Defender of the Seas

Captain Paul Watson Travels the World to Challenge Illegal Whaling and Fishing, and Whale Wars Captures the Action

A few years ago, National Geographic Traveler ranked Denmark’s Faroe Islands first among unspoiled island destinations. The landscape there is breathtakingly dramatic—impossibly sheer…

Areas in red are threatened by sea-level rise

Disappearing Coastlines   

The Impacts of Climate Change Are Already Being Felt by Coastal Communities Across the World

Sea-level rise may be the most tangible aspect of climate change, something we can immediately see and document. Water expands as it warms, contributing to rising seas, and melting glaciers…

Warm Wishes   

Arm Warmers, Fleece Zip-Ups, iPad Sleeves and More

ARM CANDY

Signs that you may need arm warmers: You live somewhere that is currently cold and: a) you are always texting, browsing or playing games on a handheld device; b) you walk a…

Cap and Trade Comes to California   

Passing the Nation’s First Cap-and-Trade Regulations

Eight members of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously approved the nation’s first state-governed cap-and-trade regulations. The milestone decision, which will create market…

Slice of Life: Connected   

Protesters Call on Obama to Stop the Keystone Pipeline

On November 6, 2011, 12,000 protesters called on President Obama to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by forming a circle around the White House. Four days later, Obama announced that…

Closing off the Carp   

Green Groups Say Urgent Action Needed to Prevent Carp in the Great Lakes

Asian carp are still a looming threat to the Great Lakes, even if the fish are no longer generating headlines. Now, Friends of the Earth Canada has joined five U.S. states—Michigan,…

The Problem With Palm Oil

With the Rise in Palm Oil Comes Massive Deforestation

Palm oil is hidden inside a range of packaged foods, body care and cleaning products under names like palmitate, sodium lauryl sulphate and stearic acid—even in presumably healthy foods like…

Whale Watcher

There are few people who approach life with the singular conviction of Paul Watson. His life’s mission is no less than to rescue the endangered creatures of the sea from those who would do…

Thinking Inside The Box   

The Inspired GiveBox Makes Its Debut

An idea that came to life in the summer of 2011 in Berlin called the Givebox is now springing up in other cities and countries. The Givebox is much like a large, furnished closet: Anyone can…

How Green Is That ... Ice Melt?

Pet- and People-Friendly Alternatives to Road and Sidewalk Salt

Nearly 20 million tons, or one million truckloads worth, of salt is deposited on America’s roadways each winter. This road salt raises salinity and reduces oxygen levels in local water, and…

Belle Terre

Etsy Gets Earthy   

One Group of Etsy Merchants Are Promoting All Things Green

Popular online retailer Etsy is “the place to buy and sell all things handmade and vintage,” and, lately, all things earth-friendly, too. This can be credited in part to the 56 merchants…

A boy checks out one of Woodstock Farm’s rescued goats in upsate New York.

Urban Homesteading’s Dark Side

The Trend in Backyard Chickens and Goats has Left Rescues Overrun with Abandoned Livestock

Wayne Geiger fields up to 10 calls per week about hens and roosters in need of new homes. When Geiger founded Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary in 2002, most of the calls he received involved horses,…

Diesel exhaust is a major source of black carbon.

Black Carbon’s Big Impacts   

Pollution from Diesel Exhaust and Cookstoves Is Driving Up Global Warming Rates

For years, efforts to study and reduce the impacts of climate change have focused on one very specific gas—carbon dioxide (CO2). But when it comes to global warming, other gases and…

The mauve stinger

The Great Jellyfish Invasion   

Jellyfish, a prominent feature of ancient oceans, have weathered multiple mass extinctions and date back at least 500 million years. Their populations were kept in check by fish, which eat…

A radiant heat wall panel from Runtal.

Radiant Heating Comes of Age   

It’s Pricey but Efficient ... and Very Cozy

Dig three or four feet into the ground and the earth is a constantly temperate place. Beneath that upper layer, it’s a dependable 54 degrees, give or take, making geothermal systems for…

E ’s Green Home Picks: Setting the Mood   

From Ambient Lighting to Layering to Plastic-Free Pops

Mood Lighting

There is indeed something delightful about the Yup DeLight Pebble ($69.99), an egg-shaped LED light that’s weather resistant for outdoor use, offers eight primary colors and…

Kristen Bell as TV reporter Jill Gerard.

Whale Connections   

Kristen Bell in the Movie Big Miracle

In 1988, three gray whales were found trapped in ice in Barrow, Alaska, and became a worldwide media sensation. Hundreds of rescuers flocked to the scene, a Soviet icebreaker was sent to…

What’s In Season?

Approaching Food from a Seasonal Perspective Opens New Worlds of Health and Taste

Once upon a time the seasons formed a natural setting for what was eaten. Spring welcomed fresh, green growth. Birds laid eggs. Tender stalks of asparagus burst from the ground. It was a time…

Electric Revolution   

A review of High Voltage: The Fast Track to Plug In the Auto Industry by Jim Motavalli

Jim Motavalli (the former editor of E), gets inside the green car revolution in his latest book High Voltage: The Fast Track to Plug In the Auto Industry (Rodale). Even if you aren’t a car…

Global Warming, Digested

A review of Generation Us: The Challenge of Global Warming by Andrew Weaver, Ph.D.

Whether you’re a teacher, parent, writer, or curious individual, an easy-to-digest guide to global warming can be handy to have around. Generation Us: The Challenge of Global Warming (Raven…

Finding Water

A review of Wine to Water: A Bartender’s Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World by Doc Hendley

“What the hell is a guy like me doing in the Sudanese desert, getting shot at in the middle of the largest humanitarian crisis of our lifetime?” asks Doc Hendley in Wine to Water: A…

The original Keystone pipeline sprung 14 leaks in its first year of operation.

By the Numbers: Pipe Dreams   

TransCanada’s Inflated Job Numbers

119,000. That’s the number of jobs in person-years—one person working full time for one year—that will be created by TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline according to a study…

Cancer survivors brave Idaho’s River of No Return.

Adventures in Healing   

Turning to the Rapids to Combat Cancer

The roiling river flows over my head flooding my nose and mouth. My life jacket holds me up, but I can’t take a breath. Above me, the flipped paddle raft makes a gray roof blocking the…

Young people with the Student Conservation Association clearing brush in California.

Where the Green Jobs Are   

Hint: They Aren’t In Wind and Solar

Newsflash: The job market stinks. Even people with two or three advanced degrees are having trouble finding work in their chosen fields. So if you’re a young person with the goal of moving…

Flickr Wardrobe Swap Shop

Swap ‘Til You Drop   

Online Sites Make Swapping and Sharing Easier Than Ever

Thanks to the ease of exchanging treasures, clothing, books, games and other items online, swapping is back in fashion. And the environmental benefits of keeping still-usable goods out of the…

The Banyan Resort

From Key West, With Care   

At the Banyan Resort, a Green Ethos Prevails

The Banyan Resort in Key West, Florida, is the first lodging establishment in the Keys to earn Green Lodging certification. In other words, the resort has been recognized by Florida’s…