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. As the land lay fallow, the pesticides gradually disappeared from the soil and wild herbs flourished. When the farmers returned, they discoveredContinue reading “Guerillas Go Organic”
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Keeping It Clean
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. With that in mind, they have shelled out some serious money to make sure their customers keep coming back. To keep the waters near their business clean, theyContinue reading “Keeping It Clean”
Forest – Saving Fashions
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. It is estimated that they are now 70 million strong and consume 20,000 tons of foliage every night. Although hunting and poison have been usedContinue reading “Forest – Saving Fashions”
Turtle Tourism
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. One local man said, "Turtles have become a big part of my life. If I or any other fisherman seesContinue reading “Turtle Tourism”
Wilderness By Reservation
Private wilderness playgrounds are the future for quality outdoor recreation. At least that is what William Altenberg, Jr., is betting on. In northern New Hampshire, he leases 24,000 acres of timberland from the International Paper Company and offers hiking, biking, kayaking, and backcountry skiing to paying customers. He is building lodges, yurts, and a 100-mileContinue reading “Wilderness By Reservation”
Recipe For Sludge
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. Soil Restoration and Recycling (SR2) is a Chattanooga, Tenn., company that isContinue reading “Recipe For Sludge”
Market for SO2 emissions
By Daniel K. Benjamin The results of the SO2 tradable emissions program are in– and the economists were right. Economists have long argued that tradable emissions permits are, in principle, superior to the command-and-control approach in reducing pollution. Traditional regulators have disagreed. The results of a pioneer trading program are now in, and they suggestContinue reading “Market for SO2 emissions”
Do We Get What We Pay For?
“The concern for forests today is not simply that trees will die from bugs or diseases–it is that entire forest systems are so far out of normal ecological range that virtually every element in the system is affected, and may be at risk.”
The Market Meets the Environment:
The Market Meets the Environment Economic Analysis of Environmental Policy Bruce Yandle Editor What does free market environmentalism have to say about Love Canal, Cleveland’s burning Cuyahoga River, golf course pollution, the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory Requirement, nonpoint source pollution, and river basin associations? In this revealing book, Bruce Yandle has compiled eleven original essaysContinue reading “The Market Meets the Environment:”
Environmental Education
Across the country, children are learning that the earth is getting dangerously hot, that acid rain has destroyed vast numbers of lakes and rivers, and that organic food is safer than food grown with pesticides. Some children are frightened about their future; others pester their parents with simplistic solutions to complex problems. “Many environmental materialsContinue reading “Environmental Education”