Astoria Scum River Bridge

Sometimes, when the government won't act on a problem, you have to take matters into your own hands. For several years, a leaky pipe in Astoria in New York City beneath the Hell Gate Bridge viaduct submerged a well-walked stretch of sidewalk under a festering cesspool of standing water. Astoria Scum River, as it was called, was not only gross but dangerously icy in the winter. In the......read more

Tom Fun Orchestra "Bottom of the River"

Wonderfully grim visual interpretation of a song by Tom Fun Orchestra, an eight-piece gypsy folk-punk ensemble from Nova Scotia. A bit of Brecht and a dram of Tom Waits, this gorgeously dark animated short packs a punch. Directed by Alisdair Brotherston and Jock Mooney of Trunk, the "Bottom of the River" video was showcased on BBC Films and nominated for Best Animation at the 2009 UK......read more

Nadav Kander: Yangtze, The Long River

In his Prix Pictet-winning photo series Yangtze, The Long River, acclaimed photographer Nadav Kander documents the blistering pace of change on China's most famous waterway, along which more people live than in the entire United States. Using the river as a metaphor for constant change, Kander shot the landscape and people along the banks of the Yangtze, from mouth to source. Shot......read more

John Pfahl: Luminous River

While driving from his home in Buffalo to Washington D.C., legendary landscape photographer John Pfahl became captivated by the constantly changing views of the Susquehanna River, which runs along the highway for fifty miles. Inspired, he later set out on an ambitious project to document the entire length of the river. The resulting photo series, called Luminous River, pays homage to 19th......read more

European Cities Curb Drivers

While American cities tend to bend over backwards to accommodate vehicle traffic, cities in Europe are going the opposite direction, making planning changes that make it prohibitively annoying and expensive (if not downright illegal) to drive cars in the inner city. NYT environment reporter Elizabeth Rosenthal discusses the traffic-tormenting situation in Europe: Cities including......read more

Ken Salazar Opens Up Public Lands to Coal Mining

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar just announced that vast coal reserves on federal land in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming will be put up for auction over the next five months. This will lead to approximately 758 tons of coal being excavated. With the abundance of alternative energy sources available, and the Obama administration's stated commitment to move the country toward a cleaner......read more