The 4-year-old crisis of the disappearing bee is deepening  .  Harsh winter conditions led to a massive bee die off and a new study found bee pollen and hives laced with pesticides. Bee populations have been on the decline for years, but in 2006 scientists noticed an alarming drop in population and found that entire colonies were being abandoned as bees went off to die elsewhere, a phenomenon labeled “colony collapse disorder  ” (CCD). With bees disappearing, farmers are scrambling to find... [Read more]

Thanks to a new TXU Energy  and SolarCity  partnership residents of Dallas, Texas will soon have the option to lease a photovoltaic solar array to offset high-energy cost. Similar programs are in place around the world, but in Texas where sprawling suburbs are common and air conditioning in the summer means sky rocketing fuel costs the potential savings for consumers could be…Read Full Article on Celsias  Read More →

“He’s going to kill himself and I’m going to be held responsible.” That was my thought at least a dozen times while volunteering for Burton’s CHILL program at Mountain High Ski Resort. The CHILL program takes underprivileged teens to local mountains for snowboarding lessons one day a week for six weeks. Equipment and lift tickets come care of Burton. Some of the kids have never seen the mountains before, though many live within an hour drive of a range. Because my life had been a rollercoaster... [Read more]

One of the most head slapping-ly logical groups I helped last year was Food Forward. Their brilliant concept boils down to – You have fruit trees in your yard that need picking. We have hungry people in LA. We will come pick your tree for free, give you tax credit, and give the fruit to the hungry. Problems solved. I picked oranges with them in July and ever since then I have been halfway obsessed with unpicked fruit trees of any kind. I walk around my neighborhood in a twist over orange and... [Read more]

Note to those who have already e-mailed me:  No, I’m not a pot user – really I don’t even like being around the smoke. However, I think it’s silly to pay taxes to fight a war against a plant which is less dangerous than alcohol, is a viable medical treatment for certain conditions, and could make us tons of money if we taxed it. Would the legalization of marijuana in the United States be good for the environment? Do I hear a resounding yes from the peanut gallery? Thought... [Read more]