Environment
ArchiveDanish police have arrested 68 activists who were protesting in street demonstrations in Copenhagen on Friday, Reuters reports. The goal of the protesters was to disrupt corporations and industry lobbyists that they see as “climate criminals” during the…
Last week, tens of thousands of fish were poisoned when officials poured more than 8,000 liters of fish poison into a stretch of water that connects the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan, reports NewScientist.com. The poison, rotenone, was used as…
The UN defends its stance on the role that humans play in climate change, in response to news of leaked emails that purportedly show scientists suppressing evidence to the contrary, Reuters reports. “Nothing that has come out in the public as…
People give when they know it will buy something tangible. We asked directors at five organizations to tell us what donations from $50 to $50K would accomplish.
Forest fires get a bad rap. Too often, with all the focus on the damage they could cause, we forget that they're actually necessary to keep the forest healthy and growing. BBC News explains how the build-up of vegetation can prevent seeds…
He's kinda fat and more than a little rude (and he drinks like a fish). But long-distance swimmer Martin Strel has become the world's most unlikely philanthropist—out to save the world's dirtiest rivers a million awkward strokes at a time.
Hundreds of people showed up at the extInked event in the UK for a chance to get a tattoo of an endangered species, New Scientist reports. Volunteers had to fill out a form explaining why they should be the one to…
The Endangered Species Coalition has just released America’s Hottest Species, a list of the ten animals and plants most susceptible to extinction from climate change. The list includes: Kaua’i/’Akikiki Creeper…
South Africa has to deal with a new type of criminal: baboons who have learned to open car doors and go through windows in search of food, the AP reports. A band of 29 baboons have gone after…
The Environmental Protection Agency did not approve an industry wide request to add more ethanol to the standard fuel mix, despite the fact that most cars are equipped to handle the new ethanol-to-fuel ratio. The EPA was meant to decide by December 1…
©Daniel Beltrá, courtesy of The Prince’s Rainforests Project and Sony By Mary Catherine O'Connor Some of Daniel Beltrá's photographs are shockingly beautiful, but many are just plain shocking. And…
Yvo de Boer of the UN Climate Change Secretariat says that it will take an initial $10 billion a year from the most economically well-off countries for three years to help developing nations deal with the effects of climate change. “To my…
The Global Carbon Project, based out of the University of East Anglia, led by Corinne Le Quéré, predicts that the Earth's temperature will increase by 6 degreesCelsius by the end of this century. Research published yesterdayshowed that the ability of natural carbon…
Alaska Governor Sean Parnell is suing the federal government to overturn the listing of polar bears and a threatened species, writes the Associated Press. The governor believes that the Endangered Species Act is being used improperly to shut down petroleum development in…
Dr. john Stanisic, a Queensland Museum scientist, has named a newly discovered species of rare Australian tree snail in honor of the famous conservationist and T.V. personality, Steve Irwin, says the Environmental News Network. The snail, Crikey steveirwini (seriously), can be found in the mountainous regions of…
If you've never witnessed the dancing colors of the Northern Lights, or even if you have, this time lapse video clip captures the lights like you've never seen them before. Produced by National Geographic, this clip was taken in Norway over the course of a single night. –Alison Kelman…
Cement production contributes 5% of earth's global carbon dioxide emissions, creating one ton of CO2 per ton of cement made. ENN reports that cement companies are currently working to decrease these numbers by replacing some of the popularly used Portland cement with fly-ash,…
For areas like Kenya and Bangladesh that lack widespread toilet facilities (and, therefore, clean water and sanitation), the folks at Pee Poople will begin offering their biodegradable Peepoo bags, says TreeHugger. Here's how…
On Monday, the Appalachian Mountain Club announced that it purchased a 29,500-acre tract of land in the forests of Maine. The acquisition of the land (which AMC has donated to the State of Maine) creates a 63-mile long corridor of conservation land from…
If no framework for global climate change policy results from the UN conference in Copenhagen in December, the International Energy Agency foresees a 2.5 percent rise in global energy demand per year…
Did you miss the fee-free weekends at our national parks this past summer? No worries; the Department of the Interior just announced that in honor of Veteran's Day, there will be no entrance fees for any of the…
Scientists are finding species in the lower Congo River that exist nowhere else in the world, Smithsonian.com reports. There are more than 300 species in the water, which contains one of the highest concentrations of unique species on the planet. Among them is Mondeli…
Forbes has just come out with a list of the most toxic cities in the country, based on the amount of pollution per urban area. Here are the top ten: 1. Atlanta2. Detroit3. Chicago4. Houston5. Philadelphia6. Cleveland7.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says it is unlikely that a full climate deal will be created at Copenhagen in December, Reuters reports. A framework for an agreement…
There's a bold new idea on the front edge of conservation: Let's treat people as well as we treat animals.
The Soil Moisture and Ocean Satellite, launched by the European Space Agency, is able to measure the salinity of ocean waters as well as moisture levels in the soil. The hope is that by monitoring minute changes in the oceans and soil we can better understand large changes in the…
Plans to complete a nature reserve along the northeastern coastline of Puerto Rico were halted last Friday, making way for potential hotels and resorts to aid the country's economy. Environmental authorities are examining the 3,240 acres of land to determine…
A downed power line in the forest near Eureka, Montana electrocuted over a dozen animals over a period of a few months, according to Backpacker. Animals killed included five white-tailed deer, four black bears, two wolves, one coyote and a turkey vulture. The…
According to the new U.S. Geological Survey report, the United States is using less water than it did in 1975. ENN reports that, even with a 30 percent population increase, water consumption in the U.S. down compared to peak use in…
The new species-conservation method of choice: Facebook. This fall, Ugandan officials created profiles for six mountain gorilla families to raise money to protect themwhich means you can now friend-request them. Just don't expect them to comment on your wall. friendagorilla.org…
The goofy animal-show guy is vying to become a mainstream newsman. Does he have the killer instinct?
Over 200,000 square miles of Alaska and its coastal waters have been earmarked by the Department of the Interior as “critical habitat” for polar bears, according to Backpacker. With critical habitat status, the federal government prohibits any activity on the land or water that could threaten the…
According to Treehugger, three white lion clubs at the West Midlands Safari Park in Worcestershire, England are now on view to the public. With only 30 white lions in existence today, the 12-week old cubs are a rare treat. Their light color…
Saturday was the big day for 350.org and their campaign for climate change. People in 181 countries participated in events to draw attention to the cause, and 350.org has some great photos up that capture the different actions. Here are some of our favorites.
The Outdoor Alliance (OA), a coalition of six member-based national outdoor advocacy groups including the Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American Hiking Society, American Whitewater, International Mountain Bicycling Association and the…
Exclusive photos from the new book by Beverly and Dereck Joubert.
For those of you who have been following the battle over Nestle's water rights in Sacramento, CA, be first in line to see the documentary “Tapped,” directed by Stephanie Schoetig and created by the same people who made “Who Killed the Electric Car” and “I.O.U.S.A.” …
By Mary Catherine O'Connor This Saturday, October 24th, will be action-packed.Normally, this would not be news for Outside readers, for whom most weekendsare packed with biking, skiing, boating, etc. But this year, it's news. October24th is the much-anticipated international day of action, designed to…
Delaware, the last state in the US that does not have a national park, may have finally gotten it's act together. The plan is to create a history-themed park with a center in New Castle and multiple satellite locations, with an emphasis on…
Raymond Edward Hillsman, who we wrote about in our October 1999 story, 'The Hunting of the Poacher King,' was sentenced last week to ten months in jail, reports The Oregonian (via OregonLive.com). One of his charges was…
Coal Country, a documentary about the battle fought over coal mining in Appalachia, exposes the environmental tragedy and social conflicts that have arisen from mining coal. The Sierra Club is heavily promoting the film by sending out…
There's nothing better than an innovation that helps the plane and adventure junkies alike. TreeHugger talks about how ASR Limited, a company that recreates coral reef ecosystems, has created a new reef system that prevents…
The Savage Rapids Dam prior to removal. By Mary Catherine O'Connor In our August issue, Grayson Schafferargued that whitewater kayak industry is drying up. But thankfully, a number of the most important waterways in the US are…
The cultivation of genetically modified crops in Ireland was voted to be banned by the Irish government on Saturday, according to the Environmental News Network. The new policy specifies that the Government will “Declare the Republic of Ireland a GM-Free Zone, free from the cultivation of all…
The International Air Transport Association announced their commitment on Saturday to stabilize carbon emissions by 2020 as well as reduce airplane carbon emissions by 50% by 2050. Treehugger writes that the IATA is also pushing for further support from the government concerning…
According to the New York Times, the United States Forest Service is pushing to pass new rules that would keep mountain bikers off of hundreds of miles of trails across the nation. Lighter mountain bikes built over recent years have allowed…
The president of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, will hold a cabinet meeting on October 17th — 20 feet underwater, reports Globalwarmingisreal.com. In preparation for the underwater meeting, he has asked members of his cabinet to take scuba lessons and learn…
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated 5,855 square miles of nearshore waters in Alaska as critical habitats for the threatened sea otter, writes ENN.com. The areas along the Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, and…
The world's largest tensegrity cycle and pedestrian bridge is now open in Brisbane, Queensland. The tensegrity bridge, referring to the synergy between the bridge's tension and compression components, will provide access for…
Carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. should be down by 5.9 percent in 2009, Reuters reports. The reason: lowered demand for electricity and transportation fuel because of the recession. The Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy says that emissions should increase…
A green motorsport event? Yup, in this case a historic race on the Isle of Man. Gentlemen, start your (battery-powered, zero-carbon, no-decibel) engines!
Last week, Outside's John McCauley and Will Palmer (based in Santa Fe) and Jeremy Spencer (based in Portland) participated in the third annual Portland Oyster Race, part of Merrell's 2009 urban-adventure-race series, which moved on from Portland to San Francisco last weekend and concludes in Austin (Oct.
According to The Ski Blog, the Municipality of Whistler has pledged to go carbon neutral by 2010, just in time to host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This will include cutting down on direct emission as well as purchasing carbon credits. Whistler…
Ottawa has a troubling air pollution problem, but it's not caused by the normal suspects. A crematorium from Hope Cemetery is blanketing the air daily with fumes from the cremation of dead bodies, the CBC reports. “We've all smelt it, we've…
In honor of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December, Google and the Danish government are presenting interactive maps that will show what the Earth will look like in various stages of global warming. Check out the first climate tour…
The Klamath River in California, which was dammed up between 1908 and 1962, will have four dams removed beginning in 2020. The dams were erected by PacifiCorp, and their removal will supposedly allow for the revival of salmon and steelhead spawning and bolster fishing, tribal, and farming communities along the…
At a Bolivian animal-rehab center, volunteers can adopt a rescued jaguar and take it for daily walks on a leash. Brave and compassionate, or just plain stupid? THAYER WALKER discovers that it may be all three. And he's got the scratch marks to prove it.
Douglas Brinkley's biography of Teddy Roosevelt proves we still have a lot to learn from the conservation giant.
When Greg Carr decided to help restore the greatest wildlife park in Mozambique, he didn't just send a check. He traded his suits for shorts and Boston for the savanna. And what he's accomplished in just four years at Gorongosa is one of the unlikeliest—and most hopeful—stories in Africa.
Those people who say that? They're annoying. But, as our man eventually discovers, that doesn't mean they're not on to something.
Seventy percent of the planet is water, but only 1.17 percent—1.63 million square miles—of that is protected. Compare that with the eight million square miles of land set aside and it's clear we have a long way to go. Here's where we should start.
They say you can't go home again—to the strange, remote, threatened South American jungle where your larger-than-life, field-scientist dad discovered an extremely rare, weird-looking species called Lophostoma schulzi. They're probably right. But we did it anyway.
They've got a slight animal-control problem in Delhi, India: Thousands of wild rhesus monkeys, addled by the sprawl that's taking over their habitat, are dropping out of trees to steal food, chug booze, and murder prominent citizens. Did we mention that many of the victims believe these creatures are gods?
MIT's Daniel Nocera has a recipe for taking solar power mainstream. It all starts with a tall glass of water
Cheaper Gore-Tex, cleaner diesel, and five other things George W. Bush got right.
You bought a hybrid. That's swell. Now how about we all get down to business?
Tired of the green-product spin? Here are 11 industry leaders doing their part.
Before her 2005 arrest, eco-saboteur Chelsea Gerlach took part in nine Earth Liberation Front actions, including the 1998 arson that destroyed Vail Mountain’s Two Elk lodge. In an exclusive interview from behind bars, Gerlach talks about life on the run, destruction on behalf of the environment, and why she cooperated with the federal investigators who smashed the ELF.
For his March Out of Bounds column, our man Eric Hansen got up close and sappy with an unlikely group of artists: 50 Leyland Cypress trees. Listen to a podcast version of the story, read by Hansen, and see some of his photos of the trees and their keeper.
For the January, 2007 Outside feature story, “Paradise Pretty Soon,” we floated Alex Tehrani down Gabon’s Djidji river in search of the perfect photographs of the four-year-old Ivindo National Park. Little did we know he’d come back with just as many stories to tell as the article’s writer, Rob Buchanan.
An Imax filmmaker flies into New Orleans, post-Katrina, and comes out with a film on culture, conservation, and rebuilding Louisiana's wetlands
If you count insects, then mosquitoes are the most prolific killers, transmitting diseases that take out at least two million a year. Our own kind is second: In recent decades, we've offed an average of one million of ourselves annually. But if you're talking claws-out, fur-flying, fangs-bared, When Animals Attack…
A team of Japanese scientists has observed and photographed the giant squid in the wild for the first time. Read their story and see photos of the squid here.
Photojournalist Stephen Dupont has made a name for himself photographing people and areas that deal in global change and elements of our world that are disappearing. First Contact Photo Gallery Click here to view Stephen Dupont’s First Contact Photo GalleryStephen Dupont Stephen Dupont His travels and passion…
Looking to rachet up your mojo, sans synthetics? University of Massachusetts explorer in residence Chris Kilham, 52, has spent 25 years traveling the world to study native uses of medicinal plants. Despite having zero formal training in botany, the plucky adventurer and author—known to fans of his herbal guides and…