May 3rd, 2013 at 8:00AM: When China set out to conduct its First National Census of Water, government officials expected to get a better understanding of the country's rivers and other aquatic resources. But the results of that census have left some environmentalists wondering what happened to all of China's waterways and if there is a looming water crisis for the world's most populous nation.
Prior to conducting the ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
environment posts
How Did China Misplace 27000 Rivers?
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:00AM: When China set out to conduct its First National Census of Water, government officials expected to get a better understanding of the country's rivers and other aquatic resources. But the results of that census have left some environmentalists wondering what happened to all of China's waterways and if there is a looming water crisis for the world's most populous nation.
Prior to conducting the ...Leatherback Turtle Nesting Ground Protected In Puerto Rico
Apr 14th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
Puerto Rico has just declared 5.4 square miles of coastline as protected land in order to preserve a leatherback turtle nesting ground, BBC reports.
The Northeast Ecological Corridor has been a battleground between conservation groups and big business for 15 years. The choice was basically between two ideas: "Hey, look at this beautiful natural wonder; let's preserve it for low-impact ...Climate Change May Fuel Future Travel Options
Apr 2nd, 2013 at 5:00PM: Climate change is a topic that many of us think is something that will affect future generations, perhaps hundreds of years from now. But what if we look at it from a different viewpoint?
What if we could travel back in time 17 million years to when the Grand Canyon was just forming? Would we have believed that the national monument, now nearly a mile deep in places, would some day be a major ...5 Super Easy Ways To Travel Sustainably
Jan 30th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
The idea of traveling sustainably appeals to a lot of us, and yet most of us still don't do it. It's not that we don't care enough about the environment ... but it's just that once we start thinking about calculating carbon emissions, or buying offsets, the whole concept suddenly seems so complicated.
The thing is, being an eco-conscious traveler doesn't have to be hard. In fact, some of ...5 Places To See In 2013 Before They Disappear
Jan 11th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
If you've been thinking about where you might want to spend your vacation this year, don't make any plans until you've read this list.
There are a lot of places and sights in the world that might not be around very much longer. Climate change, rising sea levels, human destruction and even shoddy artistry are to blame for the deterioration of some of the world's treasures. Want to see them ...Culture Shock In Green California, Where Even Homeless People Drink Craft Beer
Dec 5th, 2012 at 9:00AM: I live in a very left-leaning community just outside of Chicago, a city that would sooner elect a Martian than a Republican to office. But even though I'm accustomed to mingling with people who listen to NPR's "Car Talk" in order to feel like honorary members of the proletariat and cast stink eyes at people who fail to bring their own bags to Whole Foods, traveling to California, the state that ...Retreating Italian Glacier Reveals Dead From World War I
Oct 2nd, 2012 at 1:00PM: Two soldiers' bodies from World War I have been discovered on an Italian mountain, the Telegraph reports.
Workers on the Presena glacier in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of the Dolomites in Italy found the bodies at an altitude of 9,850 feet. The glacier has been receding because of an unusually hot summer and the workers were covering it with a giant tarpaulin to keep it from thawing further. ...World Tourism Day Promotes Energy Awareness With Photo Contest
Sep 23rd, 2012 at 11:00AM:
World Tourism Day is coming up on September 27 and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) hopes to raise awareness about the role of tourism within the international community. Showing how tourism affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide, this year's theme puts a spotlight on the role of tourism in a brighter energy future.
If the United Nations has ...Snowkiting Harmful To Reindeer, Scientists Say
Sep 20th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
Snowkiting is becoming big in Norway. At first glance it looks like some extreme fun in harmony with nature. After all, you're just zipping across the snow while being dragged by a kite. It looks environmentally friendly.
Not true, says a new scientific study. The BBC reports that Norwegian scientists have discovered the kites spook reindeer and may have a negative impact on their population. ...
Scottish Wildcat May Go Extinct Within Months
Sep 14th, 2012 at 4:01PM:
A new survey by the Scottish Wildcat Association of the endangered Scottish wildcat has revealed only about 35 purebred individuals, prompting the group to announce the cat may go extinct within months, the BBC reports.
It was previously thought that their population numbered about 400. Another survey, funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and published last month, estimated about 150 breeding ...Leatherback Turtle Eggs Destroyed In Trinidad
Jul 10th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
Construction workers moving sand on Grande Riviere beach in Trinidad have accidentally crushed a large number of leatherback turtle eggs. The workers used bulldozers to redirect a river that was eroding the beach, popular with tourists who like to see the turtles hatch.
BBC reports that 20,000 leatherback turtle eggs were destroyed, while Trinidad Express Newspapers quotes Environmental ...How To Travel Plastic-Free
May 14th, 2012 at 12:00PM: While we've written about how to have a more eco-friendly vacation, there is a growing travel trend of vacationing plastic-free. For example, backpackers Polythene Pam and Village Boy, who write for the site Plastic is Rubbish, focus on eliminating plastic from their lives completely.
"Plastic lasts forever and we are using it to make one use, throwaway items," the duo say on their site. "We ...Give Back While Traveling With These Voluntourism Hotel Packages And Programs
Apr 28th, 2012 at 4:00PM: Just because Earth Day has passed doesn't mean we should stop doing our part. In the spirit of goodwill, these hotels are offering voluntourism packages and programs for guests.
Limelight Hotel
Aspen, Colorado
Throughout the summer, the Limelight Hotel is helping guests get their hands dirty and help the environment. In partnership with the Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, guests will be ...Five Things You Can Do On Earth Day To Save Natural Resources
Apr 21st, 2012 at 3:00PM: Earth Day is upon us, and even if you're not planning to celebrate our planet's making it through another year (what global warming?), there are still some simple measures you can take to show your gratitude. Love your Mother, you know?
Whether you're on the road or at home, the following are smart rules to implement every day of the year:
Do laundry at night, after peak electricity usage ...How Are You Celebrating Earth Day?
Apr 21st, 2012 at 8:00AM: Today is Earth Day, an annual event that is meant to remind us of how fragile our planet's natural environment is and the importance of protecting it. All across the globe millions of people are taking part in events designed to celebrate this amazing rock we call home, while simultaneously looking for ways to preserve it for the generations that will follow.
At the heart of this year's Earth ...English wildlife and nature to get more protection
Mar 1st, 2012 at 9:00AM:
I've said it before and I'll say it again--on a good day there's no country more beautiful than England. Fans of hiking, nature, and wildlife have a real treat with England's wild places, and those places just got a boost to the tune of £7.5 million ($12 million) in additional funding.
The government has selected twelve Nature Improvement Areas where nature will be protected and ...America's baddest badlands
Jan 17th, 2012 at 10:30AM:
One of the greatest things about the United States is its environmental diversity. From towering forests of pine to sun-hammered deserts, from snowy peaks to steaming swamps, this nation has it all.
Some of the most compelling places are also the harshest. Take this view of the sand dunes of Death Valley, taken by talented photographer John Bruckman. This is the worst part of the Mojave ...Philadelphia's trash and glass garden
Nov 21st, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Made entirely of found objects and contributions from the community, Philadelphia's Magic Gardens is a folk art environment that showcases the work of mosaicist Isaiah Zagar.
In 1968, Zagar and his wife came to Philadelphia after spending three years with the Peace Corps in Peru. Creating folk art all around his new city, he took an entire rowhouse on South Street and covered it with ...Unconventional new eco-tour will take travelers through Japan's tsunami debris
Oct 9th, 2011 at 2:00PM: While most eco-tours use activities such as bird watching, rafting, and hiking to highlight regional issues, a new tour, led by expedition leader Marcus Eriksen, will take a different approach. Beginning May, 2012, travelers will have the opportunity to sail via yacht through floating islands of debris left from the March 11, 2011, tsunami in Japan. Tourists will see first-hand the pollution ...Revolutionary War battlefield of Saratoga to be excavated
Oct 3rd, 2011 at 3:00PM:
One of the most important battlefields of the Revolutionary War is going to be excavated by archaeologists ahead of an EPA cleanup.
Back in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, General Electric dumped polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the Hudson River near Saratoga, New York. The dumping was banned in 1977 due to risks to public health, and the EPA has ordered GE to dredge up the affected silt from ...
