Manuel said:
"This is great news! I hope all cities pass this into law.The practice of using plastic bags just to quickly dispose of them has been going on far t..." [read]
Jay Knecht said:
"What are the performance stats for the Son of Max? ..." [read]
gazelle said:
"@ Dallas:
The book, and the supplementary videos in the "How It All Ends" youtube series, address this in detail, but I'll try to paraphrase:..." [read]
Barry said:
"Kofi Annan has about as much of a clue about electric cars and developing countries as Ann Ann the Panda.
He underestimates the ingenuity o..." [read]
JJ said:
"Very cool. I didn't thought that biodesel might be our future fuel...." [read]
Derek said:
""I guarantee you this will spark huge debates around the world," she said. "We have to delve into this in a way that hasn't been done in a long tim..." [read]
Sometimes nature isn't so harsh and here are two stories as example: BBC News reports that two grandmother macaques have been observed nursing and caring for their grandchildren, the first time such caring behavior has been unambiguously documented; on a much smaller scale, LiveScience tells us that new research shows that ants will save nestmates from danger:
Nothing against New Jersey, but it's not the first place that comes to mind when you think of clean air in the United States. Maybe that's just not fair to the Garden State.
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.
The Asian carp, a monstrous, invasive fish, has been knocking at the door of the Great Lakes for decades. Now bad news is spreading that the fish may have breached an electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, entering Lake Michigan.
We aren't sure if this is in the wild, or someone's pet crab to whom the owner gave an offering of a broken bottle as shelter. Either way, it's kinda cute and kinda frightening. It doesn't take much of a leap of though to figure this might be increasingly what our ocean critters look like - from crabs using broken bottles to octopi and eels using various discarded baskets and jugs for homes.
' In any economic climate, it's natural to consider the price of the products we buy, and whether their value justifies their cost. We often receive comments regarding the prices for Nau products. One customer recently commented that, "The clothing is great and unique but the pricing is outrageous." ' So starts a discussion the outdoor-inspired, eco clothing company Nau, has on its website.
They continue, "We recognize, and regret, that for some customers our products will be too expensive. [...] That's because our prices don't reflect some arbitrary mark-up, but rather the true cost of making high-quality product."
It's an intriguing read about the True Cost of bringing a greener product to market. But what's equally as interesting is that Nau have offered new customers a special deal.
The European Green Lizard, Lacerta viridis, shows off a blue head while catching some rays. Lizards and other so-called "cold-blooded" animals have complex biochemistry: sometimes they have 4 to 10 different enzyme systems where humans would use only 1. Cold-blooded critters need this complexity so that their bodies function no matter what the weather forecast brings. To learn more about how that fantastic genetic diversity is at risk from global climate change along with more gorgeous photos of these climate-dependent ectotherms, click the slideshow.
It was assumed that sea stars, also known as star fish, where at the mercy of the sun during periods of low tide. A new study, however, has uncovered a secret adaptation, one that has never before been seen in the animal kingdom, which allows sea stars to regulate their temperature in the changing tides.
photo: Chiara Marra via flickr.
There have been an increasing number of stories coming to light detailing how organized crime syndicates around the world have been getting their dirty little fingers into the green world. The latest: 1) Italian police have arrested two businessmen on fraud charges, linking them with Mafia in wind farm permit fixing schemes; and 2) The government of Madagascar (such as it is) appears to be tied in with what's being called a 'timber mafia', profiting from illegal wood sales largely sent to China: ...
Haena Beach. Photo by randystoreyphotography via Flickr.
Lets face it: Camping is even better when you have a fantastic waterfront view. And there's nothing to keep you going through a tough winter like dreaming up some ideas for your next green outdoor adventure. We've picked 10 sweet camping sites with a variety of waterfront locations -- on lakes, rivers, the ocean, and more -- that afford great views and plenty of recreational opportunities.
What's your favorite place to camp by the water? Let us know in the comments section. And keep an eye out for our list of camping gems around the world....
100 Heartbeats book by Jeff Corwin. Image courtesy of Rodale Books
Every year, we lose 20,000 unique animals, insects or plants. That breaks down to every 20 minutes. That equation from ""100 Heartbeats"," the MSNBC documentary from naturalist/TV host Jeff Corwin, addresses the issue of the world's endangered wildlife on the brink of extinction. Not only are 25% of Zimbabwe's rhinoceros gone and orangutans may be the first ape to go, the Florida panther is also at risk. Corwin has some ideas of what to do....
Photo: WorkCycles Other photos via respective manufacturers.Bike Cargos for All Tastes!
In our endeavours to take a snapshot of the world of Bicycle Cargo we have to date looked at the Racks And Bags used for bicycle cargo as well as the Bike Trailer. Now in Chapter Three, we take a gander at over 20 Extended Frame Bikes, as used for the hauling of people, product or produce. As per usual, leave a message in the comments panel to alert fellow readers to any glaring omissions we've made. Please note, our earlier round-up of Quads and Tricycles also captured quite a few human powered-vehicles used as bicycle transport. (In the next upcoming chapter, we'll showcase some of those businesses that rely on cargo bikes to get the job done.)...
Photo by Adrian Cotter
Over the past two weeks, photographers of all abilities have been submitting entries to a new monthly contest on Sierra Club Trails. The theme of "Orange" has drawn a crazy array of images -- from sunsets, butterflies, fall leaves, to kayaks, cows and centipedes. Now the community is voting for the People's Choice Award winner, and the winner of the Grand Prize -- a Canon G-11 digital camera. You're invited to help us find the winner. You're also welcome to participate in next month's photo contest.
...
"Bloody Hell! That's the biggest leopard seal I've ever seen!"
Leopard seals are pretty scary predators, especially if you're a penguin. But they can be friendly to other leopard seals, which is something that photographer Paul Nicklen learned during one of his trips to Antarctica. He was taking underwater photos when a leopard seal started feeding him penguins, starting with live ones, which were released close to him (to see if he would catch them), and ending with half-chewed dead ones. One theory is that the leopard seal saw his reflection in the lens of the camera and thought that Nicklen was a fellow predator, but an awkward one in need of some help. This went on for FOUR DAYS. You have to check out the video below, the photos are great!...
Photo: Animal Planet
Great Documentary Coming to Animal Planet
At the feet of the Kilimanjaro, about 1,200 elephants have been going through one of the worst drought that the savannah has seen in living memory. For those majestic animals, it is a struggle to stay alive, and to keep those around them safe. Echo: Queen of the Elephants is a new documentary ("Echo has been invaluable in teaching us about the social interactions, communication and leadership of elephants," says Moss. "But to those who have studied Echo for all these years--she is much more than a research subject. Echo is a powerful presence in our lives and the lives of her family. She's been a companion; she's given us joy and filled us with wonder on a daily basis, and for that, I will always be grateful." ) about a group of elephants led by their matriarch, Echo. It was filmed by some of the same people who made the acclaimed Planet Earth, so you know it's going to be something else......
Photo via the BBC
Just for a moment, let's forget about the raging climate policy debates, unfortunate deforestation news, and other world woes--and turn to something everyone can appreciate. And that, of course, is weird nature stuff. Above, observe--for the first time in recorded history--coral chowing down on a jellyfish. ...
This is a list you don't want to be on. Unless, maybe, you're hoping for some government help.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is out with its annual list of proposed candidate species, or "candidate notice of review." That is, plants and animals that the agency says may be designated as endangered unless conservation measures are taken to protect them....
The Fresh Kills mound. Photo by Nathan Kensinger.
When New York City decided to turn its 4.6-square-mile Fresh Kills landfill into a recreational nature area three times the size of Central Park, city officials touted it as "the park project of our time." That's a lot of hype to live up to, but eight years after the landfill closed, some new images by a local photographer indeed show a radically transformed landscape....
Close up of a dead snail fish--its deeper-living relatives were caught on camera
A species of snail fish--the deepest living fish in the world--have been captured on camera in the southern hemisphere for the first time. These strange, pink-bodied fish were photographed at a stunning depth of 24,800 feet in the Kermadec Trench off the coast of New Zealand. See photos and video of the bizarre deep sea fish in action after the jump.
...
Photo: Dartz
A New Kind of Penis Car For Billionaire Oligarchs with No Taste
Some companies specialize in excess. Nobody really needs a Rolls Royce, but some people feel a need for exclusivity. Other companies go ever further and attempt excessive excess, like Dartz with its Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition armoured car (price tag: £1 million, or $1.65 million). It comes with tons of bling, such as ridiculously hyper-expensive vodka in a flask made out of pure gold, gold-plated windows, pure tungsten exhausts, and diamond-encrusted white gold speed gauges. Totally ridiculous, but I guess if you're some billionaire oligarch with no taste, it can work. Dartz seems to have gone a bit too far with the seats, though: They wanted to make them from whale penis leather (apparently it's very soft), and this drew protest from many environmental groups....
photo: Gabriel Legaré via flickr.
With all the focus on tropical forest conservation and the amount of carbon emissions resulting from its deforestation, are we overlooking protecting the massive amount of carbon stored in the world's boreal forests? That's the question asked in a new report, The Carbon the World Forgot [PDF] -- and consider it shows that boreal forests store on average twice as much carbon per area as do tropical forests, it's a question certainly worth asking:...
photo: Matt Rudge via flickr.
A couple weeks ago we learned that at present poaching rates Africa's elephants will all be extinct in just fifteen years. Well, here's so more on that: The wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC brings word that the illegal ivory trade has increased markedly in the latest analysis, and that organized crime networks linking Africa to Asia are behind it:...
[Image removed]
"Corporations are real weenies," he says. "They are scared to death of everything. My company exists, basically, to take those risks and prove that it's a good business." This is Yvon Chouinard, founder and CEO of Patagonia, the $ 270 million USD outdoor clothing talking to U.S. News who just included him in their 2009 list of America's 25 Best Leaders.
Yvon knows about risk. Both personal (climber, skier, white water paddler, surfer). And corporate. In 1972 Yvon told rockclimbers there was a more environmentally sound way to protect themselves on rock routes that didn't require bashing metal pitons in and out of the rock. At that time he was making his money selling pitons. ...
"There is no business to be done on a dead planet." This was the view of renowned mountaineer turned environmentalist David Brower (Executive Director of the Sierra Club and founder of both Friends of the Earth and the Earth Island Institute.) It is also the view of outdoor clothing and equipment industry. You need seasons of consistent rain, snow and ice, if you want to make a living selling rain jackets, hire skis, or make crampons.
So key mover-and-shakers in outdoor adventure industry, on both side of the Atlantic, are pulling up their merino wool socks to ensure sustainability becomes as much a part of doing business as sales, service and salaries....
Photo via A.M. Kuchling
In weird animal news, two sharks in an aquarium tank had a less than friendly encounter that had a happy ending. After being bitten in the abdomen by another shark, a pregnant school shark gives birth - in a rather involuntary way and in front of an audience of human aquarium visitors - to four pups who likely wouldn't have survived had the mother given birth naturally. Another four pups were found inside her when medical staff moved her for treatment. The odd thing is the bite essentially saved the pups' lives....
Image via: Ooms
Sooo, birdhouses these days are made from a variety of materials: plastic, recycled plastic, composite, wood, reclaimed wood, recycled milk jugs, you get the picture. And, oftentimes birdhouses today come with upgrades and new gadgets, like lids and mesh to keep squirrels out or special compartments for different food types, etc etc. But, to be honest, birds have gotten along for years without manmade birdhouses and mother nature has gotten along just fine for all of these years without the need for electricity and it seems she was better off without it. Thank you, climate change. So why would birds need solar power on their homes? Is it to power the saunas in their birdbaths? Are we going to have to start monitoring the carbon footprint of our winged friends as they too enter the modern, digital, electrified age? ...
Photo: Peking University and Tsinghua University
Is There Anything We CAN'T Do With Carbon Nanotubes?
Cleaning up toxic spills has always been a problem. It's hard, and it's expensive, and you have to be thorough. But things might have just got easier: Scientists from the Peking University and Tsinghua University have created a sponge like no other. It is made of carbon nanotubes - regular carbon atoms arranged in a specific cylindrical shape - and can absorb organic pollutants from the surface of water (such as oil and solvents) up to 180x its weight (!) without absorbing water (see video below to see how light it is). And once its full of toxic liquids, the best part is that you can just wring it and start again....
We'll be working on better category archives soon. In the meantime, take a look at the weekly archive if you really want to dig around, or use the search box at the top of the page.
on 11.23.09
Credit: 
Credit: 
photo: 
Haena Beach. Photo by 
100 Heartbeats book by Jeff Corwin. Image courtesy of 
photo: 
Photo: 
Photo by Adrian Cotter
Over the past two weeks, photographers of all abilities have been submitting entries to a new monthly contest on Sierra Club Trails. 
Photo: Animal Planet
Great Documentary Coming to Animal Planet
At the feet of the Kilimanjaro, about 1,200 elephants have been going through one of the worst drought that the savannah has seen in living memory. For those majestic animals, it is a struggle to stay alive, and to keep those around them safe. Echo: Queen of the Elephants is a new documentary ("Echo has been invaluable in teaching us about the social interactions, communication and leadership of elephants," says Moss. "But to those who have studied Echo for all these years--she is much more than a research subject. Echo is a powerful presence in our lives and the lives of her family. She's been a companion; she's given us joy and filled us with wonder on a daily basis, and for that, I will always be grateful." ) about a group of elephants led by their matriarch, Echo. It was filmed by some of the same people who made the acclaimed 
Photo via 
This is a list you don't want to be on. Unless, maybe, you're hoping for some government help.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is out with its annual list of proposed candidate species, or "
The Fresh Kills mound. Photo by 
Close up of a dead snail fish--its deeper-living relatives were caught on camera
A species of 
Photo: Dartz
A New Kind of Penis Car For Billionaire Oligarchs with No Taste
Some companies specialize in excess. Nobody really needs a Rolls Royce, but some people feel a need for exclusivity. Other companies go ever further and attempt excessive excess, like 
photo: 
photo: 
"There is no business to be done on a dead planet." This was the view of renowned mountaineer turned environmentalist 
Photo via 
Image via: 
Photo: Peking University and Tsinghua University
Is There Anything We CAN'T Do With Carbon Nanotubes?
Cleaning up toxic spills has always been a problem. It's hard, and it's expensive, and you have to be thorough. But things might have just got easier: Scientists from the Peking University and Tsinghua University have created a sponge like no other. It is made of carbon nanotubes - regular carbon atoms arranged in a specific cylindrical shape - and can absorb organic pollutants from the surface of water (such as oil and solvents) up to 180x its weight (!) without absorbing water (see video below to see how light it is). And once its full of toxic liquids, the best part is that you can just wring it and start again....
