David DeFranza

Assistant Editor / Chapel Hill, NC

Before becoming an Assistant Editor at TreeHugger, David DeFranza wrote about travel, the outdoors, and frugal living for a variety of websites. In addition to performing general editorial duties, David writes about nature, produces slideshows, and serves as TreeHugger's books editor.

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  Constitutional Rights do not Extend to Animals, Federal Judge Rules

  A Federal Judge has thrown out a suit brought against SeaWorld by PETA that argued orcas were enslaved in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment.

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  Plastic Pollution in the Oceans is Causing Problems for Whales, too.

  Fish, turtles, and birds are well known, now, as species impacted by plastic pollution in the oceans but the swirling concentration of bags, caps, and bits is increasingly becoming a problem for whales as well.

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  Conservationists Optimistic About Rare Rhino Pregnancy

  For the Sumatran rhinoceros, the birth of even a single calf is a significant achievement.

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  Prehistoric Atlantic Sturgeon Newest Addition to the Endangered Species List

  The ancient Atlantic sturgeon is the latest species to be added to the Endangered Species List.

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  Turtle Mating Habits May Hedge Against Impacts of Climate Change

  For marine turtles, incubation temperature dictates sex meaning a warmer world will produce more female turtles. Fortunately, it seems the turtle mating behavior may help them cope with the imbalance.

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  Restoration Funding Sparks New Controversy Over Southern California Wetlands

  After decades of fighting to preserve the Ballona Wetlands from developers, conservationists are now pitted against each other over the best way to restore the degraded ecosystem.

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  More Than 60 Dolphins Wash Ashore in Cape Cod

  Volunteers and experts race to save those healthy enough to return to the ocean.

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  Scientists Estimate Up to 6.7 Million Bats Dead From Disease

  White nose syndrome has decimated bat populations on the East Coast. Now scientists believe the disease, which is spreading, may have been worse than previously imagined.

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  10 Marine Species on the Brink of Mass Extinction Due to Ocean Acidification

  Perhaps nowhere else is the immediacy of carbon emissions apparent than in the world's oceans. Just a minor change in the ocean's PH balance means mass death for these species.

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  Climate Change Pushing Alpine Plants Off the Mountain

  New research has shown that climate change is reshaping the alpine ecosystems of Europe—and it's doing so much faster than previously thought.

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  After a Bad Year for Rhinos Worldwide, Nepal Finds Cause for Celebration

  2011 was a landmark year for rhino conservation in Nepal: Not a single rhino there was lost to poaching.

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  Color Changing Chameleons Struggle to Adapt to New Environmental Threats

  Chameleons are famous for their ability to change colors based on their surroundings or mood. But are a new wave of threats more than even they can adapt to?

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  The Putney School: A High School that Combines Labor, Art, Education -- and Sustainability

  The school's progressive approach ensures that sustainability isn't just a concern in the classroom but a central part of daily life.

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  2011: The Year in Animal Extinctions

  This was not a good year for critically endangered animals. At least one species jumped the fence to extinction and several others slid dangerously close to the brink.

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  6 Species Proving Humans Aren't the Only Intelligent Ones on the Planet

  Humans pride themselves on their intelligence but a growing body of research is showing that animals, too, posses some of the ingenuity once thought unique to Homo Sapiens

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  Summer Rayne Oakes and Director Clayton Haskell Encapsulate the Planet's Dilemma in the Strikingly Personal "eXtinction"

  The short film from TreeHugger friend Summer Rayne Oakes and Director Clayton Haskell has been nominated for two awards.

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  Unlock the Mysteries of Centuries-Old Ingredients With Tips and Recipes From Superfood Cuisine

  Nutrient-dense "superfoods" are increasingly popular but where does the home cook begin? Superfood Cuisine offers a comprehensive guide.

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  "Clean" Energy Project in Amazon to Flatten Town and Rainforest: David de Rothschild Fights Back With Art

  David de Rothschild and a crew of artists from MYOO traveled to Brazil to combat the controversial Belo Monte Dam project.