City-dwellers often complain about pigeons, calling them “rats with wings” and condemning them as noisy, messy, disease-carrying feces machines. But they’re really pretty benign. Much of the problem is that pigeons aren’t afraid to colonize areas that people think of as theirs. So can we really justify the usual methods of pigeon control: trapping, shooting or poisoning? Erick Wolf, CEO of Innolytics, thinks not. For 15 […]
Teresa Bergen
92 posts
If the high price tag is all that stands between you and your dream Tesla, you might be able to afford one in a few years. Panasonic is working on making new, cobalt-free batteries that will bring down costs and make Tesla vehicles more environmentally friendly. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos “Two or three years from now, we will be able to introduce a cobalt-free, high […]
Seven years after the infamous Flint, Michigan water crisis, former governor Rick Snyder was charged Wednesday for his part in the environmental disaster. If Snyder is found guilty of two counts of willful neglect of duty, he could be fined up to $1,000 and spend up to a year in prison. Eight other former members of Snyder’s administration have also been charged. Continue reading below Our […]
The European bison’s population has increased sufficiently for it to be removed from IUCN’s list of vulnerable species. Thanks to long-term conservation work, the population has increased to more than 6,200, up from a 2003 figure of only 1,800. Rather than vulnerable, the European bison is now classified as “almost threatened.” Continue reading below Our Featured Videos Romania is the place to be if you’re a […]
Manatees resemble half-ton potatoes, but researchers can tell them apart. According to Patrick Rose, aquatic biologist and executive director for Save the Manatee Club, most adult manatees have unique scars from accidents like boat strikes. But one manatee stands out more than the rest. This week, viral videos showed a West Indian manatee with “Trump” scraped into its back. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos The […]
The U.K. government is reversing a ban on a dangerous pesticide. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and British Sugar lobbied hard to get a product containing neonicotinoid thiamethoxam sanctioned for emergency use on sugar beets. Not only is this chemical thought to kill bees, but rainwater will wash it from fields into rivers. Last we heard, fish weren’t requesting neonicotinoid thiamethoxam any more than were insects, […]
If you’re already vegan — or you love Veganuary so much you decide come February to move to a more veg-friendly locale — here are the top places in the country and the world to live. Every year, the website Chef’s Pencil uses Google search statistics to rank the best cities and countries in the world for vegans. The site, which covers industry trends and news […]
If you think that investing in solar panels and a sustainable wardrobe instead of fast fashion are expensive, take a look at how climate change is escalating the cost of repairing disasters. The U.S. spent $95 billion on fixing damage caused by natural disasters last year, which was almost twice the 2019 costs. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos These figures come from Munich Re, a […]
People have turned toward outdoor exercise as a way to keep fit, lift spirits and fight the monotony of a pandemic. Now, new and veteran outdoor athletes have something exciting to train for: the cross-country Great American Rail-Trail, which will one day let people bike or hike from Washington state to Washington, D.C. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos The Great American Rail Trail is a […]
While some folks swear by packaging-free underarm crystals to soak up their smells, many feel they need a stronger chemical solution in the form of a name brand deodorant. So for those folks who are both eco-conscious and smell-conscious, Dove is introducing a new refillable deodorant. The beauty giant partnered with global campaigners A Plastic Planet to design a stylish, ergonomic container that will save 300 […]
Not everybody has an ALDI store in their neighborhood, but those who do rave about the Illinois-based grocery chain with more than 2,000 outlets in 36 states. One draw shoppers enjoy is the increasing number of suitable ALDI vegan food products. “We want all shoppers to enjoy the foods they want at affordable prices, regardless of their dietary needs or lifestyle,” said an ALDI spokesperson. “We are constantly evolving our […]
People come from all over the world to see Bali’s famous white sand beaches. But lately, you can’t see the sand underneath the tons of plastic waste washing ashore. And it’s getting worse. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos Coastlines around the world are groaning under the weight of plastic trash. “It’s not new and it’s not surprising and it happens every year, and it’s been […]
Off the coast of Tofino, British Columbia, floats a forested, eco-fairyland of greenhouses, ramps, towers and small buildings, most of them painted fuchsia and teal. It’s the innovative and whimsical off-grid project of two artists, Catherine King and Wayne Adams. King and Adams began constructing Freedom Cove in 1992. They did most of the work themselves, building four greenhouses, an art gallery, dance floor (adorned with […]
The January 5 Senate runoff in Georgia pits two very different candidates against each other. There’s incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler, a pro-Trump business executive. Then there’s Raphael Warnock, a Democrat and senior pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, which has been part of a growing trend of Black churches pushing for environmental justice. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos Loeffler has warned that Warnock will turn […]
Are you already recycling? Carrying around a refillable water bottle rather than contributing to the ocean-bound plastic problem? Composting your food scraps? That’s all commendable, but there’s more to be done to achieve a net-zero lifestyle. If you’re ready to up your environmental commitment this year (and hold larger entities accountable along the way), here are a few ideas — some more dramatic than others — […]
Honduran environmental hero Félix Vásquez was murdered on December 26 for his brave work defending the land. Vásquez, 60, a long-time leader of the indigenous Lenca people, was shot at his home in front of his family. He lived in the rural community of Santiago de Puringla in western Honduras. Four assailants also beat his adult children who were present, but they survived. Continue reading below Our Featured […]
Activist Matt Johnson won great acclaim from animal rights supporters by pulling off a neat trick: fooling Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo into interviewing him as Dennis Organ, the new CEO of Smithfield Foods, on her show last Wednesday. The prank went on for six minutes before Bartiromo caught on that something was gravely amiss. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos Unfortunately, those who want to watch the […]
As we scramble around gathering up last-minute Christmas gifts, we often worry more about hurting somebody’s feelings if we don’t get them something compared to how much we consider that gift’s impact on the environment. But the societal pressure of all this gift-giving has many bad consequences for the planet. The top 10 types of Christmas gifts given in the U.K., in order, are: clothes and […]
Not everybody loves extremely windy days. But if you’re trying to generate more power via wind farms, there’s nothing like a blustery day in the winter. Last Friday, the wintry weather set a record in Britain as more than 40% of that day’s electricity was generated on wind farms. The 17.3 gigawatts (GW) generated by wind turbines just beat the former record, which was set in […]
A $35 billion investment in clean power and other climate initiatives hitched a ride on the latest COVID-19 relief package. Backed by Senate Republicans as well as Democrats, the legislation will be the first significant climate change law in more than a decade — if it gets past President Trump’s desk this week. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos “This agreement protects both American consumers and […]
McDonald’s is one of a growing number of businesses that are installing cameras in dumpsters to give more intel on their waste streams. This data can help each company recycle more efficiently and save money. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos The idea to place cameras inside dumpsters to track waste comes from Jason Gates, CEO of the San Francisco-based start-up Compology. Since 2013, Compology has […]
It’s hard to imagine everybody making the necessary sacrifices for the U.S. to be carbon-neutral in 30 years, even if it does mean the difference between an inhabitable or uninhabitable planet. But an optimistic new study from Princeton claims that yes, it is possible. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos The 345-page Princeton University report, published last Tuesday, explains several ways that the U.S. could attain […]
As president-elect Joe Biden continues to pick his Cabinet and agency heads, eco-conscious Americans watch to see what his choices will mean for the climate crisis. So far, it looks like Biden is surrounding himself with a strong climate team consistent with his top priority of quickly reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos On Wednesday, Biden named former South Bend, Indiana […]
More than 3,000 Americans died of COVID-19 on December 15 alone. But instead of focusing on the public health crisis that is killing citizens and ruining their livelihoods, President Trump’s administration was busy getting in a few more digs at wildlife before leaving office. So on Monday, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service finalized a change in the Endangered Species Act which will push many species […]
A 9-year-old girl who died of acute respiratory failure is at the center of a landmark London case on air pollution. Coroner Philip Barlow ruled that failure to keep air pollution below legal limits was one of the causes of Ella Kissi-Debrah’s death in 2013. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos Kissi-Debrah lived in Lewisham, a part of London where nitrogen dioxide emissions exceed both national […]
It’s the birthright of every generation to rebel against its forebears. So how can young people today define themselves as different from their phone-obsessed, digital-native parents? By donning Little House on the Prairie dresses, baking pies and cavorting with fairies. The cottagecore aesthetic has become popular with Gen Z, but what many don’t realize is how this trend actually finds its roots in sustainability. According to […]
A French judge has sentenced a pond full of frogs to capital punishment. Their crime? Being too noisy. The judge decreed the pond must be drained within 90 days. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos The legal battle over the frogs of Grignols, a village (population: 587) in the Dordogne area of southern France, has a long history. The frogs live in the backyard pond of […]
President-elect Joe Biden is making it clear that he won’t be fooling around regarding climate change. He has pledged to rejoin the Paris Agreement on his first day in office and to hold a global climate summit within the first 100 days. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos Last week, 75 countries met in a virtual Climate Ambition Summit co-hosted by the UN, France and the […]
As the need for safe outdoor space is more pressing than ever, the Bradley Plaza Green Alley project has opened a new community park in an old industrial neighborhood of Los Angeles. What was once an alley surrounded by factories in Pacoima is now a vibrant space that features shade trees, ADA-accessible amenities and a stormwater management system. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos Project partners […]
TikTokers aren’t just young, fashionable and good at lip-synching and skits. More and more users of the social media platform are on a campaign to save the world. Originally called music.ly and used for sharing user-generated music videos, the platform is now popular with people sharing sustainability tips, promoting veganism and talking about their concerns for the future of the planet. TikTok now has about 850 […]
The latest IUCN Red List has declared 31 more species extinct, and about 30% of plant and animal species on the Red List are at risk of extinction. While much of the news is grim, there were a few bright spots, with several species showing signs of recovery for their populations. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos The International Union for Conservation of Nature regularly updates […]
Like an evil troll throwing a curse over its shoulder before being banished from the kingdom, President Donald Trump’s EPA finalized a rule that could make it harder for Biden to address pollution and climate change. Continue reading below Our Featured Videos EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, announced the new rule. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that future rulemakings under […]
You grew up with them and have probably known them your whole life. So why are some siblings so hard to shop for? We’ve scoured the internet for fun, thoughtful and sustainable gifts which even the most discerning sib will be thrilled to receive. Zero-waste cocktail kit This zero-waste cocktail kit lets your siblings stir up a gimlet or French 75 anywhere. The mason jar cocktail shaker, two stainless steel mini straws […]