Latest Articles

HEAT stroke: House energy action plan reads like a bad April Fools’ joke

With its latest energy action plan basically a how-to for warming the planet, the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) lives up to its name. We wish it were still April 1.

If a tree falls in the city, does it do anyone any good?

Many, if not most, trees planted in cities are dead within five years. A new generation of urban tree stewards is helping to keep them alive long after the planting has past.

How butterflies are teaching scientists about better renewable fuels

What do the latest hydrogen fuel production technology and your tramp stamp have in common? They both take inspiration from butterfly wings.

Three questions about energy for Maggie Koerth-Baker

The author of the refreshingly pragmatic "Before the Lights Go Out" talks about finding common ground with climate deniers, the value of individual action in fixing a broken energy system, and the price of gas.

Only system-wide change can cure our climate hangover

"You could beat your own lifestyle into submission with a 10-foot club -- you could do more to save the planet than almost anyone is willing to voluntarily do -- and it still wouldn’t be enough. This isn’t about you, and it isn’t about me. It's about the systems that we share." Read an excerpt from Maggie Koerth-Baker's new book, "Before the Lights Go Out."

Biodegradable slippers are the new creepy toe shoes (we hope)

I’m pretty sure this is the ultimate eco-product: a biodegradable shoe modeled after the Amazonian practice of painting resin onto one’s feet to protect them. Should you invest in these lovelies? Let us examine the advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: You can dispose of them in a compost bin. (Pre-shredding required.) You can get rid of […]

Indian man single-handedly plants hundreds of acres of forest

In the northern Indian province of Assam, there's a forest named after one man — not a politician, or a historical hero, but a guy who lives there today. It's named after him because he planted most of its 1,360 acres.

More power for women means less climate pollution, study suggests

Here's another indication that women are greener than men: In nations where women’s status is higher, CO2 emissions are lower, according to a new study.

Why you should be glad there are bugs in your Frappuccino

Okay, yes, everybody — especially vegans, corporation-haters, and bloggers who like writing about gross things you just put in your mouth — got a little excited over the news that Starbucks’ Strawberries & Creme Frappuccino derives its red color from crushed bugs. But here’s what you didn’t know: That’s actually a good thing.

If fossil fuel subsidies were distributed to every person, we’d each get $58/year

Every year fossil fuels get six times as much money in subsidies from the U.S. government -- i.e. you, the taxpayer -- than renewable energy.