November 30th, 2010

‘Tis the season for giving, but what how does the environmentally-conscious shopper weave a bit of good stewardship into all that holiday generosity?

Before making a list of energy-efficient gadgets or rushing out to buy your spouse a brand new electric car, consider a little more expanded approach to gifting “green.”

For several years now, my wife has given our eco-friendly offspring (and a few friends) a donation to Heifer International. You’ve probably heard of Heifer: They’re the folks who literally provide heifers (young cows), goats, sheep, llamas, rabbits, chickens and geese – among other good chain-friendly creatures — to impoverished families, hoping to help lift them up and enable them to be more self-sufficient.

So how, you may ask, is this green?

These animals help turn dependent people into ones who can provide their own food, which is about as “sustainable” as it gets. In Heifer International’s case, that heifer is a source of milk for children and the potential to sell excess milk to pay for food, clothing and other necessities. With proper planning, the heifer can produce offspring that can help the gift keep on giving over multiple generations.

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July 28th, 2010

The kids are heading back to the classroom – if they aren’t already there sitting in rows in front of a blackboard – and parents are plotting how to give their children an academic advantage. Some are buying DVDs, books or computer programs. Some are paying for tutors or study skill seminars. All well and good. But if you want you kids to be smarter, some experts say, push them out the backdoor to play in the dirt, hunt for bugs and pollywogs, and explore the nearby park.

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April 16th, 2010

The Nature Conservancy, which has worked over the years to preserve California’s 278 state parks, wants residents to visit and enjoy these resources, especially as waters warm and flowers bloom this spring and summer.

So this week, the Nature Conservancy presented its picks for the “Ocean Oscars,” highlighting some of the best public beach spots in the state. Here, by category, with descriptions written by the Nature Conservancy, are the winners:

• Best Urban Retreat – Eastshore State Park – San Francisco Bay Area. This seashore is amidst one of the most developed areas in California. Nestled right outside San Francisco, Eastshore State Park is an urban retreat with miles of walking and biking trails and panoramic views of the bay. Tidal wetlands, marshes and sandy beaches are home to thousands of birds, delighting any naturalist or photographer.
  

  Point Lobos Natural Reserve

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November 3rd, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

While the world scrambles to find clean energy solutions, somewhere, every minute of every day, saws buzz through a forest, cutting down one of nature’s antidotes to carbon pollution.

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August 25th, 2009

From Green Right Now Reports

There’s a nice symmetry to this green trend that’s taken root among financial institutions. Aware that their paper-spewing tendencies carry a high carbon price (not to mention their actual price), many banks and credit companies are planting trees for customers who agree to forgo paper statements.

The latest to announce such a tree-planting project is the Kinecta Federal Credit Union in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Kinecta will make a donation to plant a tree in the Brazilian Rain Forest for every customer who converts to electronic statements between now and Sept. 30.

“Our intention is not only to show our commitment to being a green organization, but also to motivate our members to consider the positive global impact even the smallest decision can have,” said Shannon Doiron, Director of Marketing & eCommerce in a news release. “Collectively, credit union members can make a tremendous difference simply by opting out of paper statements.”

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June 9th, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Given the enormity of climate change, it’s not always easy to calculate how we individuals can make a contribution that matters. In honor of World Oceans Day (June 8), the Nature Conservancy has assembled a list of a few concrete ways we can help heal, or at least minimize the damage to, our marine world.

The list is a testament to our connectedness here on planet Earth — did you realize that the nitrogen fertilizer you dump on the yard could be part of the pollution overpowering streams and rivers; winding up in the ocean where it creates algal “blooms” that starve marine life of oxygen? Ah, right. That’s not what you were thinking of when you cracked open the bag of weed-and-feed. Heavy stuff, yes, but the sort of thing we humans need to think on. That lovely green turf comes with an environmental price tag — unless and until you find other ways to feed the lawn, like using lower nitrogen-content organic food.

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January 30th, 2009

By Harriet Blake

The US-Mexico border fence aims to strengthen American security and reduce illegal immigration, but a one-mile section of the 18-foot tall concrete-and-steel fence threatens to destabilize a nature preserve in South Texas, jeopardizing wildlife, jobs and habitat.

The result is that the Nature Conservancy, which protects ecologically important lands and waters around the world, has found itself in a court battle with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which filed a suit against the Conservancy in December to condemn land within the Lennox Foundation Southmost Preserve.

The 1,034-acre preserve contains a rare sabal palm forest, a native plant nursery that is critical to reforestation projects throughout South Texas; an ongoing demonstration of organic farming and a habitat for rare birds and endangered wildcats – the ocelot and the jaguarondi, says the Conservancy’s Texas state director Laura Huffman.

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