Depending on where you live in the United States, you’ll see that your electricity and energy rates will fluctuate. Electricity providers calculate your energy usage and electricity prices by kilowatt usage, meaning that how much you pay is dependent on how many cents it costs per kilowatt for whatever provider you use. (more…)

First global study of the impacts of climate change on wine and conservation reveals loss of majority of current area suitable for grape growing by 2050 and expansion of vineyards into wildlife habitats.

Could your merlot be growing alongside the moose of Yellowstone National Park soon or in prime panda habitat in China? A new study by a team of (more…)

The energy efficiency industry received a nice boost this week during President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. Obama called for cutting energy use by half over the next 20 years.

Such attention comes at a significant point in the history of the energy efficiency movement. It appears (more…)

The Green Power Hike, which recently took place in Hong Kong, is an annual fundraising event that focuses on environmental conservation and education. It’s a great initiative, but it serves as another reminder of just how inundated my daily life has become by the word “green” and how many different meanings the word has come to adopt. I am beginning to think that (more…)

Here’s a lecture by Ozzie Zehner, whose popular book “Green Illusions” is making the rounds. Indeed, there is a great deal of truth here. In particular, we’re seduced by the sexiness of renewable energy, and in some cases make extremely illogical decisions to deploy it.

Zehner provides an example of a gentleman who (more…)

International talks to protect large areas of the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica collapsed last week after several nations, including China, blocked the proposal over concerns about fishing access, according to reports.

Representatives from 25 member states — including (more…)

Recent policies enacted by the Brazilian government — including changes to its Forest Code and a push to build 30 new dams in the Amazon region — threaten to undermine critical environmental progress made by the nation over the last two decades, scientists say.

In a declaration published after its annual meeting (more…)

A new study says that young people have become increasingly less interested in the environment and conservation issues over the last four decades.

In an analysis of two longstanding surveys of U.S. high school seniors and college freshmen, researchers found that today’s generation of (more…)

A coalition of scientists and environmental advocacy groups has developed a camera-equipped drone they say could become a key conservation tool for monitoring forest loss and endangered wildlife.

The coalition — which includes The Orangutan Conservancy, the Denver Zoo, and two Swiss (more…)

To produce $1 of sugar, manufacturers use 270 gallons of water. A dollar of pet food takes 200 gallons of water. These figures include the sourcing of raw materials, processing, packaging, and shipping, according to Carnegie Mellon University scientists. A 2010 study published in Environmental Science and Technology, leveraged computer models to estimate (more…)