Latest Articles

Study finds people in walkable communities are happier

Living in a place where you can get where you need to go on foot can put a spring in your step.

Family-friendly Detroit. Yes, you heard that right

It's safe to say that Detroit hasn't topped any recent "best places to raise a family" lists. And yet there are a surprising number of people who are choosing to raise their children there. Some are transplants, some are visionaries, and many are fiercely loyal natives.

Spirit of working together rules the day in Cancun climate talks: Let's hope it continues

The international climate agreement reached in Cancun, Mexico established a foundation from which to build greater international action on global warming.  But a key sub-story is also the spirit that countries brought to Cancun.  Countries came to Cancun, with a desire to work together and find common ground on the greatest challenge that faces humanity […]

As Congress tells schools to raise lunch prices, some worry kids will go hungry

President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law today, to the cheers of many. But one provision in the bill -- to raise school meal prices for the non-needy -- has some critics worried about the health of the school lunch program.

Kristianstad + Cancun = A New Economy

Nearly 200 nations made modest advances in Cancun, Mexico last week towards a new agreement on tackling carbon pollution and modernizing global economies. The incremental progress obscures a bigger question – – can any set of goals, policies, or technologies wean the world off of fossil fuels before the cheap ones run out or before […]

'Tis the season to play sugar-plum fairy

If you've been more naughty than nice this year -- or if you're just not feeling the "shop-til-you-drop" spirit -- doing others some good might put you back in a holiday mood.

Ask Umbra on surprising last-minute holiday gifts sure to cause a smile

A frenzied reader asks Umbra for last-minute, memorable and sustainable gift ideas. Read this and start checking off the naughty and nice on your list

The Cancun compromise

The consensus reached at 3:00 a.m. last Saturday to forge the “Cancun Agreements” was a critical step forward in forging an effective global compact to fight global warming. It was the best possible outcome from a meeting that was often teetering on the edge of disaster. Nonetheless, these agreements will not solve the problem, and some of the hardest issues in forging a climate treaty are still waiting to be addressed.

The Cancun compacts: Nations of world choose hope in face of climate crisis

“Confidence is back,” announced Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon at the conclusion of climate talks in Cancun at 3:00 a.m. “Hope has returned.” Restoring hopes crushed by the collapse last year of Copenhagen’s climate negotiations, the nations of the world have rediscovered consensus on addressing global warming pollution tonight in Cancun.

Cancun agreements: A foundation from which to build greater international action on global warming

The Cancun Agreements are a detailed set of visionary yet pragmatic principles that make important strides to begin implementing the agreement reached in Copenhagen last year. The countries gathered in Cancun made progress on emissions reductions, greater transparency, forest preservation, and the creation of the green fund to help mobilize much needed investments throughout the world.