Fiona Gomersall on ecological damage caused by Christmas trees, Rachel Kennerley on richer nations bearing the greatest burden, Sandy Irvine on population pressures and John Hobson on a carbon-added tax. Plus letters from Daniel Scharf, and Dr Stephen Brien of the Legatum Institute Your article about which Christmas trees to buy (Fake or real: which ones look best – and won’t cost the Earth?, 8 […]

While it may be quite rightly the most wonderful time of the year, with greeting cards, plastic decorations and unwanted food and gifts all generating a huge amount of waste, the cost of a Merry Christmas can be devastating for the environment. In fact the added strain on landfills and extra CO2 emissions that occur […]

A very visible impact of climate change on the North Shore of Oahu. Dave Brubeck’s “Unsquare Dance” taps in 7/4 time in the background. Rain schizophrenically falls. The ocean is gray and whitecapped. It’s one of those timeless down days on the North Shore of Oahu. Everyone seems to vanish on days like this. North […]

The committee is worried that allowing this power plant to proceed without an environmental assessment will set a bad precedent for any future biomass plants wishing to start up on Oahu. HONOLULU – It’s a Big Island power plant, but now an O’ahu County political party is getting involved. Thursday night, the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities […]

It’s down to the wire, and almost half of Americans are still scrambling to pick up last minute Christmas gifts. “According to Google shopping data that we have, 42 percent of people actually wait until the last minute to buy their gifts,” says Google’s Justin Burr. You can give back to the environment with eco-friendly […]

It’s easy to get wrapped up (sorry) in all the glitz and glitter at this time of year, but before you dash out for several rolls of sparkle-covered wrapping paper, here’s something to think about. It’s estimated that every Christmas in the UK, we use – and throw away – enough wrapping paper to circle the entire globe nine […]

Moderation is the last thing on people’s minds at Christmas. Shopping, traveling and eating reach peak levels—putting pressure on our planet. Even Santa poses a problem. If you don’t believe in flying reindeers, that sleigh must be rocket-fueled to reach the supersonic speeds needed to travel around the world to visit hundreds of millions of […]

We’ve all been in this situation before. You’ve finished your coffee and you’re looking for the trash. Just as you’re about to aim for the nearest bin, the dread sets in. Is this cup recyclable? Is the lid? Is the cup too frothy? Will the recycling police find me? Why do bad things happen to […]

The nonprofit also offers thrilling, unique whale-watching tours on Maui. Winter on Maui means it’s time for humpback whales. More than half of the North Pacific humpback whale population, estimated at over 20,000 strong, visit the waters of Maui Nui each year. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, humpback whale populations fell by an […]

Holiday hazards are lurking around your Christmas tree and dangling from your dinner table. But it’s not the humans you need to worry about, it’s your four-legged friends. Christmas trees are a prime target for curious cats. Veterinarian Dr. Kelly Baete suggests avoiding decorations like tinsel or ribbons. “Sometimes they will try to eat it […]