HABIHUT AT YOUR DOORSTEPLiving in the Korogocho slum, a small settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, is not easy. Think crowds, no running water or sanitation, minimal electricity, and widespread crime. Furthermore, property rights are limited, at best, and most goods and income are amassed in the underground marketplace.
Greener Pastures
Perspectives
By Holly Fretwell | Greener Pastures
Compiled by Linda Platts
If you have ever purchased an item at Target or Wal-Mart, taken it home, and then literally wrestled it to the floor trying to free it from its packaging, then this bit of news is for you.
A five-story building in southern Athens is being hailed as possibly the most energy-efficient building in the world. Considering the public’s growing interest in green building, this structure could provide valuable lessons.
Dying is big business in the United States to the tune of $26 billion dollars annually.
Komodo National Park is located on one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, just one of 10,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago.
In a state with no shortage of daily manure, Reuters News Service reports that a major utility has signed an agreement to augment its energy supplies with natural gas generated from
If you have ever been out for a stroll in your flip-flops and stubbed a toe on a cracked sidewalk that resembles a mogul run, you will appreciate the dream that Richard Valeriano had one night.
In the heart of Cambodia is the most important waterbird zone in mainland Southeast Asia. At Prek Toal, just-hatched chicks peep in deafening high tones, while larger birds take off , land, and perform mid-air acrobatics.
When the elevator stops on the top floor of some of the world’s newest downtown skyscrapers, the occupants may be in for a surprise. Before them may be a ï¬eld of waving native grasses and a stunning display of wildflowers.
While rampant illegal logging takes place around them, two indigenous communities in Nicaragua have banned together to harvest wood in a sustainable manner and to act as a buffer for Nicaragua’s largest protected area.
Deep in the heart of Texas one of America's leading technology firms is just putting the final touches on one of the nation's greenest buildings.
A recent issue of Audubon magazine arrived with a somewhat unexpected message on the front: "Log Your Land." Needless to say, the article contained a few qualifiers rather than simply suggesting landowners dash into the woods with their chainsaws.
Some of the finest restaurants in San Francisco are serving up delicious Northern California wines and vegetables that were produced with the help of scraps from their customers' plates.
What is the world coming to when Diane Von Furstenberg, Halston, and Oscar de la Renta are using materials made from wood pulp, bamboo, corn fiber, and Japanese leaves that contain anti-allergens.
African elephants are not only majestic animals, but also cropraiding nuisances, endangering human lives and livelihoods. Conservation groups have determined that in order to protect elephants it is necessary to protect the people who are sharing the land with them.
Typically in the past, rural and suburban landowners had no trouble taking care of their seasonal accumulations of brush, branches, dead leaves, and other organic debris. They piled it in the backyard and set it alight.
In a 100-acre Iowa farm field, hemmed in by electrical fencing, 2,000 pigs are contentedly doing whatever pigs do. The farmer who owns them, Paul Willis, refers to them as his "free-range" pigs.
The latest trend in furniture appears to be environmentally sound, remarkably inventive, and priced considerably higher than the wares at Pier 1.
Libby, Montana, a town of about 8,000 residents located in the northwest corner of this giant state, is probably best known for its health problems related to asbestos. But its troubles don’t end there.
In years past, the most prestigious wineries in Napa Valley, Calif., were the most pristine. Not a weed to be seen, just a perfect monoculture—row upon row of meticulously tended grape vines.
Although the idea has been around for a long while, carpet manufacturers in Dalton, Georgia, the “Carpet Capital of the World,” think they have finally got it right this time.
In the basement of an engineering building at Northeastern University in Boston, a strange eggbeater-type machine is strapped to a gurney in the corner.
Private landowners who also happen to love native fish have developed dozens of backyard incubators that are capable of hatching hundreds of thousands of eggs.
If your landscape is in need of a little razzle-dazzle, EnviroGLAS Products Inc. of Plano, Texas, may have just what you need.
Green building has come in for some hard knocks in recent years as some high-profile projects have proved to be both inefficient and costly.
In laboratories around the country, scientists are working to alter the genetic working of trees in order to increase their ability to store carbon, absorb toxins, and resist disease.
A new technology could make use of excess heat and at the same time produce millions of gallons of fresh water from power plants. The novel idea originated with two professors at the University of Florida, James Klausner and Renwei Mei.
In many instances, litigation has been the tool of choice for environmentalists seeking to halt everything from logging to subdivisions. But times are changing and more battles are moving from public to private lands.
Pioneer bamboo producers in Mexico are hoping to turn the tables on China and become one of the world's largest producers of bamboo. Although the fact is not widely known, bamboo is actually a grass, which has long grown wild throughout many parts of Mexico.
If you are sipping a latte somewhere in the vast Starbucks empire, you can rest assured that the corporation is moving steadfastly toward more environmentally friendly practices.
More than sixty miles from the nearest ocean, Pacific white shrimp are growing plump and juicy in pure fresh water from deep artesian wells. They have been certified by the U.S.
The South Texas Wildlife Shootout is helping preserve wildlife habitat on private land and educating the public about the unique wildlife in the region.
South Africa is known worldwide for its spectacular national parks, but what is less widely known is the number of private game reserves that have abandoned cattle and crops to concentrate on conserving wildlife (see Terry Anderson's article in this issue).
In Tanzania, the Nile crocodile is probably best known for its threat to human life. Not only does it snatch villagers from the river banks, but it has even made forays onto the lawns of tourist lodges in search of a tasty meal.
In Wyoming's Powder River Basin, efforts to access a major new source of natural gas stalled when drilling for coalbed methane also produced millions of gallons of tainted groundwater.
In Anchorage, Alaska, companies are giving their employees incentives to reduce winter air pollution. They come in the form of cold hard cash, and they work. But the companies too have an incentive to reduce air pollution.
The rising global demand for paper is forcing producers to look beyond trees to crops such as flax and hemp. The increase in forests set aside for wildlife preserves and recreation is also reducing the availability of wood pulp typically used in papermaking.
As you gaze out over the shiny hood of your brand new Lincoln Town Car, you might be looking at a hunk of scrap metal. Ford Motor Co. has spent years seeking an efficient, cost-effective system to reuse aluminum scraps.
Researchers at Purdue University say that water hazards on golf courses can do a lot more than provide a challenge to players. They can remove a host of pollutants and improve water quality.
Slash-and-burn agriculture has long been a way of life for farmers living in forested areas of the Dominican Republic.
Watch your step, Starbucks. Indigenous farmers from Chiapas, Mexico, are opening cafes in Europe, the United States, and Mexico.
In California, conservation easements are saving more than astonishing landscapes; they are saving livelihoods. The California Rangeland Trust is preserving working cattle ranches.
A disaster for some is an opportunity for others. When noxious weeds invade Montana pastures and hillsides, two enterprising Missoula teenagers reap the benefits.
The world's largest fish has found a safe haven in the waters surrounding a tiny Caribbean island.
Cabela's, one of the world's largest outfitting companies, is shedding new light on its indoor facilities.
Surrounded by the magnificent blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, Santa Cruz Island, just 25 miles west of Santa Barbara, is the scene of a life-and-death drama that pits feral pigs against the dainty island fox.
A great meal for many Americans is a Butterball turkey. A great deal for ConAgra, the company producing Butterballs, is to turn all its turkey waste into marketable products.
The EcoEnterprises Fund has invested $500,000 in a private company that works with small scale cocoa producers in Latin America.
Two major foundations have donated more than $12 million for the protection of private forest lands throughout northern New England and New York. This contribution represents the largest single private commitment to forest conservation in the region.
This summer of devastating wildfire has left many areas vulnerable to further damage. The aftermath of erosion, runoff, and flooding can cause more harm to fish and wildlife habitat than the fire.
What to do with sludge is a problem faced by many a manufacturer. And that problem has been further complicated in recent times as state and federal agencies often regulate sludge as a hazardous waste.
Soybeans are as much a part of the American diet as corn on the cob, just not as obvious. From margarine and cooking oils to salad dressings and nondairy coffee creamers, soybeans have made a place for themselves.
What to do with sludge is a problem faced by many a manufacturer. And that problem has been further complicated in recent times as state and federal agencies often regulate sludge as a hazardous waste.
More than 270 million tires are discarded every year and that number continues to grow. The good news is that 64 percent of those tires are now being reused as flooring, fuel, automobile parts, and even playground surfaces.
Protecting forest lands in developing countries often meets with strong resistance. Rather than create parks or reserves, many governments feel compelled to choose commercial development because of their urgent need for the revenues generated from logging and mining.
The chattering, white-faced Mono Ti Ti monkey is rapidly disappearing from its jungle habitat along Costa Rica's Pacific coast.
The demand for parking spaces could not keep pace with supply at fast-growing Dominican University in River Forest, Ill. School administrators were faced with paving over more lawns and in the process taking out 25 to 30 mature shade trees.
Federal land management agencies are increasingly receptive to innovative partnerships that can help share the burden of managing millions of acres of public land.
The fires that scorched millions of acres across the West this summer have left many people wondering how to prevent further devastation in summers to come.
Georgia catfish farmers are homing in on a new cash crop that will allow them to operate two businesses for the price of one, almost. It will also help them meet Georgia clean water standards for discharges from their fish tanks.
From Bali to Las Vegas, a new method for treating wastewater is producing clean water as well as lush gardens.
For years, dikes have held back the salty waters at Long Beach, Washington, to create pastureland for horses and cattle. Now the tide has turned, and the dikes are coming down to create high quality intertidal wetlands.
The transition from muck farm to nature-based resort has been a rocky road for Florida's St. Johns River Water Management District.
A small group of scientists and philanthropists have personally contributed enough money to finalize the creation of a bioreserve on the Caribbean island of Dominica.
Tractor parts made from soybeans and picnic tables made from the kenaf plant are just a few of the products that use natural fibers to replace more conventional materials. They are proving to be more durable, lighter in weight, and priced right.
Once-denuded slopes in the foothills of the Himalayas are showing signs of green again.
Nestled between a national park and a proposed wilderness area and cut through by the beautiful Virgin River, Utah's Horse Valley Ranch is probably one of the West's most coveted pieces of real estate.
Plastics made from plants is an idea that scientists have touted for years, but no one was able to bring it to the marketplace. That has changed with an announcement from Cargill Incorporated and Dow Chemical Company.
Bananas are growing in a mine drainage tunnel in Leadville, Colo. Along with carrots, spinach, beets, and broccoli, these crops may provide the solution to cleaning up one of the nation's most polluted Superfund sites.
Bananas are growing in a mine drainage tunnel in Leadville, Colo. Along with carrots, spinach, beets, and broccoli, these crops may provide the solution to cleaning up one of the nation's most polluted Superfund sites.
Breaching the Edwards Dam on Maine's Kennebec River last July to help fish had an unexpected benefit for furniture-makers, wood craftsmen, architects, musical instrument-makers, and even pen-makers.
In Brazil's Atlantic coastal forest, farmers are finding they can make more money by protecting the trees than from agriculture. The golden lion tamarin, a rare monkey, makes its home in this forest and attracts ecotourists from around the world.
Dow Chemical Company and a group of environmental activists have completed a two-year collaborative project to cut the production of toxic chemicals and reduce their release into the air and water.
The Nature Conservancy, well known for protecting habitat for threatened plants and animals, is taking a fresh look at ways to fulfill its mission. Surprisingly, gas drilling on one of its preserves seems to make a lot of sense right now.
The sight of 600 cattle crammed onto an acre of ground might cause even a certified urbanite to wonder about the quality of land management. But according to Land Renewal, Inc.
While there has been no lack of news coverage on the sad state of our national parks, there is still not enough money to shore up the buildings and patch the roads.
An accountant with a Washington State paper mill was the unlikely inspiration for a new process to produce recycled newsprint.
On the island of Hawaii, cold water pumped from 2,000 feet beneath the ocean's surface is creating ideal conditions for agriculture and ocean farming. In 1974, the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii began research into cold water technology.
As more and more people move to the country, they are destroying the very thing that they came for wide open spaces. The once vast grasslands of Texas are succumbing to strip malls and ranchettes.
The Navajo Reservation that sprawls across the starkly beautiful landscape of northern Arizona and New Mexico attracts thousands of tourists every year.
In Broward County, Florida, rapid development and shrinking wetlands presented an unusual business opportunity for Lew
When you drive into Hoffman's near Albany, New York, for an oil change and a car wash, you're doing a favor for your
Many Americans are working to preserve open space in their communities, and their tactics are as varied as their towns.
The reclaimed wood industry which began in the Northeast is now taking hold in the Northwest. As sources of old-growth
timber dwindle and environmental awareness grows, old wood is much in demand.
One man's trash is another man's treasure is more than an old adage to several American companies. It is the key to
When employees of a Toronto business complained of headaches, irritated eyes and lethargy, all symptoms of the
The Nature Conservancy, known for preserving landscapes by buying land and development rights, is considering logging as another
Sift it, bake it, and put it on the garden. That is basically how contaminated soil or sludge is cleaned and returned to use. The baking process causes the contaminants to vaporize leaving the soil clean enough for a variety of human uses.
After 35 years of civil war in Guatemala, peace has led to a surprising growth in organic farming. During the fighting, farmers abandoned their land allowing native plants to reclaim the cleared fields.
Marina owners Bill Reiser and Lisa Stowell know that running an environmentally friendly business is not only good for Chesapeake Bay, but good for their pocketbooks, too.
Native forests in New Zealand are being munched to death by millions of opossums. Introduced from Australia in the mid-1800s, the furry creatures have no natural predators in New Zealand.
Along Brazil's Atlantic coast, local people patrol 620 miles of beaches to protect five endangered species of sea turtle. By protecting the turtles, they are also protecting an important source of income based on ecotourism.
Private wilderness playgrounds are the future for quality outdoor recreation. At least that is what William Altenberg, Jr., is betting on.
The EcoEnterprises Fund offers a new twist on venture capital by targeting environmentally responsible and conservation-minded businesses. The fund will invest an average of $100,000 to $200,000 in small start-up ventures in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The picnic table, the park bench and the boardwalk look like wood, but they are actually made from plastic. Impervious to water, salt, oil, chemicals, and insects, the building material comes from chipped and melted milk jugs and detergent bottles.
A group of researchers at Japan's largest car manufacturer are concentrating on designer trees rather than fuel efficiency.
The EcoEnterprises Fund offers a new twist on venture capital by targeting environmentally responsible and conservation-minded businesses. The fund will invest an average of $100,000 to $200,000 in small start-up ventures in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Last spring, thousands of Brazilian free-tail bats found a home at the New York Mets training facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla. About the size of a man's thumb with a wingspread of four inches, these little fellows are harmless, but certainly not tidy.
As many midwestern farm families struggle to make a living off the land, the Jones family of Afton, Iowa, has found a new source of revenue growing in their pastures.
High above West Africa's Upper Guinean rain forest, tourists on gently swaying walkways stroll cautiously through the forest canopy. It is a nature experience still rare even in the realms of eco-tourism.
While ecotourism has been touted as a way to save everything from tigers to sea turtles, it might also prove an economic boon to the financially beleaguered U.S. Forest Service.
An Alabama hairdresser is making oily hair his specialty. Phillip McCrory has devised a technique to clean up oil spills with hair trimmings. The technique is now being refined at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Family farms and ranches have found that entertainment is a cash crop that can keep them in business, even when more traditional fruit and vegetable crops cannot.
American companies have discovered that planting and preserving trees can reap a wealth of benefits. It can help the environment, it can boost their corporate image, and ultimately it could help the bottom line.
Deep in the South Bronx a small company is making a big impact on forest preservation, waste reduction, and furniture design. And that's only part of the story.
Subway car disposal, professional de-junking, displaced geraniums
Artificial trees do the job of real trees - removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Airships, similar to blimps, may be the future of cargo transport.
An ancient technology to purify water meets modern water needs.
Swiss company donates water purification systems in Kenya earns carbon credits in return, and makes a profit.
Fashion designers help rid New Zealand of 30 million destructive, non-native possums.
Cell phones help remote farmers in India to maximize their profits at market.
Founded 30 years ago in Bozeman, Montana, PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is the nation’s oldest and largest institute dedicated to improving environmental quality through property rights and markets.
PERC’s publications, each designed to resonate with specific groups, move ideas generated at PERC to broader audiences.
Research is at the heart of PERC's work, with a focus on the question: What is the link between economic growth and environmental quality?
The goal of PERC’s programs is to fully realize the vision of establishing “PERC University,” where scholars, students, policy makers, and others convene to expand the applications of free market environmentalism.
PERC's fellowships share a common goal of exposing new scholars, students, journalists, and policy makers to free market environmentalism, as well as enable scholars already familiar with FME to explore new applications.
PERC continues to publish and present a broad range of research and discussion through podcasts, videos, and other multimedia channels.