by Sarah Lane
So the City Council of Asheville, North Carolina, wants to keep a man elected to the council, Cecil Bothwell, from being sworn in because he is a nontheist, and the North Carolina Constitution, in direct conflict with the U.S. Constitution, disqualifies for office “First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.” At the same time the Rotary Club of Leesburg, Virginia, has been blocked from doing what it has done for 50 years: set up a Christmas tree on the grounds of the Loudon County …

by Sarah Lane
During these two weeks of the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, I think it is time to reach across the great divide between those who believe in climate change and those who don’t and link arms. So whether or not you think climate change is happening, whether you believe it is human made or caused by an angry God, little elves, or bad luck, whether you work for a coal plant or a bicycle messenger service, shed your need to be right and join in the broad movement to …

by Sarah Lane
The Natural Defenses Resource Council, in its article “Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype,” reports that more than half of all Americans drink bottled water and about one-third of the population drinks it regularly. So Americans are thirsty. Why is this a problem?
1. What’s in the Bottles
One problem has to do with what’s in the bottles themselves. The Earth Policy Institute reports that 1.5 million barrels of oil per year, which is enough to fuel 100,000 cars for that same year, are required to satisfy …

by Sarah Lane
Giving a seasonal gift, whether for Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, might appropriately be intended for various reasons:

to express love,
to spread joy, and
to share abundance with those in need.

It is often, however, done for the following reasons:

to fulfill an obligation,
to meet an expectation, and
to fill a void.

In a world teeming with excess and yet, at the same time, bursting with want and need, in a world choking on plastic and suffocating from carbon emissions, we need to work toward eliminating those last three reasons and grope our way …

What follows are resources to help you provide a healthier (toxin-free), zero-waste lunch for your child. If you’re just beginning this process, don’t get discouraged. Even by changing a few things you do, you are taking worthwhile steps. As Voltaire says, don’t allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good!

Specifically, you want to avoid the following:

1. Toxins
For the health of your family

Lead. Lead affects the brain and behavior and is especially dangerous to young children still in early developmental stages. Read about lead in children’s …

by Sarah Townsend
I’m scheduled to pick grape leaves tomorrow for a meal that will celebrate locally grown wine and produce. I have been instructed to pick the leaves that are both large enough to stuff and not tough. I know to feel the veins and note the curvature of the leaves. I also know not to strip all the leaves from any one branch which may cause it to wither—a reminder that no one individual can carry the weight of community. These leaves will be rolled into dolmas for our …

by Sarah Lane
Both President Obama and his former opponent John McCain endorsed “clean coal” as an important element of their energy plans. But “clean coal” is a fairy tale with a very bad ending, as in the Big Bad Wolf eats and digests Little Red Riding Hood and belches out a black cloud afterward.
The Fairy Tale
Once upon a time (February 2002) George W. Bush promised the people all over the land that he would invest $2 billion dollars over ten years to advance “clean coal” technology. The people said, “What …

by Pat Leonard and Christianne White, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
What kind of wild animal do you see nearly every day of your life? Birds. They are living right near you, in your neighborhood, leading busy lives, building nests, laying eggs, and raising young. They are independent from us yet also dependent on us because we have such a big impact on the places they live—especially in cities.
Fascinating Pigeons

One of the most common city birds is the pigeon. But don’t think that common means “uninteresting.”

The Rock Pigeon can fly 50 miles …

Blue Planet Run Foundation’s The Race to Provide Safe Drinking Water to the World tells the story of our planet’s interdependent relationship with water in 250 stunning images. Download the book now for free (look for the free download box on the Amazon.com page) and read it. Then choose an image that you respond to the most. And then tell us in the comments box below

the image you chose,
the page number it’s on, and
the connection you feel to the image (in 50 words or less).

We’ll choose the best response, and …

by Kirsten Corsaro, The Green Guru, Nexyoo.com, The Revolution of Consumerism ~ Empowering Positive Change
It’s that time of year again where we all celebrate our freedom in the United States: our Independence. And what great fun this is: fireworks and BBQ grills, with fun-filled gatherings of our best friends and family. We’ve been celebrating this since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It is awe inspiring to review the last 233 years and how we’ve grown and evolved as a society. We’ve created some amazing technologies and …