The TreeHugger Recap: Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Land cleared in Indonesia for a palm oil plantation. Photo credit: H Dragon/Creative Commons


We saw changes in environment for some endangered species with the Hawaiian Monk Seal's exposure to a deadly toxin and a post documenting the Leatherback turtle's northern habitat-shift due to the UK jellyfish boom. Lastly, Sami looked at what some consider a more humane approach to dairy farming where cows are retired at age 15.

Eating Well
Not the Whiskey, too! Sami pointed out some interesting information on the carbon footprint of whiskey and how you can reduce it. Another scary realization came in the next post with the declaration apples as the most contaminated produce. Finally, Kelly Rossiter helped us appreciate our food with a Weekday Vegetarian recipe for linguine with brown butter, sage and poor man's parmesan.

A Changing Environment
Climate change was highlighted with a UK education advisor declaring that it should be mandatory to teach in schools and a post adding support with the statistic that 71% of Americans think tackling climate change is a priority. The effects of this climate change were seen in the later posts. Brian told us that the snow loss on Mt. Rainier is enough to bury all of Rhode Island 8 inches deep; while, John Laumer related the drought in Texas to one in France to prove the global impact of climate change. Finally, the main causes of tropical deforestation were exposed in a surprising post by Mat.

Art & Style
Bonnie Alter told us about a show in a London department store that presents costume fashion and prints next to confiscated dead coral to raise awareness for endangered coral and its impact. Then, fashion became more accessible with the announcement of Clementine Shoes new online boutique and its sustainable shoe options for summer.

Solar power earned attention with the announcement that Google just invested $280 million in residential solar power and Daniel Kessler raising the heat on the White House by pointing out that they have only a week left to install solar panels this spring, as promised. Brian, then, changes the focus to geothermal with a declaration of West Virginia as a geothermal hotspot.

Green Thinking
Stephen Messenger pointed out one school district that is thinking green in two ways by saving $1500 a year through the purchase of lawn mowing sheep. Next, Sami made us reflect a little on the meaning and existence of sustainability; while, Mat brought up the business of Earth, itself, and how we may be ruining it. Finally, a post about the Three Gorges Dam pointed out some not-so-green thinking with the announcement of it receiving the National Quality Investment Award, just after having acknowledged the urgent environmental and human problems it causes. Bad timing?

The Digital Environment
Mike explained how Google Maps is keeping us up to date with the launch of their real time transit information feature. Later, took a different approach at keeping up with city life by launching a widget that makes recycling fun and promotes ways to reuse. Finally, Jaymi noted a new direction for technology to move as an internet archive begins backing up books on paper.

Rachel Cernansky acknowledged an advance for public health with the announcement that the EPA has just released a list of 150 chemicals that had been kept secret. Next, a post from Skeptical Science explained the merit behind the climate change doubts of one nationally-funded scientist.

In a shocking post, Jaymi exposed the dangerous pollutants released by toxic waste (even the recycled waste) and how it can affect the health of the environment and of you. Pollution moved into the home with a post that explained the correlation between dust bunnies and flame retardants that could be poisoning your family. Lastly, the dangerous polluting effects of American corn ethanol were pointed out as Brian explained why even the Koch Brothers believe in ending the ethanol subsidy.

The Great Outdoors
Mairi shared photos of a different world in a slideshow documenting a biking trip through Amish country. In another post about embracing the outdoors, we learned how to make chop-and-drop mulch and why is could benefit your garden.



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