Science & Technology

Photo: Wikipedia, CC

Maryland Offshore Wind Development
Martin O'Malley, the governor of Maryland, would like to see offshore wind power developed off the cost of his state, but the U.S. military has expressed fears that the turbines could "disrupt flight and weapon test ranges, as well as erroneously appear on radar as unidentifiable aircraft." Three military bases in the region are using that area in the Atlantic for training missions and flight tests.

Culture & Celebrity

Photo via TreeHugger

Already thinking about your holiday shopping? Our gift guide is the perfect place to start, but if you're the kind of shopper who likes visiting a store rather than waiting for the UPS truck, check out Wired's fifth annual pop-up store in New York City--where a careful collection of green gifts has been selected by one of our favorite eco-celebrities.

Business & Politics

photo: flickrfavorites.

A group of 35 nations have agreed to a plan that aims to reduce global deforestation by 25% by 2015, The Guardian reports. The price tag for it all could run as high as $36 billion over the next five years. Now who will pay for it all?

Science & Technology

Rice = food and electricity at the same time... photo: ya po guille via flickr.

One solution for getting clean electricity to the 440-some million people in rural India who currently don't have grid power (or any power...) is to build wind farms, solar power plants, or use some decentralized but still tech-heavy option such as solar panels. And then there's rice husks and biomass gasification. Not a new technology, but one the Economic Times reports Husk Power Systems is taking advantage of to transform agricultural waste into power:

Science & Technology

photo: Wikipedia.

Here's a not so comforting discovery: A new paper in Science magazine says that Arctic sea ice melting is starting to dilute surface waters and threatening the tiny shellfish called pteropods that are the base of the Arctic food chain. Those small swimming snails get eaten by fish, which in turn get eaten by polar bears and seals. Yeah, not so good:

Science & Technology

Images via Petitvention

Designers seem to be setting a new trend for solar chargers, turning small scale renewable gadget charging into something resembling a bouquet of flowers. Hot on the heals of the Sunny Flower solar charger concept we showed off in September comes the iPetal, a design strikingly similar, and perhaps establishing a trend for stylish solar.

Business & Politics

Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope (left) testifies at the Arlington EPA hearing as API's Howard Feldman looks on.

This week we saw some amazing public action as part of the two Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearings on its proposed tailoring rule, which we call the "Big Polluters" rule.

Right now only a handful of pollution sources, including coal-fired power plants, are responsible for more than half of all of the global warming pollution in the United States. Cleaning these up is a large step towards stopping global warming, so EPA is proposing a new rule to start cleaning up these Big Polluters under the Clean Air Act. By targeting the worst offenders, the Big Polluters rule is an important step that will cut global warming pollution while still helping our economy grow.

TH Exclusives

Antique fire engine. Credit: caitlinator / CC by 2.0

Is your Grandmother's China or charm bracelet your most valued possession? Is your ten-year old MacBook still serving its purpose? Did you rescue a Mad Men-era living room from Goodwill? Is the Nineteenth century painting in your living room still in its original frame? Prove it! We want to see photos of your favorite antique or heirloom in your home (or in your family)--that has lasted through the centuries--for our next readers slideshow. Click through for details and see the potential for your photo in today's Readers' Green Objects They Can't Live Without .