You are browsing the archives of 2009 December.

 Extreme sports hero Travis Pastrana will attempt to jump a rally car 200 feet on New Year’s Eve, hopefully doubling the current world record for rally car jumping. As if that’s not crazy enough, Pastrana plans to jump the car off California’s Long Beach pier and land on a barge sitting in the ocean. Apparently, [...]

Last week during some eleventh-hour Christmas shopping, I stopped at Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck), where I spent my newborn son’s first year of college tuition on a light lunch at the hot bar and four organic bananas. As I made my way to the cash register, I spotted a free sample table being mobbed [...]

Power company pulls plug on Florida coal plant

Vic Chesnutt died on Christmas Day. The apparent suicide of the dark genius isn’t completely surprising, but that doesn’t make it any less sad. The acclaimed underground singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia, seemed to be constantly grappling with demons, but unlike many with the same problems, he was able to manifest it into beautiful art. A [...]

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve been following reports about President Obama’s stimulus package and what it may mean for creating green jobs. Beyond that, are there programs in place to help businesses switch to greener raw materials and/or to green up operations overall?                        — Diane, via e-mail Even though the push to create green jobs is [...]

Here’s $10 well spent. 1% For the Planet—a global network of businesses (Patagonia, Mountain Khakis) that generously donate one percent of annual sales to environmental causes—is releasing a 40-song digital music compilation. 1%: The Music, Vol. 1 will feature exclusive tracks from a range of eco-minded roots artists including Jack Johnson, Brandi Carlisle, Mason Jennings, [...]

In the past decade, more than 43,000 Americans have been killed when crossing a street or walking along a road. To put that in perspective, this is the equivalent of a jumbo passenger jet going down every month. Even scarier? The top ten most dangerous cities to walk in, according to the report, are all [...]

You don’t need to give up riding to work or the market this winter. We asked the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia for some of their best winter cycling tips. RIDE MORE SLOWLY WHEN ITS WET OR ICY. Pump the brakes, keep your weight stable on the back wheel, and don’t lean into turns as [...]

The Blue Ridge Parkway will be the site of a new marathon this year. On April 24, 2010, the Blue Ridge Marathon will take off from Roanoke and cover some of the Parkway’s toughest sections in Virginia. The race, which will also feature a half-marathon option, is being directed by Ronny Angell of the longstanding [...]

“It’s time for the U.S. to stop seeing itself as a donor and recognizing itself as a polluter, a polluter who must pay compensation and pay their ecological debt. This is not about charity. This is about justice.” —Vandana Shiva, at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen

Pisgah National Forest grows to include Catawba Falls

Skiing is dangerous, right?. You’re strapping into a set of hard plastic boots and stiff, sharp boards and flying 20 mph down an ice and snow covered mountain. And you’re doing it with about a thousand other people, while surrounded by trees. That’s a recipe for disaster, right? Wrong. A new study published in Sports [...]

She’s been preparing for this journey for over two years. This Friday 22-year-old Katie Spotz will set off on a solo rowing expedition across the Atlantic Ocean. If successful, she will be the youngest person ever to row an ocean solo. Spotz will embark on a 2,500-mile route from West Africa to South America. She [...]

Daylight hours are fewer, breezes chillier, and the sun doesn’t pack the warmth it did a few months ago. Time to head to the beach! However, I’m not talking about some sand you can drive to. No, you’re going to tramp miles, but once you reach this place you’ll enjoy a solitude that is almost [...]

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