Latest Articles

It’s even in gum!: Tips on avoiding plastic from expert Beth Terry

Author Beth Terry talks about plastic-free living, why the proposed alternatives to BPA might be worse, and the connection between cutting out plastic and building a local economy.

Here’s just how filthy that beach water is

the NRDC's annual "Testing the Waters" report should make your July 4th holiday a bit nerve-wracking.

This 1933 video of the last living thylacine is a haunting look at a now-extinct species

We tend to think of extinct species as creatures from the distant past, whose habits and physiology we can only guess at from fossil evidence. But that doesn’t take into account how relentless humans are about wiping out entire categories of animal! We’ve definitely deep-sixed a few since the invention of video, meaning that we […]

Sidecar lets drivers rent out their empty backseat

In theory, Sidecar is about sharing. Here’s how it’s supposed to work: You’re headed downtown in your car, but before you leave you check your Sidecar app. A user a few blocks down is looking for a ride in the same direction. You swing by, pick her up, and drop her off. Everyone wins by […]

Mayor Bloomberg uses a full-sized room A/C unit to cool his SUV

It really would be interesting to find out what moral calculus goes into Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s environmental decisions. It must go something like “I’m a big city mayor, working hard to draw down emissions on a municipal scale. Therefore, it is 100 percent justifiable that in my personal life, I fly regularly to the Bahamas […]

Magical tree tunnel was carved out by a train

In Klevan, Ukraine, this two-mile long tunnel of trees was formed when the vegetation grew around the path of a regularly passing train. Locals calls this beautiful and romantic place the Tunnel of Love. Even without the green, leafy border, it’s haunting.

Supremes’ Obamacare ruling: What me worry? Why we worry

The fate of healthcare reform will shape the fate of every other effort we're going to need to make to deal with climate change and fix our collective future.

Rio hangover: 50,000 people rallied for the Earth Summit. Did it do any good?

We came, we saw, we spent hours and hours stuck in Rio’s mythic traffic jams. Here's what we have to show for it.

Why Congress must investigate the wasteful Solyndra investigation

If we're investigating every non-fruitful use of taxpayer money, then we must at once investigate the Solyndra investigation! To the Investigateocycle!

Two Views of Our Future

No previous civilization has survived the ongoing destruction of its natural supports. Nor will ours. Yet economists look at the future through a different lens. Relying heavily on economic data to measure progress, they see the near 10-fold growth in the world economy since 1950 and the associated gains in living standards as the crowning […]