TH Exclusives

From the news that scientists have created a bacteria that lights up around landmines to the development of a rot-proof apple--that stays fresh for 4 months--a lot happened this week in green. A new study called The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) shows that putting money into protecting wetlands, coral reefs, and forests is a better investment than gold, Lloyd visited GreenBuild 2009 in Arizona, and readers sent in photos of the one green object they just can't live without for our weekly slideshow. Find out what else happened in the world of green this week in our photo roundup of most popular, most important, and most oddball stories. And if you missed it, view last week's The Week in Pictures: Trawler Sunk by Jellyfish and More.

Food & Health

Photo: Is that really tuna? (LFL16 on Flickr)
The next time you order tuna at a sushi restaurant - watch out! - it may not be what you think it is. A team of scientists from Columbia University and the American Museum of Natural History conducting a genetic research project found that more than half of tuna ordered from 31 restaurants were "misrepresented" or selling endangered southern bluefin tuna. Some samples were not tuna at all, but escolar, a fish with fatty flesh that could pass as tuna but can cause diarrhea when consumed.

Interact

Image Credit: Paul Keleher via Flickr

dballisonnyc writes:

I went to an NFL game on Sunday and like about half of the NFL games I've been to, there was a flyover by military jets immediately following the national anthem. Like always the crowd ate it up and cheered loudly, but even though i think a flyover is kind of cool, I can't help but wonder how much fuel does this use?

So what do you think? Are stadium flyovers cool, just plain wasteful, or maybe both? Join the conversation.

Business & Politics

The King of Climate Deniers, Sen. James Inhofe

Email communication has made us efficient--yes--but also short-tempered, imprudent at time, and sloppy. Need proof? Check out emails between climate scientists stored on servers at the University of East Anglia that showed not a plot but perhaps too much information-sharing on climate change between scientists. The server was hacked into and the emails--almost 20 years worth from prominent scientists--showed up on a Russian FTP.

Travel & Nature

The Nov. 15 "60 Minutes" segment "Resurrecting Eden."

Life hasn't been easy for the Ma'dan, or "Marsh Arabs," of Iraq's ancient wetlands. First the marsh area where they have made their homes -- and their living -- was drained in a vindictive move by Saddam Hussein, then drought threatened to wipe away the gains of the past few years. But a grassroots environmental group is working against the odds to try and bring about a sort of "second creation story" in the area thought by many to be the home of the biblical Garden of Eden.

Fashion & Beauty

Earth Creations spring/summer 2010. Credit: Earth Creations

Earth Creations, known for their clay-dyed apparel has been creating sustainable clothing for women, men, and children since 1996. The women's casual and sportswear line for spring/summer 2010 introduces two new hues; celadon (light green) and moonstone (beige), and is a casual cool collection of dresses, lightweight cardigans, wraps, stretch tanks, slim-fit tees, crop pants, and yoga pants--made with hemp, organic cotton, and bamboo fabrics. Click through for photos.

Food & Health

Image credit: Homegrown Choppers and Vagabond Journey

OK, I'll admit it. I am a thoroughly confused TreeHugger. On the one hand, I recognize that sustainability needs to appeal to the masses if we have any hope of cutting carbon emissions at the rate necessary. So palatable mainstream solutions like Zip Car, high-tech organic farming, integrating solar with agriculture, or simply encouraging urban density have more chance of saving us than hoping we all start growing our own vegetables and learning how to hunt. On the other hand, there's a lot to be learned from intrepid back-to-the-landers about efficiency, waste and reprioritizing what is truly valuable. So it's in this spirit that I offer up my next post. And the subject, dear readers, is the delightful topic of how to eat roadkill.

Business & Politics

Image credit: Cedar Consulting

Contradictory science is nothing new within the green movement—from those who claim that solar energy could power the world to those who argue that nuclear power could solve the energy crisis, from those extolling biochar for carbon sequestration and soil improvement to those who say it could destroy the biosphere. In fact, it's in the very nature of science to constantly question, deliberate and reexamine the evidence available, and consequently there are almost always differing opinions and seemingly contradictory studies. But at some point we have to make decisions based on the science we have. At some point we have to act.