The murder of 26-year-old sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora in late May exposed cracks in Costa Rica’s international environmental image, and proved that protecting nature sometimes has a terrible cost. Official corruption, lax regulations, and drug trafficking threaten the environmental bounty of Central America’s most visited country.
Recent Posts
Baja California: An “Earthly Paradise” in the Desert
Baja California, despite proximity to the US and recent rampant growth, remains a wild and untamed coastal desert. Behind the charming pueblitos and peaceful resorts lies a varied history where conquest and development have moved both slow and fast. Following a recent trip to the Gulf of California town of Loreto, this first in a series of articles attempts to define what makes the place special, as well as what the future holds for this (mostly) hidden resort region.
Plastic Ocean: Deep Sea Garbage Endangers Marine Ecosystem
While the Great Pacific Garbage Patch continues to grow, a paper by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute shows that trash is accumulating in the deep sea, particularly in Monterey Canyon, off the coast of California. This causes dire impacts to the marine ecosystem and humans who thrive from it.
Biofuels from Seaweed: A More Sustainable Energy Source?
Many millions are being invested in seaweed research from Vietnam to Israel to Chile because producing biofuels in the sea overcomes many of the serious problems with conventional biofuels.
Sacramento March: Separation of Oil and State – July 11
Part of 350.org’s Summer Heat campaign, “Separation of Oil & State: Follow the Money” is a July 11th march on the capitol in Sacramento that exposes the connections between government and oil lobbyists. Organizers from 350 Sacramento and Stop Fooling CA will create a human oil slick to raise awareness about the impact of the oil lobby on government.
Urban Farming: Nature, Art, and Society Converge
Urban farmers and gardeners around the world transform abandoned lots into edible landscapes, improving human and ecological health as well as creating beautiful places. Richard Ingersoll surveys a myriad of concepts and projects from around Europe and the United States.
Toll Roads, Please Take Me Away!
No matter where they’re stuck in OC’s sprawling road network: on I-5, the 405, Crown Valley Parkway, or in their own driveway — a magical toll road miles from their moribund vehicular situation will time-travel them up, to that heavenly place of commuter-bliss, where slowdowns never occur.