wars, but [...]
Joyce Kilmer’s 1913 poem ‘Trees’ was not only sickly-sweet, but also pretty darn apt regarding how important our woody friends truly are.
The British conservation charity Woodland Trust has published a report detailing the important role of native trees in urban environments.
The report, entitled, ‘Greening the concrete jungle’, claims that more trees and woods in urban [...]
How many of you have an outdoor garden? Okay, and how many of you use Roundup weed killer?
Although Roundup has a reputation of being one of the top weed killers on the market and much safer than other chemical alternatives, there are still some stubborn weeds out there that are resistant to Roundup and [...]
Do you or someone you know have breathing problems while sleeping? If so, you may be surprised to learn that a recent study shows a link between air pollution exposure and breathing troubles during sleep.
Air pollution is already known to irritate the respiratory system, so, researchers tried to figure out if this irritation has anything [...]
We’ve all heard that BPA is bad for us, that we shouldn’t use any product—especially plastic bottles—that may contain BPA, and that we definitely shouldn’t expose infants or toddlers to BPA products, either. BPA, or Bisphenol A, has been linked to cancer, thyroid issues, obesity, neurological issues, and can even affect the growth, development and [...]
Heavy rains continue to fall in southern China, raising the death toll to 377 and it’s not likely to stop there. At least 142 people are still missing and more rain is still expected.
Thus far, the flooding has caused nearly $11 billion in damages, forced the evacuation of 4.4 million people, and collapsed 368,000 [...]
An earthquake hit eastern Canada today.
Yes, Canada.
The 5.0 magnitude quake struck along the Ontario-Quebec border region around 1:41 PM EST, at a depth of approximately 12 miles (19.2). Tremors lasted about 30 seconds, shaking homes and businesses, but there are no reports of injuries or damages. A number of businesses in the Ottawa area were [...]
Over the past 2 weeks, China has been slammed with rains, floods and landslides leaving a trail of at least 175 dead, 107 missing and 1.7 million people evacuated since it all began—and there is no indication of the rain stopping any time soon.
At least 35 rivers have risen past their warning marks and pose [...]
