Food & Health

Photo via kasei.co.uk

It turns out that a surprisingly high number of grade schools in Japan are serving their students more than just a well-rounded education. According to the results of a survey released today, whale meat is back on the menu at about a sixth of Japan's public elementary and junior-high schools. In recent years, the nation has stirred the ire of environmentalists for continuing to hunt whales despite a decline in the meat's popularity -- to feed their kids, apparently.

Travel & Nature

Sharks are normally considered solitary hunters, but one incredible video shows that sometimes they do get together -- and in a big way. Off the coast of Australia recently, a rescue helicopter spotted hundreds of sharks in an epic feeding frenzy, capturing the feast on film. The sight of so many big sharks attacking a school of fish prompted authorities to issue a warning to lifeguards in the area, lest their appetite turn to swimmers.

Science & Technology

Photo from one of Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari Boat Tours

In the past week, copious amounts of planktonic krill have drawn large groups of blue whales off the coast of Long Beach in Southern California. As many as 25 whales have been spotted from the shore. Dan Salas, captain of Harbor Breeze Cruises' 65-foot vessel, told reporters that recently as many as 100 blue whales have been spotted swimming in the waters between Huntington Beach and Santa Monica. In the 1960s, blue whales had been hunted almost to the point of extinction. Today, approximately 2,000 blue whales are believed to live in the North Pacific Ocean, so seeing 100 or even 25 is a rare occurrence.

Science & Technology

MIT's Test Cell Patrick Gillooly, MIT

Solar cells are intended to mimic the photosynthesis of plants -- converting light into energy in the most efficient manner possible. But what other characteristics of plants could be handy for the renewable energy sector to mimic? How about the self-assembly of chloroplast, the component of plants that do all the vital photosynthesis. Leaves repair themselves after sun damage again and again to keep up their ability to convert light into energy. Now, MIT researchers believe they've discovered how to use this self-assembly to restore solar cells damaged by the sun.

Culture & Celebrity

Image Credit: Captain Planet @ 20

If you're like me, when you think of Captain Planet, you're hit with a wave of nostalgia for your 1990s childhood. But even if you're a bit older (or younger), I'll bet you're excited to hear that the world's first and only eco-superhero is turning 20 years old this month, and is getting a party to celebrate. The Captain Planet Foundation, an organization dedicated to educating youth about the environment, has declared September 15, 2010 "National Captain Planet Day." To mark the occasion, a group of adult "Planeteers" have created the website Captain Planet @ 20.

Cars & Transportation

South African cyclist Aldren Muvhambe. Photo by Nic Grobler via Bicycle Portraits.

The sad recent news story about a 5-year-old girl killed by a street-cleaning vehicle while riding bikes with her father in the Turkish province of Konya -- a city that had previously announced plans for the country's first bike-sharing program -- got me thinking about what it would really take to create a cycling culture in Turkey. Similar questions, it seems, are on the minds of people in South Africa and Japan as well.

Food & Health

photo: Sara Novak

A story reported in Grist and first published in the Salt Lake Tribune said that alarming amounts of arsenic were found in two Utah children's urine. The girl's urine tested 50 percent above what's considered safe and the boy's tested 75 percent above acceptable levels. The culprit turned out to be the chicken feed. Find out how the kids were exposed to such high levels of arsenic.

Fashion & Beauty

Credit: Marilisa Cosello/Terre di mezzo Eventi

While I am gearing up to cover Fashion Week here in New York, other cities are prepping for the debut of spring/summer 2011 collections: In Milan, Terre di mezzo Eventi and Isola della Moda have organized a green fashion event, called "So Critical, So Fashion," which is geared towards" ethical consumerism," that will highlight the work of fashion brands, independent designers, and socially- and environmentally-responsible enterprises that are working to spur innovation in the field of green fashion. The event will coincide with Milan Fashion Week and is part fashion showcase and part learning seminar. Click through for details: