photo: Adam via flickr. Frankly this seems a bit like a combination of deja vu and rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship, but the Natural Resources Defense Council has released new analysis calculating what all the simple, inexpensive lifestyle changes mean in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions--namely 15% of total US emissions....Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image Source: DeclanTM Dear Pablo: What is the contribution to climate change by TreeHugger.com for each page view? If the reverse-psychology of this article's title got you please keep reading, you will find it interesting. Past articles have explored the environmental impact of the internet and the environmental benefits of shopping online but this time I am taking our favorite sustainability media...Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo: Tambako the Jaguar via flickr. Since it's the Year of the Tiger by the Chinese calendar and the UN Year of Biodiversity, the whole internet seems to have gone tiger crazy. Not without reason, truth be told. By a number of estimates, wild tigers aren't long for this planet as continued habitat loss and poaching take their toll. On the poaching angle, one major cause is use of skins and bones in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Which makes a statement ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image from doh.sd.gov This is not a yolk. It's something many of us may have thought about: how do we know that the eggs we are buying really are organic or free range? The answer is: we don't. Last week a man was jailed for selling more than 100 million eggs that were su...Read the full story on TreeHugger

32,000 years ago, ancient humans gathered in a cave in Lascaux, France, where, by firelight, they created the first hand-drawn forms--scenes depicting man's relationship with the natural world. The favorite subject in those first drawings was the ancient ox, so impressive in stature and strength, that it was deified by our earliest ancestors. This reverence for nature remained as civilizations formed, and with it, written language. It is no won...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo: Georgia Aquarium A new book, Fish Feel Pain?, is hoping to dispel the notion that fish are somehow incapable of experiencing pain or unable to learn. The book, which is being met with some controversy, says that fish have gotten a bad rap as unfeeling simpletons, destined to be thought of as food--even among some who call themselves vegetarians. In fact, fish may be much more complex and sensitive than ever imagined. Sound fishy? You may be surprised....Read the full story on TreeHugger

Local indigenous dance group Rulan Tangen and Dancing Earth use costumes and sets made of recycled and organic materials. Photo via the Santa Fe Art Institute Blog. A year-long show focusing on the four elements is bringing well-known environmental artists to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to create new works and engage with the community in what appears to be an up-and-coming hub for recycled and other eco-friendly art....Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ranking of selected US states for dependency on coal for electricity production and for total consumption. Figure 1.- high-dependency states. . Image credit: USEIA data, graphic by J. Laumer Much has been written here and elsewhere of the fact that around half the nation's electricity comes from coal. We have several posts demonstrating that a handful of highly coal-dependent states drive up the average national dependency on coal for electricity (listed in Figure 1, above). We've also...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Credit: Mr. Thomas via Flickr. Scientists say too much carbon dioxide is bad for the Earth. And too much carbon monoxide can kill you. So why are researchers at the University of Michigan excited about turning CO2 into CO? Because the end product could come in handy for producing electricity and hydrogen. U of M chemists, along with others from the University of Oxford, say they've come up with an efficient way to turn carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using visible light (like sunlight). ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Doesn't it seem like President Obama was just elected? Well, he was, but alas there is no offseason in politics. The 2010 mid-terms are heating up and California Republican candidate Carly Fiorina is wasting no time going after Senator Barbara Boxer. Her ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image: biknd For all those times you wish you could have brought your bike with you on the train, bus or plane, now there is Biknd Helium. The Helium bike case is not quite lighter than air, but definitely lighter than a standard hard case, weighing in at a mere than 9.5 kg (20.9 lbs). The trick: it's inflatable. Canadian start-up company Biknd has a patent pending for their ingenious invention. The features in Biknd's design will make your fingers twitch to get packin'. ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

We are big fans of Pi Day and have been celebrating it for years, last year with this yummy mushroom and barley pie. Having the great event fall on a Sunday this year threw us off, so instead we round up our previous posts. ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Jessica Biel, Kenna, and Emile Hirsch attend Summit on the Summit premier at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in NYC. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Wireimage We have been covering the Summit on the Summit expedition, to raise awareness of the global clean water crisis, since it was Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo: Arbor Day Now Are you an amateur videographer at heart just waiting for your time to shine? Well, now's your chance. The Arbor Day Foundation is looking for compelling videos to get people planting trees. And the top contest winner will receive $2,500 in free trees to shade their neighborhood or college campus. Find out what it takes to win some loot for your community....Read the full story on TreeHugger

ISO bright ideas. Photo by Paul Keller via Flickr. If you want to get people to boost their personal energy efficiency, you should appeal to their vanity, their inner couch potato, their wallets, and their competitive nature. That's the strategy that came out of a cocktail party hosted by the online magazine Slate as part of an ongoing attempt to "harvest the collective intelligence of [its] readers for the good of society" -- starting with figuring out how best to save money an...Read the full story on TreeHugger

HVAC heat exchanger corrosion associated with Chinese drywall presence. Image credit:ChineseDrywall.com This headline is certainly the meta-story that hovers above the request by Florida's Republican Governor for Federal money to cover the cost of re-repairing thousands of hurricane-damaged homes which were repaired first with Chinese drywall. Florida's Governor wants Federal money because insurance companies won't cover the re-repairs for it's citizens (shocking isn't it?)...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Credit: Flickr via Michael Francis McCarthy. 2012 is a movie, the end of the Mayan calendar, maybe the end of the Earth. But, thankfully, it's all a myth. Or is it? The 2012 phenomenon gets a new spin from Lawrence M. Krauss in the March 2010 issue of Scientific American. The bottom line: 2012 could be the beginning of the end if we don't take steps to combat climate change, and call out naysayers like Sarah "Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo via flickr There's a lot of grim climate news, of course, but the EU keeps moving forward. On Friday, the European Commission announced that the EU, which is made up 27 member countries, is on track to meet its goal of generating 20 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020. The Commission also says the EU will meet its other two goals of increasing energy efficiency by 20 percent and decreasing emissions by 20 percent of 1990 levels....Read the full story on TreeHugger

Whether you're located in Healdsburg, California or virtually--like I am in NYC--visit Arboretum for ethical fashion finds. Olsenhaus' Elizabeth Olsen told us about the boutique; they were the first to place an order for her delectable vegan shoes nearly two years ago. Click through for more green designers in store: ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

It's shouldn't take a gorgeous super model and her rather handsome NFL husband to convince you to participate in this year's Earth Hour on Saturday, March 27 at 8:30 pm, but it certainly doesn't hurt. From time zone to time zone, the world's citizens will be turning off their lights. Read the full story on TreeHugger