conservation

Fuel Thieves - Reincarnated From 1981 Oil Crisis
Large scale fuel theft is a nasty problem that hits the poor and elderly hard. Happened before so we should not be surprised. Won't be but a few months...certainly by winter...that it'll surface in North America. Scotland is in the grip of a new crime wave with organized thieves stealing tens of thousands of litres of fuel each day from farms, homes and petrol stations across the country. Record oil prices have made fuel a targeted commodity for gangs of criminals. Thieves are reselling the stolen fuel through independent, rural petrol stations or selling directly through...

Image: ichie on flickr
From origami whale campaigns to Mr. Splashy Pants, it’s pretty obvious that those big, intelligent and lovable cetaceans are massively popular. And according to a recent report focusing on the phenomenal growth of whale-watching in Latin America, watching whales (as opposed to killing them) could have a much greater economic benefit to local communities and governments worldwide. However, t...

Although we haven't traveled to Lebanon, we have had a Lebanese friend when touring through Syria. He told us that Lebanon was an advanced country and much different than the "time machine feeling" we were getting in Syria: It was 9 years ago, and the cars looked like they were from the 30s; people everywhere were dressed in traditional gear and it seemed that the environment was very low on the country's agenda (litter was everywhere and cars spewed fumes).

We never did get to visit Lebanon (mainly because getting a VISA would take too much time), but we have been able to...

Islanders to Plant 20,000 Fruit and Nut Trees for Security
We’ve already celebrated as the Transition Towns movement reached Australia, but it looks like the people of New Zealand are also getting stuck into preparing for a post-petroleum future. The above video comes from Waiheke Island’s Fabulous Fruit Tree initiative, which is aiming to plant 20,000 fruit and ...

Image from uhuru1701

In 1999, California passed the landmark Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) which directed the state to create and manage the state's first network of marine protected areas (MPA) along the coastline. The move was seen as a necessary countermeasure to widespread coastal loss and degradation, which had already resulted in over 90 percent of the state's wetlands being lost and in la...

When the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, died a couple of years back, after being stung by a stingray, our obituary post sparked off a torrent of views for and against Steve’s style of wildlife conservation. Let’s see how we fare this time?

Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, the organisation set up by Steve Irwin and his family, is currently building what is described as the “world's largest wildlife hospital” next door to Australia Zoo in Queensland. Which is kinda cool on its own. But we also like that it will be housed in “one of the biggest strawbale constructions in the world.”
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It’s been a while since we checked in on Peak Moment TV, the innovative public access TV show bringing you “Community Responses for a Changing Energy Future”. In the episode above, Peak Moment explores White Sage Gardens, an Oregon experiment in backyard permaculture-informed sustainability created by Scott McGuire. Unfortunately the website for White Sage appears to be down right now, but for more informa...

Seventeen grassroots environmental organizations across North America are receiving funds from a $450,000 pool of grants allocated by the Conservation Alliance.

The Alliance is 130 member outdoor industry companies who make a yarly contribution to grant fund. Since its founding in 1989, by industry leaders REI, Patagonia, The North Face, and Kelty, the Conservation Alliance has supported environmental organisations to the tune of $6.5 million. Thi...

In our quest for efficient water use, this might be the first time we’ve come across a shower that recycles its own water for reuse [we’ve already looked at behavior-related conservation tips, like the navy shower and the selective flush, and we’ve also featured a wide-array of technologies, from

Image: Dave BergeronIt’s that time of year again in Montréal when even the deepest and coldest snow drifts yield to the warm, melting power of the sun: the cyclists are out in full force, outdoor cafés make a comeback and people start smiling at each other on the street again. It’s also the time when the butterflies go free at the Montréal Botanical Garden during the 11th annual edition of the Butterflies Go Free (Papillons en liberté) event, which began in February 21 and will run until April 27th, this year f...

Here are some fun facts for you to consider: According to the National Park Service, there are currently 4.3 million acres of privately owned land within park boundaries; and another 1.8 million listed for acquisition. The federal agency estimates it would cost $1.9 billion for it to purchase these lands. Now here's the really funny part: It only requested $100 million from Congress for fiscal year 2009....

We all know that healthy soils are a central part of sustainability. From carbon sequestration to increased crop production, it’s hard to overestimate the contribution good soil can make to our collective well-being (or the damage that can be done by abusing this most precious of resources). Contrary to common misconceptions, he...

Celcias: What a Waste by Joe Turner
"An apple a day gets thrown away. In fact, 4.4 million apples get thrown away in the UK every day, the majority of which are still perfectly edible. This is according to information released this week by the UK government funded Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP)."

Green Thing: Why Take a Short Sharp Shower?
"The world and its water are like a balding man and his hair. Neither can make any more of it, and the total amount at either’s disposal is only ever ...