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 ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
environment posts
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 ...Can stem cell research save endangered species?
Sep 6th, 2011 at 1:00PM: New advances in stem cell research are giving hope in the fight to save endangered species.
Scientists have created stem cells for two endangered African species--the northern white rhino and the drill monkey. They "reprogrammed" skin cells to make them revert to stem cells, an early stage of cell development in which a cell can develop into different types of specialized cells.
It's hoped ...Four natural wonders added to UNESCO World Heritage List
Jul 15th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, also known as UNESCO, has added four new locations to its list of World Heritage sites. The destinations fall under the category of "natural wonders," and were cited for their spectacular beauty, biodiversity, and importance to the surrounding ecosystems.
Newly added to the list was Japan's Ogasawara Islands, which are home ...Conservation victory: Serengeti highway plans cancelled
Jun 26th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
Plans to build a paved, two-lane highway through the Serengeti National Park have been canceled.
The road, which was supposed to bring better access to Lake Victoria, will possibly be rerouted further south to avoid having an impact on the Serengeti's rich wildlife.
There's already a gravel road across the park, but paving it would have attracted much more traffic and probably fencing. The ...Mastercard to measure carbon footprints
May 14th, 2011 at 12:00PM:
MasterCard has teamed up with environmental group Brighter Planet to offer corporate customers carbon footprint reports. By capturing and analyzing travel-related carbon emissions based on card transactions, the program hopes to help companies go green.
"Travel is a huge driver of costs and carbon emissions," Brighter Planet CEO, Patti Prairie told Forbes. "As much as 30 or 40 percent of ...Record numbers of humpback whales spotted near Antarctica
May 3rd, 2011 at 8:00AM: For many travelers, whale-spotting is a moving, and sometimes life altering, experience. Those massive, yet graceful, creatures are unlike anything else on Earth, and getting the opportunity to see one up close is an experience that shouldn't be missed. One of the more common species, the humpback whale, have recently been spotted in record numbers off the coast of Antarctica, in a display that ...Rwanda pledges to save the environment
Mar 12th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The United Nations has declared 2011 as the "Year of the Forests" as it continues to work to encourage nations across the globe to take sustainable actions to protect the planet's woodlands. One of the first countries to answer the call to action is Rwanda, which has laid out an ambitious plan to protect its jungles, even as it struggles to develop economically.
As most people know, Rwanda was ...United Kingdom government does U-turn on forest sell-off
Feb 18th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Back on January 27 we reported that the government of the United Kingdom was planning on selling all of England's publicly owned forests. Well, the English love their heritage (at least those English outside the government) and there was a huge public outcry. Half a million people signed a petition in opposition to the plan. Now the Guardian reports the government has backed down.
Environment ...England plans to sell all its public forests
Jan 27th, 2011 at 9:30AM: English environmentalists, hikers, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and pretty much everybody else is up in arms about a UK government plan to sell off all the woodlands managed by the Forestry Commission in England, the BBC reports.
The Forestry Commission manages 18 percent of all England's forests, some 2,500 sq km (965 sq miles). A portion of the forests are already being sold to raise ...Whale burps found on Lake Superior shore
Jan 21st, 2011 at 10:00AM: If you're unclear on what a whale burp is, you're not the only one. Often misconstrued to be connected in some way to whales (and I wonder why that is... ), whale burps are actually purely environmental--no whales necessary. They don't look too unlike rubberband balls. Except they're made up of pine needles, bird shells, twigs, and other natural debris... as well as a disconcerting unnatural item: ...Cruise lines score environmental awards
Jan 18th, 2011 at 12:30PM: Cruise lines get a lot of criticism for fouling up the air with tons of bad stuff emitted from their diesel burning engines. Environmental groups say "rightfully so" as dirty engines can emit a ton of gunk into the atmosphere each time they dock. But there was good news for Norwegian, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruise lines who all three won awards from the Port of Seattle for making an ...Piracy reached record levels in 2010
Jan 18th, 2011 at 9:30AM:
Pirate hijackings in the Red Sea and nearby waters reached their highest levels ever, the Associated Press reports.
Pirate hijackings worldwide claimed 1,181 hostages and 53 vessels, a rise of ten percent since 2009. Of these, 49 ships were taken by Somali gunmen in the Red Sea or nearby waters in the Indian Ocean. Somali piracy has been the biggest problem area despite an international fleet ...Australia floods leave tourist industry in peril
Jan 12th, 2011 at 7:30AM:
The terrible floods in Queensland, Australia, have destroyed thousands of homes, done billions of dollars of damage, and have left at least a dozen people dead. Queensland is a major coal exporter, and with the rising waters hampering shipments and flooding mines, world coal prices have risen. A major consumer of Queensland coal are Asian steel mills, which are already feeling the pinch. This ...British team sets new speed record for Antarctic crossing
Dec 27th, 2010 at 8:00AM: In late November, a group of British adventurers and scientists set off on a mission to the interior of the Antarctic continent in specially designed research vehicles. Their plan was to undertake several environmental research experiments while journeying through one of the most in hospitable environments on the planet, but they also managed to set a new speed record for an Antarctic crossing at ...Controversy over development near Victoria Falls
Nov 13th, 2010 at 9:00AM:
Environmentalists are complaining that the tour company Shearwater Adventures has violated national and international law by expanding their luxury resort into the rainforest near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Shearwater has constructed a new restaurant, bar, kitchen, and information center next to the public entrance to the World Heritage Site. A lawyer for Shearwater insists the development is ...Historic town fights federal government and lead poisoning
Nov 10th, 2010 at 11:30AM: You may never have heard of Caledonia, Missouri, but it's one of the most historic spots in the state. While the town has fewer than two hundred residents, its tiny downtown is filled with old homes and shops. It boasts 33 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and a steady stream of visitors who take up the town's invitation to "step back in time".
Sadly, that all might be in ...IAATO explains climate change for Antarctic travelers
Nov 10th, 2010 at 8:30AM: The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) continues to be a great source of information and education for travelers heading south to the frozen continent. Last week we told you about their efforts to keep the sailors aboard private yachts, well informed of the issues involved with navigating the Antarctic waters, helping to make the region even safer for travel. But beyond ...
