Green Science

Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and we are at a defining moment of history. What can you do to make a difference? We've got 10 tips for you.

By Katie Lambert & Sarah Gleim

When the wind blows, particles in the gust of air are moving quickly. And that motion carries kinetic energy, which can be captured and harnessed to create electricity. The principle behind a wind-electric turbine isn't too different from an ordinary dam -- only it's capturing wind instead of water.

By Julia Layton

In 2023, the U.S. bottled water industry was worth $94 billion, even with the rise of popular reusable water bottle brands.

By Julia Layton

It's not really green. It's "green." Unlike asphalt, green pavement is permeable, which means it lets rain soak through to the ground rather than roll off. How does this help our environment?

By Debra Ronca

No one likes paying bills. But you wouldn't have quite so many if you lived off the grid. How do you create enough energy to ditch public utilities?

By Charles W. Bryant

Thousands of women around the world choose to combat ecological problems -- they're known as ecofeminists. But what would you do if you found out your house sat atop a toxic waste dump?

By Winifred Fordham Metz

Polar bears are facing a grim future as global warming melts their Arctic home. What problems are they up against and what's being done to save them?

By Julia Layton

How do we reduce greenhouse gas emissions? A carbon tax is one answer. A simpler alternative to cap-and-trade schemes, a carbon tax encourages energy efficiency and reduced consumption.

By Sarah Dowdey

The word "ozone" gets tossed around conversation as casually as a softball, but how many of us could really describe what the ozone layer is? The "hole" in it isn't exactly a hole.

By Jane McGrath

If you've ever walked the New York City streets in July, you've experienced the misery of this phenomenon. Why do cities heat up like furnaces while surrounding rural areas remain cooler?

By Jane McGrath

Scientists say that as of May 2007,. more people now live in urban than in rural areas. So how do planners make cities work for all those people?

By William Harris

Why waste drinkable water on your yard when your old bathwater will suffice? That's the idea behind gray water reclamation -- getting the most out of your water through reuse.

By Robert Lamb

You might think of solar panels as large racks of rigid panels on someone's roof, but newer solar cells are more flexible and efficient.

By William Harris

Scientists are stockpiling the world's seeds, organizing them in giant libraries of planting possibilities. Is every type of plant included? Or, are the seeds of pesky plants shunned?

By Debra Ronca

Protecting the Earth is serious business for a radical group of environmental and animal activists dubbed eco-terrorists. Who are they? Why does the FBI consider them a top priority?

By Jennifer Horton

Oil is a nonrenewable resource. Have we found all the oil there is to find, or is there more out there somewhere? What's the best way to wean ourselves from our oil dependency?

By Josh Clark

Popeye used the iron from spinach to morph into a formidable sailor. We know that iron is an essential component of the human body. But could it also be the answer to global warming?

By Jennifer Horton

A sustainable community might not be as radical as you think. What's so crazy about minimizing waste, reducing consumption and preserving green space?

By Jennifer Horton

What if the land you relied upon simply blew away? In the 1930s, poor stewardship and crushing drought created black blizzards and an internal American exodus known as the Dust Bowl.

By Maria Trimarchi

Electrifying dance moves might impress your friends, but they usually don't help power the club you're dancing in. What's piezoelectricity, and how could it help twist the future of energy generation?

By Maria Trimarchi

If ranchers and landowners invest in grass banks, will their payout be nothing but green? Or is grass banking a temporary solution, delaying Mother Nature's inevitable bankruptcy?

By Jennifer Horton

We've been warned plenty about the mercury content of fish. And most of us know our new high-efficiency CFLs also contain the shiny neurotoxin. So which source should cause us more concern?

By Julia Layton

Is the same substance that makes your shampoo so sudsy really going to give you cancer? Here's the real dirt on whether sodium lauryl sulfate is bad for you.

By Julia Layton & Valerie Stimac

Can you walk to restaurants from your home? Or do you have to hop in the car for every outing? How do you determine your neighborhood's walkability without taking to the streets yourself?

By Maria Trimarchi

When Thomas Malthus warned that the human population would eventually outpace Earth's resources, he wasn't anticipating the green revolution. So why do rising food costs have some folks worried we're running at capacity?

By Julia Layton