Teresa Bergen

A few years back, chickens applauded and cows jumped for joy as poll after poll showed a growing worldwide trend toward veganism. Faux meat purveyors proliferated, cookbooks and new websites were born. But a new study by Chef’s Pencil showed a marked decline in the popularity of veganism in the firs…

Anybody who’s paying attention has probably noticed that lots of choices being made in the world don’t align with the US goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. The good news is, a new study says it’s still possible.

Many of us have had the opportunity at some point to click a link on our phone or computer and offset our carbon footprint by planting a few trees. It’s so much easier than picking up litter, taking a shorter shower or planting trees ourselves. However, after Venmoing a few bucks, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see these trees. Often, they’re in a remote spot on the other side of the world. Or maybe they’re not there at all.

Major flooding is never convenient, but Yellowstone has really been hit hard as it geared up for a summer season full of 150th birthday events. Instead of the anticipated celebration, floodwaters have destroyed bridges and roads, carried away houses, threaten the drinking water supplies of nearby cities and forced 10,000 visitors to evacuate the park. When will Yellowstone be back to normal? Probably never. The enormous floods may permanently alter the face of the park.

While most of the world is worried about rising sea levels and extreme weather, the US Supreme Court did a puzzling thing. It limited the power of the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies to regulate power plant emissions. Last Thursday’s 6-3 ruling on the case West Virgin…

Since Congress passed the bipartisan infrastructure law last year, areas around the country have started strategizing how to become one of the four or more regional hubs that can get part of the Department of Energy’s promised $8 billion for developing clean hydrogen. New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey want to form a ginormous, sprawling northeast hub.

Last year, archeologists investigating land for a proposed U.K. housing development received a stunning surprise: a remarkable buried Roman building complex. This year, in a surprising move, a government historic preservation organization reburied the site.

For many people living in marginalized neighborhoods in the U.S., it’s a long trek to a store with a decent produce department. Instead of making a salad or steaming veggies, they wind up making do with nearby fast food or junk food.

What can you do when the world won’t listen to your warning of imminent peril? More and more climate activists are gluing themselves to important artworks to bring attention to their cause. The most recent case was last Thursday, when three Italian activists from the group Last Generation glued their hands to the base of Laocoön and His Sons, an ancient sculpture in the Vatican Museum.

Should we be flushing perfectly good fertilizer down the toilet? Some eco-minded folks are proposing a circular water economy that puts urine to work.

From Whitby to Bournemouth, British beaches log about 271 recreational visits per year, with up to 40 million dips into the ocean. But maybe not this year. Things are a little smelly and pathogen-laden at the moment, what with a monumental sea sewage scandal. And everybody seems to be blaming somebo…

A Norwegian company wants to help Norway reach its goal of harnessing 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2040 with its new vertical turbines. World Wide Wind claims it has developed a turbine with a maximum output of 40 megawatts. It is almost triple the 15 megawatts of what is currently the largest turbine.

Some green-minded folks have been betting on hydrogen energy, but a new study shows that heating your house with hydrogen power could cost 70% more than using natural gas. This could present a hiccup on the U.K.’s road to net zero by 2050.

In some of today’s yuckier news, Michigan consumers have been alerted that their vegetables might be contaminated with human waste. A grower called Kuntry Gardens was using “raw, untreated human waste on the fields where produce was grown for sale to local grocery stores and direct sale,” the Michig…

Green design & innovation for a better world

As water tensions heighten, Arizona and California are fighting over the Colorado River. And people who live around Southern California’s Salton Sea may bear some of the repercussions.

Distressing news for people who like to eat chickens. Foster Farms of Farmerville, Louisiana has issued a massive recall because some of their chicken breasts are riddled with hard — and maybe even sharp — pieces of plastic.

Big news in renewable energy production: The world’s largest floating wind farm has just successfully produced its first power.

Green design & innovation for a better world

Green design & innovation for a better world