Global subsidies for fossil fuels reached $7 trillion in 2022, an all-time high, according to the International Monetary Fund. An analysis of policies in 170 countries found that explicit subsidies, such as price caps on fuel, accounted for 18 percent of this total. With Russia’s war on Ukraine roiling energy markets, many governments have placed limits on the price of […]
Grow Your Own Tea Garden
Engaging in nature-based activities is an effective way for everyone in the family to improve mental health. Gardening can be challenging for those without space, time, or talent. But even a hopeless brown thumb with a tight schedule and limited space might succeed with a low-maintenance, hardy tea garden. Helping something grow can bring tremendous satisfaction, even if you live in a […]
Creative Reuse Centers Benefit Communities & the Planet
Do you have a craft stash at your home? In your collection of crafting supplies, do you have partially used paints that you know you’ll never use again or a partial packet of buttons? Maybe you have irregular pieces of fabric, foam, and felt. Or there’s a third of a skein of yarn that just won’t match anything, half a […]
Is Biodynamic Better Than Organic?
The USDA organic certification process and standards have room for improvement, but in the United States, organic is still the primary standard for sustainable agriculture. Other systems, such as biodynamics, might be more sustainable, but without a regulated certification system, it’s not as easy to find and support. Not so in other parts of the world, where biodynamics reigns supreme. […]
Oregon County Sues Fossil Fuel Companies For Heat Wave Damages
Lawsuits have always been a useful strategy for the environmental movement. But historically, environmental nonprofits like Earthjustice usually brought those lawsuits against the government. They often hinged on government’s failure to enforce its own laws or negligence in protecting citizens. Now cash-strapped governments dealing with unprecedented natural disaster recovery costs are suing corporations for damages, opening another front in the […]
We Earthlings: Choose Peat-Free Garden Products
Why would we caution you to choose peat-free garden products? After all, peat moss is naturally occurring; it’s a useful amendment for garden soil and a common ingredient in potting soil. But unfortunately, the harvesting of peat has harmful consequences for wetland ecosystems, which provide wildlife habitat nurseries and migration stopovers. Wetlands also play a vital role in flood control […]
In New Scramble for Africa, an Arab Sheikh Is Taking the Lead
A prominent sheikh in the oil-rich Gulf state hosting this year’s UN climate negotiations, COP28, is heading a new rush to capture and sell carbon credits by managing tens of millions of acres of forests across Africa. Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, a member of the royal family of Dubai, which is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), wants […]
In a significant move, Ecuador is to ban oil drilling in part of the Amazon rainforest
deforestation The Yasuni Biosphere Reserve. By Anders Lorenzen A significant referendum result in the South American country Ecuador has been celebrated by environmentalists. Seen with both local, national and international eyes the ban on oil development in part of the Yasuni Amazon reserve passed, with an overwhelming 59% of the vote, could be a game change for the area and […]