I must admit I have never really understood the environmentalist obsession with plastic bags. As I noted in my post on a ban plastic bags rap that went viral, I've always felt there are

Comments to the post What is the Best Way To Build A Wall? Not A Simple Answer wondered why we wanted to reinvent the wall. The consensus was "Having XPS on the exterior is, I think, the easiest and best solution." I will be

Dear Pablo: Is it true that plastic bags have less impact on the environment than the alternatives?

Dear Pablo: I have a tough one for you: shall we recycle our paper? There are both the CO2 and the chemical aspects to consider, and there's arguments against recycling paper in each case.

Since pumpkins generally require around 75 to 100 frost-free days, it's a good idea to get a jumpstart on planting them.

It's time to take David Cain's advice and "talk like we used to."

We go through this ridiculous change for no good reason at all, yet it is unhealthy and dangerous.

The magazine rallies against GMO-labeling and denounces opponents of genetically modified crops as "unscientific."

Retro Report revisits the Flavr Savr, the first genetically engineered food to hit American grocery stores.

Major food conglomerates want to stamp out state-by-state efforts to label foods containing genetically modified ingredients with federal legislation.

An anti-GMO campaign declares victory.

As the FDA continues to hesitate, the two largest U.S. grocery stores want nothing to do with Frankenfish.

Consumer Reports finds that most products advertised as “natural” contain genetically modified ingredients.

In a lawsuit settlement today, General Mills agreed to remove the “100% Natural” from more than 20 of its products.

This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a controversial bill that seeks to set a unified standard for the labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms.

Researchers in the UK are using genetic engineering to fight the bird flu epidemic.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption.

But more than that, the film is a love story about cooking and gardening -- and the importance of regaining control over where our food comes from.

For almost 30 years the Council has been fighting against regulation that would limit balloons for environmental reasons.

The island nation in the western Pacific wants to protect its coral reefs from toxic sunscreen runoff.

Alex Weber, 18, has just published a study that analyzes how these balls enter and degrade in the water.

Toyota Goes Bold Even Toyota, the maker of the much revered Toyota Prius, has been unable to escape the fallout from the economic downturn. In fact, Toyota just posted its first operating loss in 70 years, and the company is responding with bold plans

The Best-Selling Hybrid Car Gets a MakeoverIt might not be very suspenseful because we've all already seen leaked shots of the 3rd generation Toyota Prius hybrid (see below -

Photo: Michael Graham Richard. Click to see 2010 Toyota Prius Slideshow.2010 Toyota^ Prius Hybrid: Hello WorldAfter some not too suspenseful waiting, here it is. The official debut of the 3rd generation Toyota Prius hybrid! You can see tons of

Photo: Wikipedia, Public domain 2004 to 2009 Prius Included in Toyota's September 2009 Recall Toyota has just announced a huge recall. About 3.8 million vehicles are included, and that includes the 2004 to 2009 Prius hybrid. Since that's probably a

Photo: Toyota Update: Kaizen Fail: Toyota Recalls 437,000 Hybrids Worldwide, Mostly 2010 Prius Models 311,000 Third Generation Prius Hybrids to be Recalled by Toyota It seems like Toyota has yet to hit rock bottom. Last week the NHTSA announced that it

Photo: Toyota Ouch We all knew it was coming, but now it's official. Toyota has formally filed a voluntary recall for 437,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide. Most of those are third generation Prius hybrids, but they're also recalling the few Prius PHEV out

Alex previously wrote about concerns as China Tightens Grasp on Rare Earth Metals Vital for Green Technologies; now we are seeing it in action. After a dispute over a collision between the Japanese Coast Guard and a Chinese

There are now 11 mass-manufactured electric cars that come in under $27,000 in California... after federal and California incentives.

Wallpaper for commercial applications must be a hardy, sturdy product to withstand daily wear and tear. But vinyl is a TreeHugger no-way…unless it is recycled. LSI Wallcovering is making wallcovering waves with the market's first ever recycled vinyl

We've been seeing Nellie's dryer balls and their various knockoffs throwing around their purportedly eco-friendly clout everywhere lately, even on green shopping sites and environmental blogs we know and love. (We even tried to correct these misguided

Vinyl man (pictured) may be disappointed. "The hundreds of thousands of lunch boxes given away by California state health officials over the last several years were designed to promote healthful habits, bearing slogans such as "Eat Fruits & Vegetables

Sam Suds and the Case of PVC The entire life cycle of PVC is an issue of environmental justice and racism. Many PVC plants are located near poor and communities of color. These facilities have poisoned workers and fence-line neighbors, polluted the

Photo credit: What Rhymes with Nicole Target may finally be feeling the heat from consumer, health, and environmental groups such as the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), which has been vociferous in its campaign to get the nation's

Years ago, whilst working as a researcher for Greenpeace, looking at how effective its campaign had been to make the Sydney Olympics PVC-free, it became apparent to me how polyvinyl chloride so dominates certain industries. This is certainly true of

Short design-life products made of PVC have been a common, inexpensive, and functional choice for almost 50 years. But, vinyl can also be a risky choice of material for objects often handled by consumers, posing a risk of lead exposure, especially if

Joining gDiapers, the US Postal Service and more, Surface iQ's commercial wallcoverings have earned Cradle to Cradle certification. The only printed commercial grade wallcovering to have earned this certification, Surface iQ's products have an

The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), under pressure to lessen childhood exposure to lead in toys and clothing, has set a deadline of early February 2009. That's

Over at the Sietch Blog, an environmental site that I respect a lot, a roofer named Leo defends PVC roofing as one of the greenest roofs. He isn't wrong; it comes in white, and white roofs are all the rage, it lasts a long time and is a

Stickers can be fun, but how eco-friendly is this new craze for decorating walls? We have found two brands that claim their vinyls to be eco-chic, and some even come with decorative eco-reminders; very clever! Hu2 in the UK has just

Steven M. Johnson beats a whole lot of TreeHugger posts to the punch.

Our favorite cartoonist solves a major problem with tiny houses.

Cartoonist and inventor Steven M. Johnson has us climbing the walls.

The inventor and humorist also was prescient about buses.

Just days ago, 19 Asiatic black bears were rescued from an illegal bile farming operation in Vietnam. For six to seven years, the animals were kept

On first reflection it would seem that living in a war zone is rough, no matter your species. When armed conflicts erupt we are too often overwhelmed by the numbers of humans injured and killed. How animals are affected

What appeals to me most about Article 22's Peace Bomb Bracelet is the collection's history and story: Each piece has been made by Lao artisans from

Here is a great way to keep out the sun and plant a vertical garden

This long, deep house has a wonderful low tech vertical garden that anyone could maintain.

He is one of Asia's emerging architects, famous for building stunning, affordable and durable buildings out of bamboo.