Can Lake Turkana Be Saved?
Sean Avery is a man on a mission. The Kenya-based hydrologist and civil engineer is the leading authority on the hydrological workings of Lake Turkana, the world's largest desert lake, and he's...
View ArticleThe Holiday Gift Puppy
Last week, I wrote about holidays from your dog's perspective. Frantic activity, changing schedules, trees, candle, bows, parties, music... Yikes! All that happy, but stressful, human chaos can create...
View ArticleIt's On: Oil Versus Electric
Something suspicious is going on in the media coverage of car fires this year. Three Tesla Model S cars caught on fire this year, all due to high-speed impacts. Not a single person was hurt. By...
View ArticleLies Our High School Science Teachers Told Us
Click here to watch the TEDTalk that inspired this post. I'm not a scientist, but as someone whose life is all about the animals, I found Dr. Herzing's TED talk ("Could we speak the language of...
View ArticleDecoding Dolphin Talk: Are We Smart Enough?
Click here to watch the TEDTalk that inspired this post. We humans have wanted to be able to "talk" to dolphins for as long as anyone can remember. They beguile us with their intelligence, curiosity,...
View ArticleThe Dirty Little Secret About Human Intelligence
Click here to watch the TEDTalk that inspired this post. We are rightly fascinated with dolphins. They have the good fortune of being cute, friendly, curious and comical, graceful, powerful and highly...
View ArticleMeatless Monday: Hero With a Thousand Faces
Just in time for Christmas, a story to share while snuggling around the fire (or space heater). Once upon a time, a beloved, wealthy young man walked away from his family, away from his riches, away...
View ArticleWhen Parking Garages Go Green, The Results Are Stunning
For many, the thought of a parking garage conjures no more than the vision of endlessly winding one's car up through a towering blight on the urban skyline. While it's true that most garages don't...
View ArticleLooking Back On 2013: Activism Helps Heal
As we enter into the final month of the year, it's natural to take an inventory of 2013. As I reflected on the environmental front, the nagging image of climate deniers immediately came to mind. There...
View ArticleChina Can Clean Its Air
On December 14, 2013, China became the first nation in 37 years to make a soft landing of a spacecraft on the moon. Its unmanned Jade Rabbit lunar rover is now very busy exploring the surface of the...
View ArticleA Computer Scientist's Unexpected Run-In With... a Shark
Click here to watch the TEDTalk that inspired this post. "SHARK," yelled John as he dove into the water. Looking out, I saw our 200 feet of tow line with two of the world's leading researchers in...
View ArticleOur Furniture's Dirty Secret: Illegal Land Grabs and Logging Are Robbing...
Sad but true: the mahogany desk in your study or the merbau flooring in your living room probably came from illegal timber logged on tropical lands. It's a dirty trade that's been happening for...
View ArticleBeautiful Above, and Below, the Surface: Cleaning up Our Nation's Waterways
Picture your favorite waterway, river, lake or stream. Maybe it's the fishing hole you and your grandfather went to every summer for a camping trip. Or maybe it's the stream in the park behind your...
View ArticleLiz Sidoti, Associated Press Political Editor, Joins BP
Associated Press national political editor Liz Sidoti is leaving the news organization to become US head of communications for BP, according to a memo obtained by The Huffington Post. Given that the AP...
View ArticleBlackfish Backlash Continues
The other day, classic rock band REO Speedwagon joined a growing list of musical acts that pulled-out of an upcoming concert series at SeaWorld in Orlando. The bands are protesting the theme park's...
View Article12 Easy Resolutions for a Healthier Home
Looking for an easy New Year's Resolution that can really make a difference? Here are 12! 1. Just say no to paper -- and plastic -- and BYOB. The average American tosses more than 300 plastic bags each...
View ArticleJohn Podesta Takes up the Reins On the White House Energy and Climate Initiative
While many in Washington are focused on the miracle of actually seeing Republicans and Democrats mostly coming together on a budget deal, the big news in the energy and environment space is the return...
View ArticleHarshing Your Mellow
Before we get all warm and fuzzy about the fact that the FDA is making a public display of ratcheting down antibiotic use in livestock agriculture, a reality check is in order. Yes, it's official:...
View ArticleIt's Time to Shine a Light on Dark Money
It's easy to see the effects of big corporations on our environment in places like Ohio and North Dakota, where fracking is spoiling farmland, or Arkansas, where the Mayflower oil spill is still...
View ArticleFactory Farms of the Future: Part II
Part I of this article discussed two important trends affecting animal agriculture: multi-story facilities and farms managed by phone. This part discusses two more trends affecting animal agriculture:...
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