Latest Articles

'Solar highways' transform our crumbling infrastructure into something useful

Okay, we know YOU ride your bike everywhere. But the country’s 4 million miles of roads, and 50,000 miles of interstate highway, probably aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Isn’t there anything productive we can do with this giant car playground? Well, we can cover it with solar photovoltaic panels, so it’s at least providing some energy.

Toilet 2.0 will turn waste into energy, fertilizer, and clean water

Think poop is funny? Well, it’s DEADLY SERIOUS. Here are the unsavory facts about poor sanitation infrastructure, according to the Gates Foundation: 2.6 billion lack access to safe toilets. Food and water that's come in contact with waste leads to 2.5 billion cases of diarrhea in children each year, and 1.5 million of them die as a result. People with diseases connected to poor sanitation fill half of the hospital beds in the developing world. So the Gates Foundation is trying to polish this turd by developing the next generation of toilet.

If you watch the video above (which you should! It's funny!), you'll find that the Gates Foundation is taking a cheeky approach to publicizing its new campaign to design "Toilet 2.0."

Erasing hate speech from public spaces [VIDEO]

One 66-year-old German woman has made it her mission to remove and obliterate neo-Nazi, homophobic, and racist graffiti. Watch "The Hate Destroyer" in action.

Critical List: Captain Planet movie in the works; the U.N. considering climate peacekeeping force

The producer of Transformers is backing a live-action Captain Planet movie, which will teach children about environmentalism and green mullets and the periodic table of elements (earth, air, fire, water, and heart!). Next can we do a live-action G.I. Joe Knowing is Half the Battle movie? Because it will be just as fun.

Climate change could lead to conflicts so contentious the U.N. might need a separate peacekeeping force to deal with them.

Banks inflate solar value for tax credit

Solar leasing has broadened participation in the distributed generation revolution. Unfortunately, this revolution has been co-opted by high finance.

Secondhand style: Do used undies cross the line?

My first thrift store ensemble is a huge hit, and prompts a lively chat about used underwear. Plus, I still need sneakers.

Would the FDA let raw milk politics influence its food safety alerts?

The suspicious timing of a press release about tainted raw milk suggests the FDA hypes concerns over this product more than others.

Free birth control? We're getting closer … [UPDATE: We're there!]

Women will no longer have to make co-pays on birth control, the Obama administration announced on Aug. 1.

More coal in the U.S. means more pollution for China

A new report says U.S. coal exports mean more pollution in China.

Could Murdoch's News Corp be behind Climategate too?

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation should be considered a suspect in climategate, the hacking of climate scientists' e-mail accounts back in 2009.