Winter 2009: Eco-Towns, Denim, The Wild West

Eco-Towns

Poundbury, an earth-friendly British town, is "devoid of funk, its streets all but deserted," writes Bruce Stutz ("Britain's Elusive Eco-Town Dream," page 26). But check out NRDC's latest Web feature, "Picturing Smart Growth," which uses computer graphics to show Americans that our smart-growth communities will bring in not only some funkiness but also businesses, bicycles, and happy citizens (nrdc.org/picturesmartgrowth).

Denim

Waterways in china often get polluted by textile plants manufacturing your favorite brand of jeans ("How Green Are Your Jeans," page 34). NRDC works with Chinese government officials and academics to help limit the toxic effects of the nation's clothing industry (nrdc.org/china).

The Wild West

In this issue's cover story, David Gessner wonders how we can both enjoy and protect the West's last remaining wildlands ("Loving the West to Death," page 36). Whether or not you have immediate plans to join the next wagon train headed west, you can find out more about NRDC's efforts to protect southern Utah's Redrock Wilderness from development by visiting the organization's BioGems Web site at savebiogems.org/redrock/.