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In California, the Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted a donation of 330 acres of Lucas Valley farmland from Metallica's James Hetfield. The land, which sits around the singer's property, is to be preserved as open space. It follows an earlier gift by Hetfield of 400 acres. County officials say they are close to a deal with Hetfield that would reroute a hiking trail......read more
As human population continues to grow, wildlife habitat is increasingly under threat. In the past, conservationists addressed this problem by creating wildlife sanctuaries, islands of protection where animals could safely eat, sleep, and breed without encroachment by humans. But research over the past decade has revealed that for many large mammals, like jaguars in Central and South America,......read more
It's hard to believe it's been 26 years since a handful of Malibu shredders started Surfrider Foundation. Now 50,000 members strong, it's probably safe to say Surfrider has done more for the cause of coastal conservation than any other nonprofit. Last year, to mark the 25th anniversary, Surfrider enlisted a bunch of artists, including Barry McGee, Thomas Campbell, and Raymond......read more
The fish-eating denizens of Edinburgh Zoo are joining the sustainable food movement. Miranda and Sofus, the zoo's two sea lions, have been switched onto a diet of Marine Stewardship Council-approved Scottish herring. The Patagonian sea lions are said to be loving the new sustainable feed. Next up are the zoo's 200 penguins, who will be soon guzzling MSC-certified South African hake......read more
Georgia-Pacific, the nation's largest manufacturer of plywood, is making a move to green up its operations. After seven long years of discussions with environmental groups and consumers, the supplier of retail giants like Home Depot and Lowes has agreed to not buy timber from environmentally sensitive areas, and to discourage landowners from clearing hardwood forests. Because the pact is......read more
Adorbs alert! Discovery assembled an "awwww"-inspiring slide show of endangered baby animals. Are fixies over? We have no idea, but this bamboo joint from Germany's Arndt Menke-Zumbragel tells us no. Lance Armstrong is down too. The world's most famous cyclist called it a "killer wooden bike" on his Twitter. Can't disagree. Check out those rear forks! ......read more
Shouts out to Jim Moriarty and Surfrider Foundation. In 2005, the coastal conservation group set a goal for 150 "coastal victories" by 2010. They defined a coastal victory as “a decision made in favor of the coastal and ocean environment that results in a positive conservation outcome, improves coastal access, or both.” On December 1, they nailed it. Kudos, Surfrider. (via QPeeps)......read more
Bee populations around the world are in massive decline, with scientists blaming it on a lack of genetic diversity, urbanization, and increased pesticide use. Now, Swiss scientists have discovered a surprising new culprit that doesn't seem so nefarious from here: our cell phones. The researchers conducted 83 different experiments in which cell phones were placed inside bee hives, and the bees'......read more
Jonathan Franzen is the author of the acclaimed recent novel, "Freedom," and an avid conservationist and bird watcher to boot. In a weekend op-ed for The New York Times, Franzen takes us on a fascinating exploration that finds unlikely links between consumer technology, love, and environmentalism. [T]he ultimate goal of technology, the telos of techne, is to replace a natural world......read more
It's shocking to learn to that more than 27 million tons of dead unmarketable fish are caught and thrown back into the sea each and every year. The SafetyNet is a technological advancement designed to drastically reduce unwanted "by-catch" and save the lives of juvenile and endangered fish that get tangled in traditional trawling nets. The SafetyNet concept, envisioned by Dan Watson,......read more
